Roadside adventures with small-town cops in Electra, Texas

[fr33]

http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2014/02/roadside-adventures-with-small-town-cops-from-electra-texas.html/


Here’s a YouTube that the Electra, Texas, convention and visitors bureau probably would like to see disappear from the firmament.

It shows what can happen when cops with a bad attitude come up behind you at night and end up accusing you of the bad attitude.

You can end up driving off with a couple of bogus tickets. Or, if you’re like the guy who produced the video, you can stand your ground and beat them at their own game.

Ask yourself how you would handle something like this. You can imagine these two cops were the overgrown bully-boys who had their way with the underclassmen in the high school locker room. Then someone gave them badges and guns.

The most chilling words you’ll hear in this episode came from the now-former city attorney, Todd Greenwood, who conceded there are hazards of getting caught up in a small town. Especially for outsiders. “Ever hear of the movie Deliverance?” he asked the out-of-towner. Creepy.

Later, Greenwood said: “What’s written in the Constitution is one thing, and the real practice is another, and you’re not in the same kind of protection as you have in Allen and Plano and Richardson and places like that.”

I can’t believe the guy actually said this knowing he was being recorded.

There was a development in this sad affair just this week. The city council declined to renew Greenwood’s contract. (http://www.texomashomepage.com/story/d/story/electra-city-commission-votes-not-to-renew-city-at/14832/wKx9_hrpdkuCV0-IjX-KBw) I can’t imagine why.

Watch to the end of the video and the list of Nolo Press publications that the out-of-towner used to beat the bogus rap.

Tip of the hat to the blog The Defense Rests for posting this YouTube.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emmoJvpSGyw

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

Thanks for posting. Definitely worth the time to view.



17:10 mark:
Prostitutor Greenwood: "Sometimes it's better just to--better just to stand there and let it all roll over."

Good for the guy standing up to these dipshits. Good job exposing these imbeciles. Taking his kid out of "school" to the court was classic. There's his real education.

The Deliverance footage editing makes it funny too. That guy should really look into editing.:D

[kcchiefs6465]

Thanks for posting.

Excellent watch.

ETA: "Excellent" in that it was actually caught on camera and the man understood the "law" and his rights. I've been told some absurd things by the police when it was known the conversation was only between us two parties. Never anything near "Deliverance" references.

[kcchiefs6465]

It may not seem that place to rally against public schooling but I do feel it should be known. Where are the classes teaching children of their rights and the law?

I remember one who came to class with a bloodied eyeball, the swelling ridiculous, and why was he beaten? His friends ran and he had the audacity to put his hands up and stand there.

I remember another, beaten at the bus station by the police, whose entire face was scabbed and bruised.

Yet they showed up to school, noticeably beaten and nothing much was said.

Where were the teachers to object?.. or anyone?

There are underlying correlations between all of these seemingly unrelated incidents or issues. I hope people can see that/them.

[Mini-Me]

To be fair, it sounds like the prosecutor who spoke of Deliverance was genuinely trying to give the guy advice he thought might save his life someday, because he knows that cops can be vicious killers, and it's wise not to piss them off any more than necessary if you want to live to see another day. The most important thing when things get tense with Judge Dredd is to stay alive, or you won't be around to fight the legal battle anyway. The prosecutor didn't seem to particularly like the situation, but as usual he was too much of a coward to do anything about it, such as - in this instance - filing a motion to dismiss with prejudice in the first place, followed by prosecuting the cops involved for writing false reports and making an illegal search. Cops are unaccountable because nobody is willing to hold them accountable. It was a pretty fascinating video though, and it reminds me how important it can be to know the nuances of traffic laws.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

I love it when order enforcement--uh, I mean law enforcement--says something like, "You might be serial killer or a bank robber." They never give a remote reason why that could be the case or why the motorist at the side of the road is different from anybody else.

What they are really thinking is, "I hope this guy IS a serial killer. My job is so damn boring that it's killing me. I'll be a hero if I catch a real bad guy--any bad guy, actually."

