Border Patrol Police State

I got this story from June Wortman's newsletter. She calls the incident harrowing, and I can't disagree. The rapidity with which police forces escalate encounters with citizens who don't behave exactly as they would wish, or worse, actually insist on being treated with respect and accorded their civil rights, is increasingly reminiscent of how an occupying army treats the indigenous population: always assume the worst and shoot first, ask questions later.

That's certainly not to say that there aren't conscientious and properly trained officers in every service. In fact, I'd say that such fine public servants are clearly the rule. But the psychology of us-versus-them, which  has always characterized law enforcement work, has in recent years been exacerbated by the wars (on drugs, on terror, on immigrants) in which stereotypes, prejudice, and contempt for the 'perps'  (that's 'us' by the way, not just 'them') have become a central feature of law enforcement. This has created permissive political climate toward law enforcement excesses.

We shouldn't tolerate lazy and abusive law enforcers any more than we should tolerate lazy and abusive prosecutors, judges, doctors, or bankers. Law enforcement is a profession and the means they have a great deal of discretion in their work and are granted a great deal of self-policing authority (internal affairs are police, after all). They may be unconscionably under-paid, but they should be held to the very highest standards of ethical and professional conduct nonetheless.

Police and other law enforcement are like any other profession: if you give them too much latitude or fail to impose vigorous oversight of their professional practices, some members of the profession will respond by cutting corners and getting away with whatever they can. There is an ever-growing tolerance of shoddy and abusive police practices by our lawmakers, our courts, and our executive leaders in the pursuit of results above all else. I see the real results every day in my work, in horror stories such as the following, and in the tragedies that result from police abusing their authority and resorting to force with a hair trigger that we read about all too frequently. This story could easily have had a far worse outcome.

Border Patrol Incident
7:30 am, November 27, 2007

"I was forcibly pulled over by the Border Patrol on my way to work. I have traveled the Arivaca Road every day for the past 10 years, mostly without incident. I have been harassed a few times. Bright lights in the rear view mirror, tailgating etc. But up until now I haven’t ever had any real trouble. I’ve heard stories of people being hurt, held at gunpoint, forced from their vehicles. This list goes on. My sister was hit in the face, dragged from her vehicle, thrown to the ground and handcuffed with her face in the dirt. I can’t say that in light of these things I feel very safe when it comes to the Border Patrol

I have always been told, in every self-defense class, even those taught by law enforcement, that you should go to a populated area before you pull over for anyone you don’t know including law enforcement. Slow down, pull over to the right side of the road as far as possible without leaving the pavement and continue to drive slowly until you reach a populated area.

Border patrol turned on their flashing lights behind me at about the 20 mile marker after following me for about 4 miles. I did what I was taught. I slowed down to 20 miles per hour, pulled to the side of the road and continued to drive. They followed me for a little ways and then the first Border Patrol pulled in front of me and cut me off. I hit the brakes and the second Border Patrol sandwiched me in. Both jumped out of their vehicles and pulled their guns. They screamed at me several times to get out of my vehicle. I told them no and they continued screaming at me. “Roll down the window. Get out the vehicle. Why do you hate authority?” etc. I tried to explain that I was moving slowly toward a populated area. I told them that stories of abuse abound. Just a mile down the road was the Cow Palace. There would be people there.

He told me “No, you’ve already proven that you’re going to run.

They finally allowed me to pull to the side of the road so that we weren’t obstructing traffic. Five more BP showed up. I didn’t leave my vehicle. They called the Pima County Sheriff.

The sheriff came. He asked for my ID and I gave it to him. I told him they had pulled their guns on me. He told me that I could be charged with a felony for not stopping immediately. I explained to him that my sister had been abused by them and that I just wanted to get to a safe place before I pulled over. He then told me that I had only to pull over and show them my ID. Other than that I’m not required to do anything further.

We waited until they ran a check on me. He handed me back my ID and told me I could go. They never told my why I was pulled over.

For the record I am a 49 year old grandmother. I have blond hair and blue eyes. I drive a small truck and I work at a book store."

From June Wortman: I know this woman who works in the Book Shop in Green Valley. The above will be published December 1st in THE CONNECTION, an excellent,  free,  monthly paper published in Amado and available at the Green Valley Library and other sites. It will also be posted on http://junesrag.pbwiki.com for anyone who wants to click into it.

Comments

[Cactus Wren]

Let me get this straight.

She refuses to stop and continues driving with law enforcement officers following her and flashing their lights??

They have to sandwich her before she will stop?

5 more BP agents show up and she STILL refuses to cooperate?

She wastes even MORE taxpayer dollars by forcing a Sheriff's Deputy to come before she cooperated?

Being blond, 49, a grandmother, driving a small truck and working at a bookstore are not relevant, and certainly no excuse.

How gracious of the BP for NOT arresting her!!

Besides, does she really think that if she had pulled that trick with 5 Sherriff's Deputies, they wouldn't have yanked her out of her vehicle faster than her little blond head can comprehend?

[Cactus Wren]

The more I think about this, the more annoyed I get.

She's driving down Arivaca Road - one of the more notorious drug trafficking routes in the entire state - and she refuses to stop for the Border Patrol.

I wonder if someone who needed HELP didn't receive it, because she decided to play her stupid little game and tied up law enforcement resources?

The only one who was lazy and abusive was this woman. She was also selfish. It's also patently clear from her own testimony that SHE is the one who escalated things.

I've got some news for her - blond grandmothers also traffic in drugs.

It just blows my mind. No wonder we have problems in this country when people like her think they are too special to have to obey the laws; ..and now she's whining that she was mistreated.

What a bunch of utter malarky!!

[fred]

hey there she had a few prolems with her judgement as a human we always will have issues - so if you have immigration questions check here

http://www.immigrationwatchdog.com/?p=5238

[Liza]

Michael,
Did you follow the case of Frank Jude at all?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Jude%2C_Jr.

The police officers were sentenced last week and the worst of those involved in the incident seem to have received what they deserve.

[Duke the Dog]

Isn't June Wortman a Democrat anti-border activist?

I could have sworn I saw her name a few times in the GV Paper. She is somehow connected to the Dem Party and the pro-amnesty, open borders crowd.

Time to do some homework, but I have a strong feeling this little report may be a BS exaggeration.

[American Chauvinist]

She was seen in a picture in the Green Valley News protesting one of the Border Monitoring Towers.

I own property at Kinsley Ranch and have for 50 years.

Anyone who lives in the area knows who The Border Partol is and they know who YOU are!

This story about a grandmother continues to prolong the problems about Illegal Immigration and the destruction of the enviornment by Illegal's NOT the Border Patrol!

[Indy]

Or, maybe she was profiled for harassment by the BP because of her views, same goes for her sister. Wouldn't be the first time.