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Arizona Man Winds Up Jailed, Unemployed and Homeless After Photographing Courthouse

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Raymond, the man featured in the story, submitted this article which was originally posted at PhotographyIsNotACrime.com by Carlos Miller.

Raymond Rodden was bored this week, so he drove to downtown Phoenix and began walking around, snapping photos of the federal courthouse and the state capitol with his iPhone.

The 33-year-old man ended up jailed, unemployed and homeless; his iPhone, iPad and Macintosh laptop confiscated as “evidence.”

All because they found it odd he was taking photos at 3 a.m.

“They told me they’re going to keep my computer because they want to see my search history,” he said Saturday evening in a telephone interview with Photography is Not a Crime.

“They wanted to know if I belonged to any extremist groups like the national socialist movement or sovereign citizens. They wanted to know what kind of books I checked out of the library.”

However, the only charges pending against him, if you even want to call them charges, are citations that he walked into an alley – a bogus charge that applies only to motorized vehicles – and that he neglected to change the address on his driver license after moving to Phoenix from Tucson last August.

They couldn’t even keep him jailed on the initial charge of an outdated warrant out of California because the San Obispo County Sheriff’s Office did not want to bother extraditing him from Phoenix.

“The warrant was not even valid in Arizona,” adding that it was over a probation violation for unlawful use of a vehicle, stemming from a 2001 incident in which he took his roommate’s car without permission after a heated argument.

That old roommate is still one of his best friends, allowing him to stay in his Tucson home after he was kicked out of the Phoenix home that was part of his employment.

“I was living in my boss’s house taking care of his son,” he said. “Now he thinks I’m some crazy person.”

The fact that the Phoenix police bomb squad tore his boss’s car apart searching for explosives before impounding it most likely convinced him that Rodden was not the most suitable person to care for his six-year-old son as he worked as a long-distance truck driver.

“The most radical thing I do is read Photography is Not a Crime and Cop Block,” he said.

So like most people who read those sites, he knows his rights when it comes to dealing with police.

And that is exactly why he is going through this ordeal.

It started Thursday at 3 a.m. when he was sitting at home, unable to sleep. He decided to drive to downtown in his boss’s car, which he had permission to do.

He parked the car in front of the Phoenix Police Department and began walking around downtown, which is a ghost town at that time.

He snapped photos of the Arizona State Capitol and the Sandra Day O’Connor United States Courthouse, two of the city’s most picturesque buildings.

He exchanged pleasantries with Federal Protective Service officers guarding the courthouse, who are probably the ones who called police on him.

He continued walking when he noticed he was being followed by a Phoenix police patrol car. Before he knew it, he was being followed by an additional two marked cars as well as an unmarked car, not to mention a cop on foot.

“I kept walking around because I knew if I got into my car, they would pull me over,” he said.

They kept trying to talk to him but he kept asking if he was being detained and they said no, so he kept walking and they kept following, He walked around for more than an hour as the cops kept following, waiting for him to slip up.

That was when he walked into an alleyway, thinking he was not breaking any law.

Little did he know that Phoenix Municipal Code 36-61 states that “no person shall use an alley within the city as a thoroughfare except authorized emergency vehicles.”

“As soon as I walked into the alley, they descended upon me,” he said.

As one PINAC reader pointed out in the comments section, this code applies to vehicles, not pedestrians.

But before he knew it, he was handcuffed and sitting in an interrogation room at the Phoenix Police Department, fielding questions from an FBI agent and a police detective named Darren Emfinger from the Joint Terrorism Task Force as to what organizations he belonged to and what types of books he reads.

“I told them I was not doing anything illegal by taking photos and they kept saying, ‘we’re not disputing that it’s illegal, we just find it odd,’” he said.

Meanwhile, they discovered that a key in his backpack fit a Toyota Tundra that was sitting in front of their building, so they called the bomb squad to dismantle it in the hopes they would find something illegal.

“It was a complete overreaction,” he said.

When they couldn’t connect him to any terrorist activity, they jailed him on the outdated warrant, where he remained until 2 p.m. after they realized they had no legal grounds to hold him.

Once he left jail, he walked back to the police department to retrieve his backpack, which contained his laptop, iPhone, iPad and an external hard drive, but was told that it was being kept as “evidence.”

When he got back home, his boss told him to pack his bags.

“I tried to explain what had happened but they had already talked to him,” he said.

So he headed down to Tucson where he is staying with a friend.

“I’m afraid they are going to keep digging and digging until they find something to nail me with,” he said. “That is why I got out of Phoenix.”

Darren Emfinger, the Phoenix police detective and joint task force member who has been featured in the The First 48 television show and who is refusing to return his items, can be reached at (623) 466-1398 or on his cell phone, (602) 377-9108.

