Thou shalt not impersonate tax-ticks

[tod evans]

Maserati patrol car raises police suspicions

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/08/12/maserati-patrol-car-raises-police-suspicions/

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BuEE1ppCcAAvG-y.jpg

BRAINTREE, Mass. – Police patrol cars are usually Fords or Chryslers, not Maseratis.

So when a patrolman in Braintree, Massachusetts, spotted a Maserati resembling a police cruiser over the weekend, he pulled it over.

Deputy Chief Wayne Foster tells The Patriot Ledger the luxury Italian vehicle's body was painted black and white with a police-style shield on the doors, and police-related decals.

Foster said the door shield wasn't accompanied by the usual police phrase "Protect and Serve," but rather with "Decepticons punish and enslave."

The driver told the officer who pulled him over that he was actually assisting police "because other drivers noticed him and slowed down, thinking it was a police vehicle."

The driver, whose name was not made public, was summoned to court to face a charge of impersonating a police officer.

[Suzanimal]

It's Barricade!:)

He was impersonating a Transformer. It's kind of a "thing" to paint your car like a Transformer. I've seen several painted like Bumblebee but I've never seen one painted like Barricade.




Foster said the door shield wasn't accompanied by the usual police phrase "Protect and Serve," but rather with "Decepticons punish and enslave."

http://i.imgur.com/TfVlK9Z.jpg



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBpz6whkMoU

[Slave Mentality]

I feel sorry for that car. A Quattroporte at full tilt is a sound to behold. The more appropriate charge would be "Ruining of a fine automobile". I do not support ruining a fine car, but I support your right to do so as long as it is not my car you are ruining.

Back to the story. He will walk...after spending many hours and dollars. A good old fashioned shake down by the local gestapo.

[staerker]

I love that he thinks the police appreciate the fact that "other drivers noticed him and slowed down, thinking it was a police vehicle."

The more slow driving cars, the less to ticket.

[Anti Federalist]

The driver told the officer who pulled him over that he was actually assisting police "because other drivers noticed him and slowed down, thinking it was a police vehicle."

The driver, whose name was not made public, was summoned to court to face a charge of impersonating a police officer.

Never talk to cops.

[Anti Federalist]

Wouldn't surprise me to see cops driving around in Lambos and Ferraris and Astons before too much longer...

[Danke]

http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2014-03/enhanced/webdr06/20/8/anigif_enhanced-5636-1395316922-6.gif

[francisco]

http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2014-03/enhanced/webdr06/20/8/anigif_enhanced-5636-1395316922-6.gif

Interesting...we've had a feral cat for 10+years, that we feed on the patio; and we see the same thing when the raccoons come by: there seems to be a non-aggression pact between the two species. Lately, a mother raccoon has been coming by almost daily to feed with her two young, and the feral cat just blandly stands by only a foot or two away.

On the other hand, there is some kind of deeply ingrained animosity between the cat and dog families. When, rarely, a fox comes by to raid the feral cat's food, the cat is completely intolerant and chases off the fox that is twice her size.

[ChristianAnarchist]

Now wait a minute! I've heard of others having fake patrol cars and it was completely legal as long as you aren't actively pulling people over and "impersonating" one of the cops who are actually fakes themselves (another argument). One guy had his Charger painted up like a decepticon years back and it was completely legal as long as he didn't have the blue lights and as long as he didn't try to use it to impersonate a cop. It's not like the car has any identification marks that identify it as a local or federal goon...

Oh, I found the link to the other decepticon...
http://blogs.kansascity.com/crime_scene/2008/03/to-win-his-sons.html

[HOLLYWOOD]

Good News: Police impersonation case dismissed against Maserati driver

http://braintree.wickedlocal.com/article/20140904/News/140908509

Federal magistrate concludes that young software engineer did not violate the law as he did not impersonate police

The Braintree, Mass. owner of a $99,968 USD Maserati GranTurismo reimagined via plasti-dip as the Transformers universe "Decepticon" (http://www.dailytech.com/Transformers+on+HD+DVD+Sets+All+Sorts+of+Sales+Rec ord/article9356.htm) Barricade can rest a little easier after charges of impersonating a police officer (http://www.dailytech.com/Owner+of+Decepticon+Maserati+Ordered+to+Appear+in+ Court+This+Thursday/article36445.htm) were dismissed in court (http://braintree.wickedlocal.com/article/20140904/News/140908509) this week.

