NOW That's What I Call Corrupt

[Majic Walrus]

No, because there's no reason for him TO hold back the information from a public who'd probably would like to know. No need to argue because you wanna stick up for the cops.

There could be plenty of reasons for him to hold back that information. Not the least of which is the protection of the officer's family and their privacy.

Jumping to conclusions isn't a good idea.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

There could be plenty of reasons for him to hold back that information. Not the least of which is the protection of the officer's family and their privacy.

Jumping to conclusions isn't a good idea.

What did I say?

"Chances are"

You yourself shouldn't be jumping to conclusions about what I'm saying, ESPECIALLY after I said otherwise. It's a terrible way of going about things.

 

[Manic]

Oh, for god's sake. Lawyers, police, and everyone involved in stories like these hold back information all the time for a variety of reasons. Do you know how many news stories have been posted on the Hype where someone's name was withheld?

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

There's a difference between withholding, and forgetting. LARGE difference.

 

[Manic]

He could've said he forgot as a way to get the press to back off. Of course, there's also every chance that the name of the cop slipped his mind at the time.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

The chances of the cops name slipping the persons mind at the time are very slim, as you know the person in question must've been thinking about this, and the eventual press, quite a bit.

Now, as a method to back the press off? The person would know all it would do is link them to the scandal. It'd be a poor method to use. Maybe the method they decided to use. But I'd like to think they're slightly more competent than that.

 

[Manic]

Now, as a method to back the press off? The person would know all it would do is link them to the scandal. It'd be a poor method to use. Maybe the method they decided to use. But I'd like to think they're slightly more competent than that.

I'm having pronoun trouble. Which person knew it would link who to the scandal?

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

I'm having pronoun trouble. Which person knew it would link who to the scandal?

The prosecutor. o.o

 

[Manic]

You think the prosecutor might be linked to the scandal? It's not like the prosecutor told the cops to shoot him or anything. Right? Right?

 

[Majic Walrus]

When you start saying the chances of something you're already jumping to conclusions that you have absolutely no evidence to support.

We do not know anything about the prosecutor other than that he stated he forgot the name of the officer that fired the shot that injured Payne. There are hundreds of reasons why the prosecutor could've forgotten or had reason to withhold that information.

There are no chances of anything because there's no other evidence linking the prosecutor and the police who, by the way, are still not convicted of any wrongdoing.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

You never know.

Though, it's really just odd for someone to "forget" a name like that, especially when they know they're going to be asked about the situation. Personally, I don't think the prosecutor would really be linked to it. I'm just saying it's a terrible defense.

Could be though. If they were paying the prosecutor to make sure things sorta went their way more often than not. If there were some sort of scandal (like things seem to be pointing to), I'd say the judge would be in on it.

Honestly, without a police force to release a statement, the press is sorta relying on the people involved, and the prosecutor definitely doesn't seem to want to talk about it. And the mayor (understandably) didn't want to talk after a dentists appointment. However, I think they're still more focused on the, "Where is the money?" side of it.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

When you start saying the chances of something you're already jumping to conclusions that you have absolutely no evidence to support.

We do not know anything about the prosecutor other than that he stated he forgot the name of the officer that fired the shot that injured Payne. There are hundreds of reasons why the prosecutor could've forgotten or had reason to withhold that information.

There are no chances of anything because there's no other evidence linking the prosecutor and the police who, by the way, are still not convicted of any wrongdoing.

I mean, it's nice people love being optimistic, and love to give a chance all the way to the end. But from the pattern that's arising, there's definitely a GOOD chance of there being a link. Optimism and realism don't necessarily see eye to eye very often.

And funny that, no convictions before the investigation has fully taken place yet.

I'm pretty sure BEFORE they go off to make arrests and condemn people, the sheriffs' will probably want to investigate the matter, and all involved situations, first.

 

[Majic Walrus]

I mean, it's nice people love being optimistic, and love to give a chance all the way to the end. But from the pattern that's arising, there's definitely a GOOD chance of there being a link. Optimism and realism don't necessarily see eye to eye very often.

And funny that, no convictions before the investigation has fully taken place yet.

I'm pretty sure BEFORE they go off to make arrests and condemn people, the sheriffs' will probably want to investigate the matter, and all involved situations, first.

That's probably a good idea... Of course according to you the prosecutor is already "in on it" before an investigation as even started.

The actions mean that investigating the prosecutor is necessary, nothing beyond that.

 

[Hotwire]

This town has 174 residents and 7 cops???? I work in a town of 1700 , and they've only got like 5. Seems like this is part of the problem. With that many cops, of course there is nothing for them to do, but hand out tickets.

 

[AlteredEgo]

The guy was just standing there, breathing.

yeah, REALLY loudly though. through his mouth. dude was asking for it.

 

[Majic Walrus]

This town has 174 residents and 7 cops???? I work in a town of 1700 , and they've only got like 5. Seems like this is part of the problem. With that many cops, of course there is nothing for them to do, but hand out tickets.

174 people and 7 cops!? Whoa...