The Arizona ACLU, whom he hopes will help him in this case, can be reached at info@acluaz.org or 602.650.1854.

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton can be reached at mayor.stanton@phoenix.gov or 602-262-7111.

 

 

Arizona Man Winds Up Jailed, Unemployed and Homeless After Photographing Courthouse is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights


Phoenix Police and Helicopter Respond to a 1st and 4th Amendment Test While Open Carrying – 8/5/13

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Jordan McManus submitted the following post via CopBlock.org’s submit page.

Tonight, I set out to test the Phoenix Police Department with a 1st and 4th Amendment test while open carrying. I arrived at the Sandra Day O’Connor Federal Courthouse around 11 PM. I parked my truck on Jefferson St. and proceeded to walk the courthouse’s perimeter and towards the PPD HQ all while taking pictures. I had circled the PPD HQ and was on my way back to my truck when I saw two officers ahead of me about a block away, which is when I activated my camera.

Just then, I was suddenly illuminated by a spotlight from a low flying police helicopter. That’s when I turned around to see what was going on – I had headphones in and was listening to music, so I didn’t realize the impending unlawful detainment – and I was being swarmed from every angle by PPD officers. The PPD officer who initiated the contact tried to disarm me right off the bat. I was open carrying my 1911 in a holster on my right hip. He was unsuccessful as I stood my ground and stated that I do not consent in seizures. Now I know I could have just kept my mouth shut and not played along with their game and not answered any of their questions, but I guess I have to admit it was kind of fun, as you can tell from some of my answers to the PPD questions.

Nothing dramatic ever really happened but I must say they sure did have one hell of a show of force with 15+ officers and an Air unit. I will admit, I totally forgot to get officers names and badge numbers. In the video you’ll hear me make a comment about how “the only thing in my backpack is not a pressure cooker.” I said this because I overheard one of the officers behind me state that “we need to search his backpack,” and I felt like responding with a smart ass answer. This has changed my mind…. Phoenix is now also a Police State.

-Jordan McManus

Phoenix Police and Helicopter Respond to a 1st and 4th Amendment Test While Open Carrying – 8/5/13 is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Phoenix Cop Snatches Camera from Arizona Cop Watcher

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Arizona Copwatcher Raymond had just left a court hearing over his previous arrest for photographing the federal courthouse (http://wp.me/p3d8YI-6gp) when he spotted a Phoenix police officer jaywalking, so he snapped a photo.

That resulted in the cop assaulting him and robbing him of his video camera, then pulling out his own camera where he photographed Raymond, before handing back the video camera ten minutes later and allowing him to be on his way.

Unfortunately, the cop turned off Raymond’s camera, so we are unable to hear what took place during those ten minutes, but Raymond says they kept demanding his identification and he kept asking if he was being detained.

“They said,  ’You are being detained for taking photos’,” Raymond said in a telephone interview with Photography is Not a Crime ( http://wp.me/p3d8YI-6IZ) last Sunday afternoon.

When Raymond wouldn’t give them his identification, they snapped his photo (apparently to add him to their database of suspected camera-wielding terrorists), then returned his camera, allowing him to leave.

The fact that they let him go shows that they knew all along they didn’t have enough to arrest him.

In May, they arrested him and caused him to lose his job and become homeless for walking into an alleyway after they kept following him for taking photos of the Sandra Day O’Connor United States Building. (http://wp.me/p3d8YI-6gp)

But he was found “not responsible” for that charge last Wednesday because it pertains to motor vehicles, as it clearly states in the city’s municipal code. (http://goo.gl/YmCDvP)

He left the hearing and walked around downtown for about 30 minutes before he saw the cop jaywalking and snapped a photo, which came out too blurry to post anyway.

But, of course, that prompted the cop and his buddy to confront him as if he were a criminal.

The cops are identified as Officer Schultz #7707 and Officer Garcia #5413, the latter who grabbed the camera after the former said he didn’t mind being recorded (but didn’t mind harassing Raymond for it, either).

Contact the Phoenix Police Department, whose motto is “Policing with a Purpose,” at 602-262-6151.

Raymond shared this article via CopBlock.org’s submit page.

Phoenix Cop Snatches Camera from Arizona Cop Watcher is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Parker, AZ Police Chief

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Lorrie Thompson shared this post via CopBlock.org’s submit page.

http://www.kpho.com/video?clipId=9230808&autostart=true

My name is Lorrie Thompson and on June 5, 2013 I was assaulted by the Chief of Police in Parker, Arizona. I was not punched, handcuffed roughly, or arrested. I bear no physical injuries from the assault. I almost wish I did, maybe then I would have been taken seriously. I work at a local business and I used to be in charge there. As part of my job, I was required to interact with local law enforcement. That is how I came to be at the Parker Police Department that day. I had a scheduled meeting with the Chief. Upon entering his office, he kissed me on the lips. My gut reaction was to punch him but, I didn’t do that. I really wish I had. I had the words so often spoken to me by my husband (a Parker PD Sergeant), and my boss (at that local business), burned into my brain, “BE NICE.” So I did nothing but lightly shove him away. I did, however have a tape recorder in my pocket…

As the County Attorney told me today though, “Audio recordings don’t pick up a kiss.” This is true and I knew that. So I agreed to meet with the creep Chief one more time, just so I could ask him why he did it and get THAT on tape. I did.