[Slutter McGee]

To be fair, it sounds like the prosecutor who spoke of Deliverance was genuinely trying to give the guy advice he thought might save his life someday, because he knows that cops can be vicious killers, and it's wise not to piss them off any more

This was the best video I have seen in a long time. The guy was genuinely standing up for his rights....and was not just being a prick for attention. The cops come out looking like absolute dipshits.....but the prosecutor...I live in west texas, in Lubbock actually. He aint lying. Cops here and around here will always get away with anything.

That man is great for sharing this. That prosecutor is also great for warning about constitutional violations in this area of Texas. And the sad part is...he is completely right. It sucks, but you can go 100 miles north to Amarillo, and all of a sudden people care about your rights. Kinda nice.

Slutter McGee

[Henry Rogue]

What a F'ed up system.

[Cabal]

It may not seem that place to rally against public schooling but I do feel it should be known. Where are the classes teaching children of their rights and the law?

Better still, where are the classes that teach students to think critically?

[Intoxiklown]

Better still, where are the classes that teach students to think critically?


Where they've been for the past few decades......private schools.

[donnay]

Excellent video! Richardson police are far more corrupt and I am speaking from experience!

[jbauer]

Where they've been for the past few decades......private schools.

I never realized the gift my folks gave me which was a private school education (not something fancy just the local Christian School) till I made it into the "real world".

[fisharmor]

To be fair, it sounds like the prosecutor who spoke of Deliverance was genuinely trying to give the guy advice he thought might save his life someday, because he knows that cops can be vicious killers, and it's wise not to piss them off any more than necessary if you want to live to see another day. The most important thing when things get tense with Judge Dredd is to stay alive, or you won't be around to fight the legal battle anyway. The prosecutor didn't seem to particularly like the situation, but as usual he was too much of a coward to do anything about it, such as - in this instance - filing a motion to dismiss with prejudice in the first place, followed by prosecuting the cops involved for writing false reports and making an illegal search. Cops are unaccountable because nobody is willing to hold them accountable. It was a pretty fascinating video though, and it reminds me how important it can be to know the nuances of traffic laws.

Greenwood is the worst of them all.

Why even bother with the speech? He's exactly the man in exactly the position to actually do something about crooked cops and bullshit citations.
Yet he doesn't.

The job definition for "cop" is exactly what these guys did, and exactly what Greenwood suggested they could have done if they felt like it.
You're not going to post a job description that says "Professional bully who always gets away with it" and NOT attract bullies.
The only way to stop putting monsters in uniforms is to change the job.

And the most unfortunate thing about any of this, I'm absolutely sure, is that Greenwood was most likely dismissed for botching the case.

[Matthew5]

@2:40 "We don't know if you're a serial killer, a bank robber, or anything like that..."

And that's the problem, everyone is the enemy to these people. Every human person is a scum bag either who has committed a crime or is about to. It's a military mentality that has permeated the "profession". You're in a battle field and every human is a potential enemy.

[Mini-Me]

And the most unfortunate thing about any of this, I'm absolutely sure, is that Greenwood was most likely dismissed for botching the case.

He was probably dismissed for being a terrorist sympathizer, even if he had no stated intention of committing any terrorism himself by prosecuting cops. ;)

[fisharmor]

He was probably dismissed for being a terrorist sympathizer, even if he had no stated intention of committing any terrorism himself by prosecuting cops. ;)

He was fixin' to.

[Matthew5]

Greenwood's "come to Jesus" lecture was spot on. He openly admitted that some cops are in that job because they're sociopaths. That's why he's the former-city attorney, I'm sure.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

Greenwood is the worst of them all.

Why even bother with the speech? He's exactly the man in exactly the position to actually do something about crooked cops and bullshit citations.
Yet he doesn't.

The job definition for "cop" is exactly what these guys did, and exactly what Greenwood suggested they could have done if they felt like it.
You're not going to post a job description that says "Professional bully who always gets away with it" and NOT attract bullies.
The only way to stop putting monsters in uniforms is to change the job.

And the most unfortunate thing about any of this, I'm absolutely sure, is that Greenwood was most likely dismissed for botching the case.


@2:40 "We don't know if you're a serial killer, a bank robber, or anything like that..."

And that's the problem, everyone is the enemy to these people. Every human person is a scum bag either who has committed a crime or is about to. It's a military mentality that has permeated the "profession". You're in a battle field and every human is a potential enemy.


