“Just do what I tell you…”
by digby
My piece in Salon today is about this un-American idea that you are required to instantly comply with a police officer’s orders lest you get shot, electrocuted, pepper sprayed or beaten:
Earlier this week, an LAPD police officer (and current professor of “Homeland Security,” whatever that means) by the name of Sunil Dutta wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post in which he offered this piece of advice to members of the public when dealing with police officers:
“[I]f you don’t want to get shot, tased, pepper-sprayed, struck with a baton or thrown to the ground, just do what I tell you. Don’t argue with me, don’t call me names, don’t tell me that I can’t stop you.”
Later he suggested that one needn’t submit to illegal searches or stops and said that citizens are allowed to refuse to consent to a search of your car or home if there’s no warrant. He also says that an officer must let you go if there’s no legal basis to stop and search you. How that’s supposed to work is a little bit obscure. After all, that would easily be seen as arguing and telling him that he can’t stop you — and then he will feel free to tase you, pepper spray you, shoot you or beat you.
I go on to discuss this notion that you cannot argue with police and how that’s been particularly impacted by the taser.
From my twitter timeline, I get the impression this really upsets the right wingers. I wonder how many of them defended the Bundy protesters against the tasering they received?
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