You would think that would be enough to get rid of the guy, right? It wasn’t. No one at the local, county, state, or federal level cares. Why? Because it didn’t actually do me any harm, right? Because I am married to a cop so maybe I was asking for it? Or maybe because POLICE CHIEFS CAN DO AS THEY PLEASE. I think, sadly, that the last answer is the correct one.

Please hold those that are supposed to protect and serve accountable but, definitely please make sure that the person in charge of those cops is held accountable too. Police Chiefs in Arizona are not elected and there isn’t a whole lot that can be done to them if no one will investigate them for their crimes. That needs to change.

He is on Administrative Leave now. I guess that is something. My name has been dragged through the mud and I do not expect to keep my job nor do I expect my husband to. Still, I hope that he will never do something like this again. I hope that I have made enough noise that he will be fired. I hope. Please help me with this, if you will. Thank you.

Parker, AZ Police Chief is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Woman Assaults Videographer in Front of Tucson Cops, Who Claim They Saw Nothing

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Raymond shared this post via CopBlock.org’s submit page.

For more than eight long minutes, Raymond Rodden, who is no stranger to Copblock (http://www.copblock.org/?p=25272 & Tuscon-Police-Department-CopBlockhttp://www.copblock.org/?p=10103) OR PINAC (http://wp.me/p2SbBy-6IZ & http://wp.me/p2SbBy-6gp), was allowed to stand on a public sidewalk and video record a woman going through a sobriety test with a Tucson police officer.

Rodden continued recording even after the woman’s friend walked up to him, telling him he was not allowed to record her friend.

Rodden calmly assured her he was allowed, not even getting upset when the woman kept placing her hand in front of his lens.

A nearby police officer, of course, sided with the woman, telling him to turn off the camera.

Naturally, that gave the woman the perception that she had the right to assault Rodden, which she did, forcing the camera to shut off.

When Rodden asked police to arrest her, all of them claimed they had not seen a thing.

Now, Rodden is going to do his own investigation, including requesting a copy of the dash cam video from one of the patrol cars.

According to his Youtube description:

~ (1:13) Unidentified Female #1 is being investigated for a possible DUI

~ (1:46) Officer #1 states, “Go ahead and film. Do whatever you do. Just try not to get involved in his investigation.”

~ (4:57) Officer #1 asks Officer #2, “Officer (name unintelligible), are you okay with him right there?”

~ (5:02) Officer #2 replies to Officer #1, “Yeah, that’s fine”

~ (6:08) Unidentified Female #2 exits the black Scion tC that was involved in the accident and which the Female DUI suspect was driving. She stands approximately 12-18 inches from the videographer, extends her arm and places her hand approximately 4-6 inches from the camera in an attempt to block her “friend” from being filmed. Her actions are clearly in violation of ARS § 13-2909 Disorderly Conduct (http://www.azleg.state.az.us/ars/13/0…)

~ (6:59) Instead of telling the Unidentified Female #2 to not harass the videographer, Officer #1 states, “Hey Raymond, she’s asking you nicely to stop. Can you go ahead and cut it out with the filming? That’s her friend, okay.”

~ (8:34) Unidentified Female #2 grabs videographer’s camera and attempts to take the camera, causing the camera to shut off and for some reason stop working completely. Her actions are clearly in violation of ARS § 13-1203 Assault (http://www.azleg.state.az.us/ars/13/0…)

| General Notes |

~ After the Unidentified Female #2 assaults the videographer, the videographer tells Officer #1 that he wants to pursue charges of assault against her. Officer #1 ignores the videographer.

~ Officer Hicks (PR #51093) arrives on scene and demands that the videographer “move across the street” because he is now “interfering with the investigation.”

~ Eventually the supervising Sergeant arrives and he speaks with the officers on the scene. Miraculously nobody has seen the assault and he states that the videographer “was acting disorderly towards her since he had his camera in her face.” And “that she claims that she was only trying to keep the camera out of her face” despite the fact that the video clearly shows that the camera was never closer than 12-18 inches from her and that she was the aggressor who approached and began harassing the videographer.