I think those are excellent points.




He was probably dismissed for being a terrorist sympathizer, even if he had no stated intention of committing any terrorism himself by prosecuting cops. ;)


He was fixin' to.

Heh heh.

[aGameOfThrones]

"We don't know if you're a serial killer, a bank robber, or anything like that..."

I instantly said to myself, "well, I don't know if you're a cop serial killer, I know you're a revenue collector that's pretty close to a bank robber, or anything like that."

Greenwood sure doesn't seem annoyed about fucking people over, yet preaches safety lessons about cops fucking people over. He talks about juries taking the side of the cops, but nothing about himself taking the side of the cops.

Hey people, the game is rigged.

[Matthew5]

I instantly said to myself, "well, I don't know if you're a cop serial killer, I know you're a revenue collector that's pretty close to a bank robber, or anything like that."

Greenwood sure doesn't seem annoyed about fucking people over, yet preaches safety lessons about cops fucking people over. He talks about juries taking the side of the cops, but nothing about himself taking the side of the cops.

Hey people, the game is rigged.

I actually picked up a sense of candor and sincerity from Greenwood. Almost like he had a moment where he let his guard down and was pleading with him to get out while he still could. Oddly enough, some people still have a shred of conscientiousness left, even if it fleeting.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

I'd have to view the video again, but it appears the attorney might be playing games, possibly a one man good prosecutor/bad prosecutor with the motorist. I think it's also very possible that he is in some no-man's land regarding conscience. Seems the information he gives to the motorist might be the beginning or possibly the iceberg of his misgivings about his job altogether.

His misgivings however, can't be an excuse for his hesitation to be on the bus or off the bus. His past cases should be investigated for misconduct. Yeah, I know; that's like asking the foxes to clean the hen house; however, it would be good to see an outside organization spearhead such an investigation. He's already dismissed the constitution, so it should not take much evidence to overturn cases and even get him disbarred.


Edit: Do I remember right that the motorist is filing a suit?

[Dogsoldier]

The advice at the end was very telling.....My own father was caught many years ago with alcohol and they were under age....They took my dad and a couple friends back to the station and proceeded to beat and torture them to try to get them to say where they got the booze. Dad said there were probably 15 cops standing around watching the whole thing. They punched them and also held their heads under a water faucet and their hands were cuffed behind their backs.

1 of the cops that did the beating later became a very popular prosecutor here in Missouri. I'm sure many of you would know his name if I gave it. What's funny is that he is considered 1 of the good guys and his name garners a lot of respect here...

[fr33]

Some residents of Electra would rather bury their head in the ground and criticize the victim... Video at link.

http://www.texomashomepage.com/story/d/story/electra-residents-comment-on-youtube-video/42069/10c5ZPgW5E-Ob4gQShpKMw




A YouTube video that casts an unfavorable light on the electra police department and legal department continues to get more views.

When we brought you the story yesterday the video had more than 27,000.

Tuesday, Scott Nesin's YouTube video had more than 31,000 views and while it is attracting lots of online attention, the video only had a few Electra residents who were willing to voice their comments on camera.

"No probable cause. No consent. But he's just doing a welfare check. There were two other people in the car."

Electra resident, Sue Howell, had lots of comments as she watched a YouTube video created by Scott Nesin of Allen, Texas. Nesin obtained police dash cam video from his encounter with two Electra police officers in March 2013.

Nesin says while pulled over on the side of the road to take over driving from his wife two officers walked up, conducted an "unconstitutional" search of his vehicle and cited him for two offenses, which were later dismissed.

Electra residents who watched the video say it rubbed them the wrong way, but they are not siding with Nesin.

"First time I viewed it, I thought it was a hoax because it was chopped up. I didn't really take it seriously," says Howell.

"As a pastor, I believe, why did this have to happen after a year. A year ago. Almost a year and this is now being shown? We just had a revival in this town. We're on a high right now. So now, this is being shown? Come on. Really," says Dr. Mike Watts, senior pastor at First Baptist Church Electra.

The video also shows Nesin speaking with Electra City Attorney Todd Greenwood during a pre-trial and Nesin says the video was recorded by his son.

