Citizen gives cop a ticket

[votefreedomfirst]

http://www.portlandmercury.com/images/blogimages/2008/07/23/r_1216852974_erikbrant.jpg

http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/Blog?blog=41935&oid=850547


Downtown Police Officer Chad Stensgaard has just been found guilty of parking his patrol car illegally outside the Sansai Japanese Grill on NW 21st, while on duty back in March--in a case brought against him by a regular citizen.

Stensgaard was found guilty this afternoon of parking in a no parking spot while he went inside the restaurant to get take out food on the middle of his shift, and fined $35 by traffic court Judge Terry Hannon. The case against Stensgaard was brought by newly-qualified lawyer Eric Bryant, who happened to be eating in the restaurant when Officer Stensgaard came in to grab a bite to eat, earlier this year.

Bryant asked Stensgaard why he was parked illegally, but the cop told him he could do what he wanted, and went back to watching a basketball game on the restaurant's TV, Bryant alleged. So he decided to take the cop to court using an Oregon statute that lets citizens file citations with the District Attorney. And it turns out, Bryant was in the right.


Interesting. I wonder how prevelant these sort of statutes are. I know there have been plenty of times I've seen cops breaking the law outside their official scope of duty.

[Conza88]

Think I've seen this before... or there might be a thread of it embedded in the forums somewhere here..

I think he ended up getting partially harrassed for awhile afterwards? :confused: or.. that's my mind playing tricks on me, or it's a totally different article.. But yeah. *shrugs*

What a champ.

[Andrew-Austin]

Never thought a parking ticket could be funny.

[ItsTime]

I see one cop park her car in a no parking area ALL THE TIME. I always thought it would be funny to to take pictures, video and all that and give her a ticket. maybe ill try it.

[Conza88]

I see one cop park her car in a no parking area ALL THE TIME. I always thought it would be funny to to take pictures, video and all that and give her a ticket. maybe ill try it.

Do it. It's morally justifiable to blackmail the state... ;)
If shes going to give you a ticket / speeding fine; out comes the - "well ok, I'll give you a ticket too." :D

Would be great to see the result then.. lol

[richardfortherepublic]

Man, I'm glad I'm going to Oregon. From what I have been reading they are probably the most constitutional leaning state.

[newyearsrevolution08]

I love it lol, that is like that one guy who goes around video taping prostitutes and johns as well as cops and other city/state workers doing illegal shit.

Video cameras are helping us win back out cities and states BUT only through legal battles... I wish it would be easier to win these fights then having to deal with court and the whole deal BUT that is the way it must be....

[Malakai]

That guy has brass balls to take on an asshole cop like that, a local precinct with beef towards you can be extremely unpleasant!

The good police officers would admit they are wrong and apologize for abuse of authority right away. Not many of those left I imagine..
To many cops have this "I risk my life to enforce the laws so they don't apply to me" attitude. Of course if they were a little more philosophically inclined they would realize that they demean their own work by breaking their own laws, and encourage others to do so in the process.
I've encountered some really nice traffic (unarmed, investigate accidents) cops around, and a few nice regular ones, but the vast majority of cops always seem to be the most belligerent people. High school bully types you know?

From all of us who have been in the situation where a cop is clearly breaking the law and rubbing their power and our lack thereof in our face, thanks!

[John E]

One very good argument I heard about this case is that a cop would have to return to his vehicle quickly if a call came in that he needed to respond to. I think cops and emergency service personal should be allowed, within reason, to park in no parking spots.

What irks me is to see them driving and talking on their cell phones where they would just as soon pull everyone else over for it. That is 100% hypocritical.

[ItsTime]

One very good argument I heard about this case is that a cop would have to return to his vehicle quickly if a call came in that he needed to respond to. I think cops and emergency service personal should be allowed, within reason, to park in no parking spots.

What irks me is to see them driving and talking on their cell phones where they would just as soon pull everyone else over for it. That is 100% hypocritical.

It would be quicker if we housed soldiers in peoples homes in Texas to defend against the invasion of illegals

[orafi]

It would be quicker if we housed soldiers in peoples homes in Texas to defend against the invasion of illegals

is there anything similar in va?!

[kathy88]

Am I the only one creeped out by that cop's glare at the attorney?

He looks evil.

[amy31416]

It would be quicker if we housed soldiers in peoples homes in Texas to defend against the invasion of illegals

;)

[DAFTEK]

HeHeHe the piglet got his booty handed to him :)

http://www.portlandmercury.com/images/blogimages/2008/07/23/r_1216852508_stensgaard.jpg

[Conza88]

HeHeHe the piglet got his booty handed to him :)

http://www.portlandmercury.com/images/blogimages/2008/07/23/r_1216852508_stensgaard.jpg

:D

Any chance he may go to jail; and then you'll get one of those "lol" movie moments where he meets the guys, he put behind bars? haha... :D

[Kraig]

This is awesome other than the fact that it took a lawyer seeing it happen to bring the cop to a mere $35 dollar fine.

[Kraig]

One very good argument I heard about this case is that a cop would have to return to his vehicle quickly if a call came in that he needed to respond to. I think cops and emergency service personal should be allowed, within reason, to park in no parking spots.

What irks me is to see them driving and talking on their cell phones where they would just as soon pull everyone else over for it. That is 100% hypocritical.

Give me a break, he is stopping to get food, so obviously it should be break time for him. Sounds like he stopped to get food when he wasn't supposed to break so he rushed it. I'm sure police are perfectly capable of maintaining a fast response time without shitting on parking laws and any other law, it's a matter of planning and organization, not parking 5 seconds closer because you are lazy. Not to mention parking laws are usually there for other safety reasons such as fire zones and to maintain a safe flow of traffic.

No parking zones are almost always there for a very specific reason, not to make everyone's parking a little slower.

[angelatc]

Man, I'm glad I'm going to Oregon. From what I have been reading they are probably the most constitutional leaning state.

Missouri has had some pretty encouraging news stories too.