~ The videographer (Raymond) is going to file a Freedom of Information Request with the Tucson Police Department to obtain the ALL police reports, call logs, 911 Audio, radio traffic recordings, etc…in an attempt to identify ALL the parties involved.
Additionally, the videographer (Raymond) will request copies of the all the Mobile Video Recorders (also known as “dashcams”) as it appears that one of the cameras would have been pointed directly at the area where the assault took place.

~ TPD Case Number: 1311170082

~ Contact Sergeant Maria Hawke, TPD Public Information Office at (520) 791-4852, tucsonpdpio@gmail.com and ask why Tucson Police failed to protect and photographer that was conducting Constitutionally Protected Activity and why they then failed to arrest the perpetrator.

~ Contact Jessie Ronquillo,, TPD Operations Division Downtown at (520) 791-5032 jessie.ronquillo@tucsonaz.gov and ask why Tucson Police failed to protect and photographer that was conducting Constitutionally Protected Activity and why they then failed to arrest the perpetrator.

~ Contact Tucson Police Internal Affairs at (520) 791-4426 and request that an inquiry be contacted into this incident.

~ Contact the City of Tucson Prosecutors Office at (520) 791-4104 and demand that the female involved be arrested and prosecuted.

~ Contact the Citizen Police Advisory Review Board at (520) 791-4213 to at http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/cparb/contact and follow the following procedure to request that an inquiry be contacted into this incident.

(http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/cparb/faq) Any citizen who is not satisfied with the Tucson Police Department’s investigation of a complaint may file a complaint with CPARB by calling the City Clerk’s Office at 791-4213, by writing to CPARB at P.O. Box 27210, Tucson AZ 85726, or by completing the review request form at this website. Citizens may also attend CPARB meetings and speak at the call to the audience portion of the meeting. Additionally, a member of the Tucson Police Department attends all CPARB meetings and is available to take initial complaints.

Raymond

 

Woman Assaults Videographer in Front of Tucson Cops, Who Claim They Saw Nothing is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Am I Being Detained?

#CheckPointFailure on Veterans Day

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This video was taken yesterday in Arizona by Jean Marie and is on her youtube page here. This vide is a great example of how having a video camera can make all the difference when interacting with law enforcement.

From Jean. . .”Usually when i evoke my rights these guys send me to secondary or arbitrarily detain me for at least a half hour. When I video tape, it is a completely different experience. They smile, they ramble on, and for the most part don’t vigorously pursue their harassment or “protocol”. Filming the police etc holds them accountable.”

#CheckPointFailure on Veterans Day is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Upcoming Jaunt – Please Provide Your Ideas!

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If you have ideas for stories/incidents that deserve coverage along the route indicated in this video, or if you want to connect to brainstorm and live on or near the route, please let me know: pete@copblock.org

LINKS SHARED IN VIDEO:

NO VICTIM NO CRIME!

Upcoming Jaunt – Please Provide Your Ideas! is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights


From the Freedom Summit

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I’m currently in sunny Phoenix – a big change from Minnesota, where I’d spent December and January. If you’re in the area and want to connect this Friday evening/night for a bite and conversation, then hit the streets on foot, hit me up (pete@copblock.org).

Over the weekend I attended the Freedom Summit, hosted by FreedomsPhoenix.com, which I thought was a good use of time – both to hear the perspectives and information communicated by speakers, and also to connect and exchange ideas with friends, old and new.

As I noted would happen on a couple Bambuser updates when driving to Phoenix, I streamed those sessions I thought most relevant for Copblcokers.

On the evening of Saturday, Feb. 15th, Larken Rose and Will Grigg shared their thoughts on rights, self-defense, text on paper called the constitution, and how they conduct their own lives. Both Rose and Grigg are hardcore, on-point, and great people. Give them a listen and check out their content if you haven’t already – for Rose, see: LarkenRose.com – for Grigg see: Pro Libertate (I also recorded this session using my HD camera and shotgun mic. Once that is uploaded to YouTube.com/CopBlockRaw it’ll be posted here at CopBlock.org.)

On the morning of Sunday, Feb. 16th, Davi Barker, outlined his plan “to conduct a renegade psychological experiment on obedience to authority” in the pending psychological study Authoritarian-Sociopath (note that the version he presented at the summit has some slight changes/improvements from that online version). In addition to being behind Bitcoin Not Bombs, Barker, through ShinyBadges.com, was instrumental in the creation of the Natural Law Enforcement Badges, and last fall was a sponsor of the Police Accountability Tour.

Just after lunch on Sunday, Feb. 16th, Cody Wilson, the person behind Defense Distributed (which created the Wiki Weapon, a 3-D printed, functional firearm) and the Dark Wallet, shared why he’s optimistic. I am too, knowing that he and other good people are moving forward to decentralize our ability to interact, trade, and create without asking permission from a self-proclaimed ruler.