The car is registered to the wife of Zhang Zhijun (https://www.linkedin.com/pub/zhijun-zhang/61/184/446), a 23-year-old software engineer, who works in Arlington, Mass. as an independent contractor. Lately, though, Mr. Zhijun has been enjoying the car as his summer ride. He had plasti-dipped it with more bright, colorful themes, before in July purchasing the more elaborate black-and-white Decepticon dip.

In court Lt. Kevin Ware, prosecutor for the police, complained:

It would be hard for the public to make a differentiation .

But Mr. Zhijun's attorney, Russell Matson, pointed out though that his client's vehicle had no police lights and had clear branding indicating it wasn't a cop, such as its "punish and enslave" text slogan on its side. He added that his client hadn't committed any action that would give the impression that he was a police officer. He also pointed out that his client had committed no traffic offenses. He commented to reporters outside the court.

http://images.dailytech.com/nimage/Decepticon_Maserati_Zhang_Zhijun_Wide.jpg
A federal magistrate concluded Zhang Zhijun's "Decepticon" dip Maserati was perfectly legal.
[Image Source: Greg Kerr/The Patriot Ledger]


The police prosecutor's argument was quickly shot down by Quincy District Court clerk magistrate who agreed with Russell Matson's interpretation, summarily dismissing all charges against Mr. Zhijun. The magistrate stated that the statute against impersonation of a law enforcement officer (LEO) had not been violated as Mr. Zhijun had not stated that he was a cop and had not attempted to impersonate police enforcement activities, such as pulling a driver over.

That argument makes a lot of sense, as if merely a police-like paint job is a criminal offense, then the tens of thousands of people nationwide driving retired cop cars would be in for a rude surprise. (Some states do outlaw police-car-like black and white paint jobs and require decommissioned cop cars to be repainted, but Mass. isn't one of them.)

The relieved owner told reporters:

Now everybody knows I’m not trying to be a police officer.

While the local police department didn't manage to pin charges on the Decepticon driver, they did create a good opportunity for a punch line. Our reader "lagomorpha" offered up one such quip writing (http://www.dailytech.com/Owner+of+Decepticon+Maserati+Ordered+to+Appear+in+ Court+This+Thursday/article36445.htm):

http://images.dailytech.com/nimage/Decepticon_Car_Comment_Wide.png

Looks like the score stands at Decepticons 1 : Overzealous Local Police 0. - See more at: http://www.dailytech.com/Decepticon+Driver+Triumphs+Over+Cops+in+Massachuse tts+Court/article36513.htm#sthash.ffnSU6XM.dpuf



Zhang Zhijun, 23, was summonsed to court Aug. 9 for decorating his Maserati to look like a police cruiser. A Quincy District Court clerk magistrate dismissed the charge at a Thursday morning hearing.


Greg Derr/The Patriot LedgerA clerk magistrate dismissed a police impersonation charge against Zhang Zhijun, 23, of Braintree.
• Charges dismissed against Maserati owner (http://braintree.wickedlocal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=WL&Date=20140904&Category=PHOTOGALLERY&ArtNo=904009990&Ref=PH&Profile=12423)
The Patriot Ledger
Posted Sep. 4, 2014 @ 12:29 pm
Updated Sep 4, 2014 at 10:15 PM
QUINCY – Zhang Zhijun won’t have to worry about his tricked-out Maserati getting pulled over by police anymore.


A Quincy District Court clerk magistrate swiftly dismissed a charge of impersonating a police officer at a Thursday morning hearing.

Magistrate Robert Bloom ruled that the 23-year-old Braintree resident hadn’t violated the impersonation statute by decorating his 2010 Gran Turismo to resemble a black and white police cruiser, because Zhijun hadn’t taken any actions such as pulling over other drivers or pretending to be an officer.

[B]Braintree police prosecutor Lt. Kevin Ware said “it would be hard for the public to make a differentiation,” while Zhijun’s attorney, Russell Matson said the young man “was just driving his goofy car down the street.”


Outside the courthouse, Zhijun said “Now everybody knows I’m not trying to be a police officer.”

He said he’ll probably keep the rubber-spray decorations on the car for another month.

Zhijun was cited and summonsed to court on Aug. 9, when patrol officers stopped him on Washington Street in Braintree Square.

Zhijun – who hadn’t been identified until the hearing – had the car decorated to look like a robot character from a Transformer movie, complete with 911 and “speed enforcement” decals.

The car doors are decorated to say “Decepticons punish and enslave,” a reference to the movie. The doors are also decorated with police-style badges, but the car has no blue lights on top.


Matson said Zhijun wasn’t ticketed for speeding or other traffic violations. He said Zhijun bought the car in May, and had it sprayed in solid, bright colors a couple of times before he chose the more elaborate Transformers decorations.