The Texas Department of Public Safety, the agency which employs Texas State Troopers, has responded acknowledging wrongdoing after a California resident filed an official complaint against two of the Department's officers last November 18th.
The complaint involved the officer's claims that they could demand ID from anyone in Texas during traffic stops for any reason, even if the person was not driving. Martin Hill, who is employed part time driving a commercial 18 wheeler across the United States for a large corporation, was off duty in the 'sleeper berth' on November 10th when his partner was stopped at a Texas DOT weight station and given a citation for allegedly having an overweight load.
The DOT inspector then demanded that the driver show her Hill's ID. The partner was thus forced to wake Hill up. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Regulations demand that all Commercial truck drivers must take a 10 hour break between shifts, including eight completely uninterupted hours in the sleeper berth. Failure to do this is a violation of federal law, so Hill knew that interrupting his break, as well as the officer's demand for his ID with no reasonable suspicion or probable cause, was illegal.
"These cops threatened to arrest me, take my freedom and lock me in a cage unless I complied with a demand which they had absolutely no right to make. This was the epitome of anti-American, tyrannical, and immoral behavior. When I had initially asked the Trooper why the inspector had woken me up, he sneered "We like to know who we're dealing with". When he later demanded my ID I asked who he was, and he replied "I'm the one with the badge and the gun". After I had initially refused to show him my license, he warned "I don't know how far you want to take this" and threatened to illegally imprison me under color of law. As a result of his actions, he now knows precisely who he's dealing with, doesn't he? And he has only just begin to see 'how far I have taken it'. I do not play games. As I stated in both my Texas and Federal civil rights complaint, the rule of law and constitution will be fully vindicated in this case. These two officers will not do this to me or to anyone, ever again."
The text of Hill's official 2 page complaint, which was filed on November 18th, can be found here. On December 20th, The Texas Department of Public Safety sent a response in which they admitted 'corrective action was needed' and 'additional training' given to officers. A pdf copy of their letter to Hill can be found here. [article continues here
When he later demanded my ID I asked who he was, and he replied "I'm the one with the badge and the gun". After I had initially refused to show him my license, he warned "I don't know how far you want to take this" and threatened to illegally imprison me under color of law.
DPS troopers aren't very nice, or smart, but they do wash their cars frequently.
__________________________________________________________ "This man is Jesus, shouted one man, spilling his Guinness as Barack Obama began his inaugural address. When will he come to Kenya to save us?"
The best and first guarantor of our neutrality and our independent existence is the defensive will of the people and the proverbial marksmanship of the Swiss shooter. Each soldier a good marksman! Each shot a hit! -Schweizerische Schuetzenzeitung (Swiss Shooting Federation) April, 1941
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Regulations demand that all Commercial truck drivers must take a 10 hour break between shifts, including eight completely uninterupted hours in the sleeper berth. Failure to do this is a violation of federal law, so Hill knew that interrupting his break, as well as the officer's demand for his ID with no reasonable suspicion or probable cause, was illegal.
Goes without saying! The boneheads!
"When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one." Edmund Burke
Better than shooting the arrogant fascist fucking prick 'with the badge and a gun'..I suppose.
"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.Samuel Adams
BAAANGGG oops, I'm the one that didn't bring a badge !
Resolve to serve no more, and you are at once freed. I do not ask that you place hands upon the tyrant to topple him over, but simply that you support him no longer; then you will behold him, like a great Colossus whose pedestal has been pulled away, fall of his own weight and break into pieces. Etienne de la Boetie
DPS troopers aren't very nice, or smart, but they do wash their cars frequently.
LOL! Reminds me of a prick in the deep south. I had to make an emergency stop at the rest area. I pulled into the rest area in the part for cars, (I was in a truck.) and this idiot came into the head and chastised me for pulling in where I did not belong. :(
"When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one." Edmund Burke
OK, I am PISSED. The link in the article which included the text of my complaint, as well as the two scans of the trooper letter and envelope, have all been SCRAPPED.. REMOVED.. from my website! everything else on my website is still there. How could this possibly be?
"if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." 1 Cor 12:3113:13 "I don't know where Bin Laden is. I truly am not that concerned about him" George W, Bush, 3/13/02 http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/03/20020313-8.html
Did those links work for you when you first posted the article?
If you didn't try them, then check one thing: all of the words in the link have an upper case first letter except the last word, complaint, which has a lower case first letter. Maybe you needed to use an upper case C there? It could just be a typo in the link.
BAAANGGG oops, I'm the one that didn't bring a badge !
LOL!
"Believe nothing merely because you have been told it. Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher. But whatsoever, after due examination and analysis, you find to be kind, conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of all beings - that doctrine believe and cling to, and take it as your guide. ~ Gautama Siddhartha The Buddha
they work fine and i actually kept the url tabs open and i am still looking at it. the page has been erased, as well as the two pdf files. i just emailed them all to you as attachments. could you post them?
"if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." 1 Cor 12:3113:13 "I don't know where Bin Laden is. I truly am not that concerned about him" George W, Bush, 3/13/02 http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/03/20020313-8.html
Godfrey Smith: Mike, I wouldn't worry. Prosperity is just around the corner. Mike Flaherty: Yeah, it's been there a long time. I wish I knew which corner. My Man Godfrey (1936)
Godfrey Smith: Mike, I wouldn't worry. Prosperity is just around the corner. Mike Flaherty: Yeah, it's been there a long time. I wish I knew which corner. My Man Godfrey (1936)
BAAANGGG oops, I'm the one that didn't bring a badge !
LOL
Tough women come from New York, sweet women from Texas, prissy women from Southern California, but we NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WOMEN have fire & ice in our blood. We can ride 4-wheelers, be a princess, throw a left hook, pack heat, hunt with the men, bake a cake, love with passion, and if we have an opinion, you know you're going to hear it!!
I think it's simply a matter of time before the pedestal that cops have relied upon for keeping the peace will crumble under the weight of their criminal abuses and people will even the odds.
It's too bad that good cops will eventually suffer the wrath caused by the bad ones. This may even be the intended agenda of those wishing to destroy our once humane and orderly society.
Resolve to serve no more, and you are at once freed. I do not ask that you place hands upon the tyrant to topple him over, but simply that you support him no longer; then you will behold him, like a great Colossus whose pedestal has been pulled away, fall of his own weight and break into pieces. Etienne de la Boetie
I think it's simply a matter of time before the pedestal that cops have relied upon for keeping the peace will crumble under the weight of their criminal abuses and people will even the odds.
I hope so.
Tough women come from New York, sweet women from Texas, prissy women from Southern California, but we NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WOMEN have fire & ice in our blood. We can ride 4-wheelers, be a princess, throw a left hook, pack heat, hunt with the men, bake a cake, love with passion, and if we have an opinion, you know you're going to hear it!!