Just after lunch on Saturday, Feb. 15th John A. Buttrick spoke on legal systems. He mentioned contributions on the subject by Murray Rothbard in For a New Liberty, Morris and Linda Tannehill in The Market for Liberty, Ayn Rand in The Virtue of Selfishness, and David Friedman in The Machinery of Freedom. I personally would have also included Bruce Benson’s The Enterprise of Law, which is damn thorough, and Anarchy and the Law, which is a compilation of very relevant essays on this subject, edited by Ed Stringham.

Also present at the summit were activist extraordinaire 4409, Marc Stevens of the No State Project, and Patrick Byrne, the top-dog at Overstock.com, which, based on his guidance, is the first company worth over 1-billion to accept Bitcoin as payment.

Patrick-Byrne-overstock-bitcoin-freedom-summit-phoenix-copblock

Patrick Byrne, head of Overstock.com, which now accepts Bitcoin, speaking at Freedom Summit 2014 in Phoenix

Want to learn more about Bitcoin? Check out the links listed on the Bitcoin section of CopBlock.org/Donate. If you’re the founder of a Cop Block offshoot and you create a Bitcoin wallet, let me know (pete@copblock.org) and I’ll send you a little Bitcoin to help you get started.

From the Freedom Summit is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

An Update from Albuquerque

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Picture caption: Today I was fortunate to spend a few hours with Tim and Tina, who are active with New Mexico Cop Block (Twitter.com/NMCopBlock, Facebook.com/NMCopBlock)!

Upcoming Dates

  • Albuquerque February 26th – details to be shared via Twitter and Bambuser
  • Little Rock March 15th(if you live in this town/area and want to connect, email me pete@copblock.org and I’ll make sure you’re kept in the loop about the time/location)
  • Nashville March 24th? – (if you live in this town/area and want to connect, email me pete@copblock.org and I’ll make sure you’re kept in the loop about the time/date/location)
  • Cleveland March 28th – (if you live in this town/area and want to connect, email me pete@copblock.org and I’ll make sure you’re kept in the loop about the time/location)
  • the ‘shire very end of March – (see: FreeKeene.com, ShireSociety.com, FreeStateProject.org)

Content Collected

Mentioned

Gila River, site of a concentration camp where over 13,000 were housed against their will a scant 70yrs ago.

Gila River, site of a concentration camp where over 13,000 were housed against their will a scant 70yrs ago.

An Update from Albuquerque is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Donuts and Steroids in Paradise Valley

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On Jan. 6, 2014 David C Hutchinson, Joe Diventi, Carney, and Clement, all employed at the Paradise Valley (AZ) police outfit, prevented Kane Zane’s freedom of movement, damaged his property, took his person, and levied ransoms. If you acted similar to Hutchinson, Diventi, Carney, and Clement what it be called? Kidnapping? Theft?

PARADISE VALLEY POLICE OUTFIT
480-948-7418
http://twitter.com/pvpolice
https://facebook.com/pvpolice
http://youtube.com/user/paradisevalleypdaz
http://ci.paradise-valley.az.us/125/Police

FILM THE POLICE
http://copblock.org/filmthepolice

no-victim-no-crime-road-pirate-copblock

ZANE KANE’S BAMBUSER VIDEO

 

 

Donuts and Steroids in Paradise Valley is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Copblocking in Tempe

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On February 22nd, 2014 Jordan, Kristoff, Zane (whom you may recognize from the video Donuts and Steroids in Paradise Valley) and I, armed with cameras, spent about six hours on Mill Avenue in Tempe, Arizona, seeking to deter rights-violations and do outreach.

Overall, it was a very productive night – especially in regard to the extended conversations we, and especially Zane had, with Mike Carleton, an employee of the Tempe police, and some of his colleagues.

TEMPE POLICE OUTFIT

More than a few we encountered were familiar with the efforts of those involved with the decentralized Cop Block and many more were supportive of the concept of Copblocking. One of the most oft-cited things I encouraged those I spoke with to do was to get a streaming app to help preserve any content they may capture – I continue to be surprised that there still exists a sizable minority of people who own smartphones but who have not heard of streaming apps.

If I would have done anything different it would have been to be a bit more thorough in reaching-out to others of like-mind in the area. I’d created a couple related pieces of content to put the word out of my pending arrival (via a video and via Bambuser updates) but I should have tagged in a Tweet or sent emails to the groups.

KNOWN ARIZONA-BASED GROUPS

While at least one who came out was involved with AZCB, the person who admins AZCW asked for a little more heads-up next time around. I completely understand. Before leaving town I did send an email between that person and a few others in the area, in the hope that it’ll help to generate future collaboration.

RELATED RESOURCES

Copblocking in Tempe is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Arizona Child Protective Services

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This post was shared via CopBlock.org’s submit page.