During the recording Greenwood appears to combative and makes several comments Nesin says are inappropriate, telling him things would be much worse for him in many towns and making reference to the movie Deliverance.
One resident says he doesn't trust this video, saying its only part of the entire dash cam recording.

"You've got to have the full video. What was actually said. Did he provoke that? Again, that might have been his opinion. I don't know," Dr. Watts adds.

The entire dash cam video contains the whole story of Nesin's encounter with officers.

That video is at the Electra Police Department and we have requested a copy of it.

Although we got some residents who were willing to comment on the video that was not the case with Electra officials.

Municipal court officials say they were unable to comment on the matter but city administrator, Larry Pannell, did say: "The city is disappointed in the actions shown on the edited video."

Greenwood's contract as city attorney ended in December and still has not been renewed.

When asked if this video has any impact on Greenwood's renewal, Larry Pannell would only say city commissioners tabled the matter during two prior meetings and it would be addressed again at the their next meeting on Tuesday.

To watch the original story click here-----> http://www.texomashomepage.com/story/d/story/viral-video-involving-electra-city-officials/42100/O_2Q0n8HJUONSy_s2bV52w

To watch the entire Youtube video, made by Nesin, click here----> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emmoJvpSGyw

[Mini-Me]

The advice at the end was very telling.....My own father was caught many years ago with alcohol and they were under age....They took my dad and a couple friends back to the station and proceeded to beat and torture them to try to get them to say where they got the booze. Dad said there were probably 15 cops standing around watching the whole thing. They punched them and also held their heads under a water faucet and their hands were cuffed behind their backs.

1 of the cops that did the beating later became a very popular prosecutor here in Missouri. I'm sure many of you would know his name if I gave it. What's funny is that he is considered 1 of the good guys and his name garners a lot of respect here...

Do you even need to? (Are his initials KC?) Assuming my guess is right, it doesn't surprise me a bit, considering all of the other scumbaggery he's committed. "Useful scumbag is useful," I guess, and we can use all the help we can get against the NSA, but I hate how he's come to be associated with us.

[fr33]

Edit: Do I remember right that the motorist is filing a suit?

He motioned to "quash the order" to dismiss the charges against him and to compel the additional video and audio from the officers' body cameras. The judge dismissed his motion.

[fr33]

In some of the comments of these articles I've seen people saying that the entire Electra PD was canned in the last year.

Electra City Leaders Ready to Rebuild Police Department (http://www.texomashomepage.com/story/electra-city-leaders-ready-to-rebuild-police-depar/d/story/jvCp5UUaOE6P0dlN0pK8eg)



Electra leaders are working to rebuild their police department after firing their longtime police chief Johnny Morris.

Electra Mayor Curtis Warner says they actually received one application on Wednesday for one of their officer openings which he sees as a good sign.

Meanwhile, Wichita County Judge Woody Gossum says they're getting ready to bill the City of Electra for its use of Wichita County Sheriff's deputies.

Mayor Warner says Electra is a good town to work in.

"We need some good officers to come in and join up with us," Warner exclaims.

Warner says the city's police department has a few vacant positions: police chief, three new police officers and two dispatchers.

To assist the city, Wichita County Sheriff's deputies have been patrolling Electra city limits since late September.

Warner says, "The deputies from Wichita County are doing a marvelous job. They're certainly on Electra's team. They're well-accepted by our folks."

However, it comes with a hefty price tag.

Warner says last year, city commissioners approved a $600,000 budget for its police department but it's costing the city around $10,000 a week to have Wichita County Sheriff's deputies patrol the city.

"We're receiving very qualified assistance from the sheriff's department but that very qualified assistance comes with a cost that is above what we would normally be paying but at the same time we're saving money that we are not paying our other officers," Warner says.

Judge Gossum says the price is worth it when it comes to protecting the public.

However, he says it's a tab that will have to be paid sooner than later.

"We're going to work with them on it but we also have to be responsible to our taxpayers because this wasn't budgeted for us," Judge Gossum says. "But, we can carry them until they get their payments lined out and do that so that's not a problem."

Judge Gossum says he expects the first billing statement to be sent out this week which will cover between two to six weeks of sheriff's deputies' service.