We have 18,000 people and only 35 people in the entire department including the chief, two captains, four lieutenants and 8 detectives. That leaves only 20 people patrolling the entire city. Divide that by the amount of time they spend doing paperwork...

All I'm saying is I would love to see how they had funding, if you know what I mean.

 

[terry78]

Small towns always have a handful of those guys who are in charge of every facet of the government-issued positions. They're the cops, the fire department, the lawyers, etc. It's like ****ing Radiator Springs from that Cars movie.

 

[katie_girl09]

Okay, why? Because it's more fun to believe that he was a corrupt evil man working with the police?

Po-po lover!

 

[Metamorpho1977]

A town police force so corrupt, the head of the fire department got shot, the police chief disbanded the squad, and the county sheriff doesn't know where the money went...


JERICHO, Ark. (AP) --

It was just too much, having to return to court twice on the same day to contest yet another traffic ticket, and Fire Chief Don Payne didn't hesitate to tell the judge what he thought of the police and their speed traps.

The response from cops? They shot him. Right there in court.

Payne ended up in the hospital, but his shooting last week brought to a boil simmering tensions between residents of this tiny former cotton city and their police force. Drivers quickly learn to slow to a crawl along the gravel roads and the two-lane highway that run through Jericho, but they say sometimes that isn't enough to fend off the city ticketing machine.

"You can't even get them to answer a call because normally they're writing tickets," said Thomas Martin, chief investigator for the Crittenden County Sheriff's Department. "They're not providing a service to the citizens."

Now the police chief has disbanded his force "until things calm down," a judge has voided all outstanding police-issued citations and sheriff's deputies are asking where all the money from the tickets went. With 174 residents, the city can keep seven police officers on its rolls but missed payments on police and fire department vehicles and saw its last business close its doors a few weeks ago.

"You can't even buy a loaf of bread, but we've got seven police officers," said former resident Larry Harris, who left town because he said the police harassment became unbearable.

Sheriff's deputies patrolled Jericho until the 1990s, when the city received grant money to start its own police force, Martin said.

Police often camped out in the department's two cruisers along the highway that runs through town, waiting for drivers who failed to slow down when they reached the 45 mph zone ringing Jericho. Residents say the ticketing got out of hand.

"When I first moved out here, they wrote me a ticket for going 58 mph in my driveway," 75-year-old retiree Albert Beebe said.

The frequent ticketing apparently led to the vandalization of the cruisers, and the department took to parking the cars overnight at the sheriff's department eight miles away.

It was anger over traffic tickets that brought Payne to city hall last week, said his lawyer, Randy Fishman. After Payne failed to get a traffic ticket dismissed on Aug. 27, police gave Payne or his son another ticket that day. Payne, 39, returned to court to vent his anger to Judge Tonya Alexander, Fishman said.

It's unclear exactly what happened next, but Martin said an argument between Payne and the seven police officers who attended the hearing apparently escalated to a scuffle, ending when an officer shot Payne from behind.

Doctors in Memphis, Tenn., removed a .40-caliber bullet from Payne's hip bone, Martin said. Another officer suffered a grazing wound to his finger from the bullet.

Martin declined to name the officer who shot Payne. It's unclear if the officer has been disciplined.

Prosecutor Lindsey Fairley said Thursday that he didn't plan to file any felony charges against the officer or Payne. Fairley, reached at his home, said Payne could face a misdemeanor charge stemming from the scuffle, but that would be up to the city's judge. He said he didn't remember the name of the officer who fired the shot.

Payne remains in good condition at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis. He referred questions to his lawyer.

"I know that he was unarmed and I know he was shot," Fishman said. "None of that sounds too good for the city to me."

After the shooting, Martin said police chief Willie Frazier told the sheriff's department he was disbanding the police force "until things calm down." The sheriff's department has been patrolling the town in the meantime.

A call to a city hall number listed as Frazier's went to a fax machine. Frazier did not respond to a written request for comment sent to his office.

Alexander, the judge, has voided all the tickets written by the department both inside the city and others written outside of its jurisdiction — citations that the department apparently had no power to write. Alexander, who works as a lawyer in West Memphis, resigned as Jericho's judge in the aftermath of the shooting, Fairley said. She did not return calls for comment.

Meanwhile, sheriff's deputies want to know where the money from the traffic fines went. Martin said that it appeared the $150 tickets weren't enough to protect the city's finances. Sheriff's deputies once had to repossess one of the town's police cruisers for failure to pay on a lease, and the state Forestry Commission recently repossessed one of the city's fire trucks because of nonpayment.

City hall has been shuttered since the shooting, and any records of how the money was spent are apparently locked inside. No one answered when a reporter knocked on the door on Tuesday.

Mayor Helen Adams declined to speak about the shooting when approached outside her home, saying she had just returned from a doctor's appointment and couldn't talk.

"We'll get with you after all this comes through," Adams said Tuesday before shutting the door.

A white Ford Crown Victoria sat in her driveway with "public property" license plates. A sales brochure advertising police equipment sat in the back seat of the car.

Source: SFGate

What a great idea for an HBO tv series!

 

[Majic Walrus]

Po-po lover!

I am what I am.