Date of interaction: 03/26/2014
Government employees involved: Carla Brewton AZ CPS
Government employee contact information: 602-771-0524

CPS inserted themselves into our lives forcefully regarding our newborn child Jason. There was a false report filed and instead of researching the points in the report, Arizona CPS decided to manipulate us into consensual agreements to involve themselves for an undetermined amount of time. After a meeting with them and a discussion, the terms we agreed to unknowingly changed after we left the office because they knew they had no case. The case manager Carla Brewton went to the state attorney and tried to file a case for dependency and after two emails I sent and filed, the state attorney agreed CPS had no grounds to stand on. Below are the two emails and I hope it helps others.

Carla,

Below is a safety plan regarding our son and it is also attached. All required steps presented by CPS are listed and followed in the plan that was discussed in the team meeting that we attended on 3/24/2014. We discussed for Brandy and I a UA to determine no use of drugs and complied with that order. Per your results, we tested negative for all substances. The hair follicle test for myself was determined to be necessary by a party no longer involved in our case ( Jillian Hansen ) after we left the meeting. It was also determined in the meeting that the drug testing provided by Brandy’s methadone clinic would be sufficient, but that was also changed after we had left the meeting. While we will consent to comply with the plan discussed in the meeting, I feel that my 4th amendment rights are being violated and the courts will be privy to this on the upcoming court date – including this email. We have agreed and complied with those terms. Any further changes must be discussed with us in a team meeting before acted upon as long as there is no just cause to change the plan. Again, we welcome accountability because we know that Brandy will prove to be a fit mother, however we will be documenting this process to protect our rights. We understand our right to fight the dependence but we hope that CPS determines on their own that she is fit and we don’t have to appeal our plan. Thank you again Carla for your time and consideration. You have been very helpful in this process.

Dear Carla, CPS, and whom it may concern,

This email is being typed by Jason in response to recent email communication between Brandy and Carla Brewton. It is our understanding that at this point we have legal custody of our child Jason James. CPS got involved as a result of me contacting them with questions regarding my unborn child stated above, and at the time was unwilling to participate in any resolution to the issues at that time. Since the report, all parties have taken major steps on their own to resolve said issues without the involvement of CPS. We respectfully appreciate your efforts, but any statement or agreement we have made to this point without the representation of Brandy’s Lawyer is being retracted. From this point on, all communication regarding Jason James must go through the attorney representing Brandy. While Brandy will still be seeking counseling on her own and drug testing regularly, the need for CPS is no longer valid.

With regards to Carla Brewton, we believe that she has been an enormous asset in this process and believe she deserves accreditation for her efforts in following due process in the investigation. After extensive research regarding the law and our rights, we believe she has followed and obeyed the guidelines laid out for her. I wish I could say the same about her counterparts. We understand that Brandy is still involved with CPS regarding Kaylee and some accommodation must be met, but regarding Jason, we want to evoke our rights as parents and continue doing what we believe is in the best interest of our child.

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter and again if there is anything that needs to be communicated regarding our son Jason, please contact his or Brandy’s attorney.

Truly,
Jason

Arizona Child Protective Services is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Mental Cages Precipitate Those Physical

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 Let him who would move the world, first move himself.
- Socrates

If someone was kidnapped from your community and went missing for years you’d be concerned.

Say you lived in Manchester, NH, Murfreesboro, TN, Berkeley, CA, or Columbia, MO – what if the entire population of your town was snatched-up? That’s what happened in the early 1940s based on the orders of one person, the blind allegiance thousands of others granted based on that person’s title, and the unquestioning acceptance by millions more due to years of programming.

Though claims of a “fervered time of world war” were given as justification, no person has carte blanche ability to violate the rights of even one individual, much less the 110,000 caged in America’s concentration camps.

years-of-infamy

For more on Gila River check out “Years of Infamy” by Michi Nishiura Weglyn, who was held captive at the facility.

What happened at Gila River, in countless other iterations, and what may occur in the future can happen only after the mind has been made complacent, force-fed Statist Quo drivel, that a certain group of people have the right to control others. Fortunately, bad ideas can be replaced by those recognized to be better, and more aligned with ones consciousness.

It is paramount for each of us to not accept the dogma of another as our own but to decide for ourselves what makes sense. Don’t buy into the divisive propaganda and ‘us vs. them’ paradigm upon which your would-be masters depend. Trust yourself. [related: http://copblock.org/library]

CONTENT USED IN VIDEO

KEEP US GOING

RELATED LINKS

Mental Cages Precipitate Those Physical is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Federal Security Guards Handcuff Two Men for Recording in Front of Federal Building in Arizona

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Raymond Rodden III shared this post via CopBlock.org’s submit page.