He says based on their agreement, the first payment will be due 30 days after they bill them.

If you are interested in applying for one of the vacant positions at the Electra Police Department, call Electra City Hall at 940.495.2146.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

He motioned to "quash the order" to dismiss the charges against him and to compel the additional video and audio from the officers' body cameras. The judge dismissed his motion.

Ah, I see. I don't know all the legal ins-and-outs. I think if they dismiss the charges, then they can always refile later. I'm not sure what the driver was trying to do. Perhaps he wanted something more definite. Do you know? Or does anybody know?

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

From the article: "Judge Gossum says the price is worth it when it comes to protecting the public."

Judge Dipshit is probably referring to all those meth labs and serial killers plaguing small town America these days.

[fr33]

Ah, I see. I don't know all the legal ins-and-outs. I think if they dismiss the charges, then they can always refile later. I'm not sure what the driver was trying to do. Perhaps he wanted something more definite. Do you know? Or does anybody know?

I think his motion to deny dismissal was just trying to antagonize them.

[fr33]

This was the best video I have seen in a long time. The guy was genuinely standing up for his rights....and was not just being a prick for attention. The cops come out looking like absolute dipshits.....but the prosecutor...I live in west texas, in Lubbock actually. He aint lying. Cops here and around here will always get away with anything.

That man is great for sharing this. That prosecutor is also great for warning about constitutional violations in this area of Texas. And the sad part is...he is completely right. It sucks, but you can go 100 miles north to Amarillo, and all of a sudden people care about your rights. Kinda nice.

Slutter McGee

Your post reminded me of this billboard. I don't think it was there last time I passed through but 2 years ago it was.

http://i.imgur.com/iHYOV6i.jpg

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

I think his motion to deny dismissal was just trying to antagonize them.

Heh heh, l love the provocateur.

[Dogsoldier]

Do you even need to? (Are his initials KC?) Assuming my guess is right, it doesn't surprise me a bit, considering all of the other scumbaggery he's committed. "Useful scumbag is useful," I guess, and we can use all the help we can get against the NSA, but I hate how he's come to be associated with us.


Actually no not KC. It happened though and not $#%^ was given by anyone apparently. We are dealing with psychopaths.

[CPUd]

Ah, I see. I don't know all the legal ins-and-outs. I think if they dismiss the charges, then they can always refile later. I'm not sure what the driver was trying to do. Perhaps he wanted something more definite. Do you know? Or does anybody know?

I think he might have been wanting to go to trial so he could put the video, and possible verdict of not guilty in the public record. Something they definitely didn't want.

If something is dismissed "with prejudice", it means it can't be refiled.

[DP714]

Sigh....Based on his advice at the end, I do get the feeling that Greenwood (the prosecutor) is a good man at heart and was sincerely worried about the guy's safety, probably due to working around cops for so long and knowing their nature now a days. I guess he's just a coward (I don't mean that in a condescending way), but I can't really fault a man for that...perhaps that's just who he is, or maybe he just has his family's safety to worry about and as a result may not really be willing to fight back against the system, which he acknowledged as corrupt, in the ways he probably could as an attorney. Mr. Nessin, on the other hand, is my new hero. He operated with such tact, and a calm, yet firm, demeanor in that police encounter and the legal proceedings, which I could only hope to emulate if/when I'm in the same situation. If it was me instead of him, I doubt that I would have even made it past the traffic stop unscathed, if at all. So over this shit already...but yeah, good video. Yay technology..

[Mini-Me]

Actually no not KC. It happened though and not $#%^ was given by anyone apparently. We are dealing with psychopaths.

That actually IS a bit surprising, but in a good way. We're definitely dealing with psychopaths though...from the beginning of the civililzation to now, they've always been the ones in charge overall.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

I think he might have been wanting to go to trial so he could put the video, and possible verdict of not guilty in the public record. Something they definitely didn't want.

If something is dismissed "with prejudice", it means it can't be refiled.

Ah, didn't know that one either. I've heard of both with and without prejudice but never bothered to find out the difference. Thanks.

[kcchiefs6465]

bump

[kpitcher]

I can see this being a reason for owning Google glasses so you can record things yourself easily just in case there is an audio glitch.