Date of Interaction: April 23, 2014
Police Employee Contact Information: (520) 465-6356

It’s been almost four years since the United States Department of Justice agreed to a settlement where it was required to publicly acknowledge that citizens not only have the right to record federal buildings from federal property, they are also allowed to record at “building entrances, lobbies, foyers, corridors, or auditoriums for new purposes.”

Sadly, the memo doesn’t appear to have ever reached the guards we’re paying to enforce the rules on federal property.

Especially guilty is a company called Paragon Systems, who detained two men last week after they stood in front of a federal building recording in Tucson.

The two guards were apparently very sure of themselves, especially the one who knew everything about Raymond Rodden, one of the men detained, thanks to an intelligence bulletin they had circulated about him after his arrest last year for photographing a federal courthouse in Phoenix.

But the guards were forced to release Rodden and his friend 25 minutes later after a call to the U.S. Attorney’s Office determined that the men had not broken any laws.

Other than Rodden filing a lawsuit, which would require an attorney to even take the case, will the guards even be held accountable?

The problem is systematic with Paragon, which has received more than $300 million in federal contracts since 2008, because two days earlier, another security guard harassed Rodden for photographing a Homeland Security car which was parked in front of a federal building in an area that was open to the public.

The guard kept drilling him about why would he even want to photograph the car, which is none of her business, before telling him he could only take photos from across the street, which is city property.

But that is a lie.

Rodden went home and did more research, just to be sure the law was on his side, before returning two days later with a friend.

They started recording the entrance to a federal building, but were told that it was illegal. Then one of the guards started spewing all kinds of personal information about Rodden, proving that he had done his homework on the 34-year-old man who has become a photo activist since his arrest, especially considering a cop snatched his camera moments after his case was dismissed from last year’s arrest.

Clearly the guard has the ability to retain information, so why hasn’t anybody insisted he understand the law about photography and federal buildings?

In Florida, Jeff Gray has had the same issue with Paragon Systems security guards, who insist that taking photos on federal property is illegal, so there seems to be a lack of training in this regard.

But with all the money we’re paying them, why should we allow them to make up their own laws as they go along?

Paragon Systems can be reached at (520) 465-6356.

-Raymond Rodden III

Federal Security Guards Handcuff Two Men for Recording in Front of Federal Building in Arizona is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights


Tucson Police Detain for “Failure to Identify”

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UPDATE – AUGUST 05
From Dylan of Tucson Cop Block:

ANYONE THAT CAN HELP BY FILING A COMPLAINT OR CALLING, PLEASE DO. THE MORE PEOPLE WHO CALL THE TPD OR THE AZDPS TO PUT PRESSURE ON THIS ISSUE THE BETTER. THESE ARE POLICE OFFICERS THAT COMMITTED FELONIES, THEY NEED TO BE MADE TO SEEK DIFFERENT LINES OF WORK.

This is info for the AZ Department of Public Safety internal affairs unit that also investigates police misconduct. the local We went to the federal level and filed a complaint hoping that the federal level will take it more seriously.

Professional Standards Unit
Arizona Department of Public Safety
P.O. Box 6638
Phoenix, Arizona 85005
Office 602-223-2467
Fax 602-223-2922
Office hours – Monday thru Friday 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

Duty Officer
602-223-2212
Available 24 hours a day.
Area Supervisor

Call 602-223-2000 and request to speak to a supervisor in the area of the incident. This service is also available 24 hours a day, year round (this will be a good number to keep to call when on site).

_____________________________

Tucson Copblock, Dylan Schuhle, Cassidy Kopera, And Brice shared this post via CopBlock.org’s submit page.

Date of Interaction: July 30, 2014
Police Employees Involved: Patrol cars 375, 914, 500 and Officer R. Soeder, badge #43127
Contact: http://police.tucsonaz.gov/police/complaints

While recording a traffic stop, a crew of Tucson CopBlockers was approached by a power tripping cop that demanded ID’s while using intimidation. He came at me chest flared, with the chest bump action (like high schoolers do when they start fights), and detained all three of us for “failure to identify.” Then, after thirty minutes of sitting in cop cars, they released all three of us and told us that “our case [was] being handed over to detectives who would determine if we had interfered with the investigation or broken the law in any way.” What a joke. Please help us by filing a complaint on the TPD website (it’s a fairly quick process). Thanks!

(Sorry for the any darkness in the video.)

Tucson Copblock, Dylan Schuhle, Cassidy Kopera, And Brice

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Click the graphic to learn more!

Tucson Police Detain for “Failure to Identify” is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Tucson AZ Copblock Mission Statement

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Dylan Schuhle (Tucson Copblock) shared this post via CopBlock.org’s submit page.

Tucson AZ CopBlock is a decentralized group run by individuals around Tucson who are committed to promoting police accountability. We believe that badges do not grant extra rights, and that it is unjust to hold the police to a different or higher standard than that of the average citizen. We are opposed to the injustice of citizens being harassed, or having their lives ruined by law enforcement (and courts) and we are opposed to the prosecution of victimless crimes. To hold police accountable for these injustices, we expose them.

  • Tucson Cop Block – Facebook / tucsoncopblock@gmail.com

A main focus for the Tucson AZ CopBlock group is to try to spread awareness about the increasing number of marijuana arrests in Tucson. Not only are they victimless crimes, but medical marijuana patients are being harassed for legally possessing their medicine, or are arrested for bogus DUI charges. In order to help support the community, we are also willing to attend and support citizens at criminal proceedings. We believe that the police should be spending their time actually trying to protect and serve, rather than trying to generate revenue for the state.

Another focus of ours is spreading awareness by informing anyone and everyone about how to behave when confronted by a police officer. We also want to inform people about the US Constitution, namely the first, fourth, and fifth amendments. We want to make sure that people know their rights, and when to flex them. We advocate taking full advantage of all the tools we have to arm ourselves in our activism, and stress the importance of technology such as the internet and camera phones. Filming allows you to have a transparent record of any situation. Citizens need to understand that filming is the most important tool we have to hold the police accountable and prevent them from abusing their power or from trying to take away our rights. Thank you to everyone who supports this cause!

Dylan Schuhle (Tucson Copblock)
Tucsoncopblock@gmail.com

copblock-banner-320x90-groups

 

Tucson AZ Copblock Mission Statement is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Tucson, AZ 9/11 March Against Drones

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The information below was shared by Dylan, one of the folks active with Tucson Cop Block, via CopBlock.org/Submit

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Tucson 9/11 March Against Drones is a protest to show disapproval for drone use, NSA spy programs and much more.

From the Facebook page, March Against Drones Tucson:

MAD people protesting against war, civilians being murdered, and domestic surveillance.

…No permits or collecting of money. Rally and March 5:30pm on Sept 11th, 2014 at Estevan Park, 1001 N Main (2 blocks S of Speedway). March will proceed to De Anza Park. Around 6pm an 8 foot long drone on poles will appear and fire a missile (really a big plastic crayon) at the marchers who will die-in. Youtube video will capture the street theater…

Tucson Cop Block

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Already, police outfits in Seattle, San Diego and elsewhere, have drones. Earlier this year a North Dakota man was the first in the USSA to be arrested with the help of drone surveillance. This is such big business – just an extension of the military-industrial complex – that colleges now offer courses on drone operation and maintenance.

Those who operate the drones have attempted to placate concerns about their use by stating that the drones are not weaponized, but I would add the word “yet” in that sentence. In true Fabian fashion, that is what will occur unless questions are asked and legitimacy is withdrawn – not just related to  drones, but to the entire apparatus that is built upon double standards, which uses fear and force to usurp liberty.

Tucson, AZ 9/11 March Against Drones is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Phoenix Cops Question and Chase Me – I Don’t Stop

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The content below was shared by Zane Kane via CopBlock.org/Submit. It details his latest interaction with folks wearing Phoenix Police badges who have continued to harass him for not obeying their dictates. As Zane points out to them – he’s never signed a contract with them thus he’s under no obligation. That seems commonsensical – if we are indeed free.

Date of Interaction: 9/15/14
Outfit: Phoenix Police Department
Police Employees Involved: P. Kuna #6667
Phone: 602-495-5006

Cop Chases Me – I DON’T STOP!!! I Call Police

Cops try out their bull…
Chase me down…
I call the police…..
Tell their supervisor to have
them stop harassing me…

Editors Note: Earlier this month Zane posted this video to his Youtube channel:

RELATED CONTENT:

highwayman-police-lysander-spooner-copblock

THINK FOR YOURSELF:

From CopBlock.org/Library

 

Phoenix Cops Question and Chase Me – I Don’t Stop is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Tucson Anti-Police March 9/13 [Video]

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The information below was shared via CopBlock.org/Submit by Dylan of Tuscan AZ Cop Block about a Police Accountability Rally held in town on September 13th.

Video credit to Raymond with Photography Is Not a Crime

Once cornered by police, one of the protestors hears on the police scanner that Tucson Police were about to move in on the group. At that point we ALL avoid arrest together by escaping down a dark ally, as citizens on 4th street block the police entry to the ally. Great team work!

More content from the night can be viewed – so long as you’re on Facebook – via Tucson Police Suck: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=683904735017486

Thanks everyone the teamwork displayed was beautiful!

– Dylan

Tucson Cop Block

https://www.facebook.com/TucsonCopBlock
TucsonCopBlock@gmail.com

tucson-cop-block

 

Tucson Anti-Police March 9/13 [Video] is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

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