I recently got an email with a link to the Ohioans For Concealed Carry's website. They had posted a dash-cam video of a car stop last month that was shocking to me. I was a police officer for some time and got to thinking I'd seen pretty nearly everything. After viewing this video, I knew I was wrong. Watch it for yourself; I'll warn you, the language and conduct may be shocking to some. Heck, I was shocked at the vehemence of it.
Canton PD Notification Arrest & Officer Conduct Ohio Law & Politics
Written by OFCC News
Wednesday, 20 July 2011 20:53
It's being called "The cop heard 'round the world"... This Canton Concealed Carry arrest is a perfect example of why the law on "mandatory notification" needs to be changed quickly.
This video is real life evidence of a re-occurring problem in Ohio law with gun owners: The poorly defined "promptly inform" law leaves a gaping opportunity for police officers to cite a gun owner with a misdemeanor when they can't find anything else to charge that person with, or when they want to make an example of that person for carrying a firearm. In this particular case the officers are so focused on their own demands that they completely miss multiple opportunities to be "promptly informed" by the licensee. At least once when an officer is climbing around his car, and only minutes later when finally approached by an officer at his door the man tries to say "I have a carry..." but is interrupted."
Written by OFCC News
Wednesday, 20 July 2011 20:53
It's being called "The cop heard 'round the world"... This Canton Concealed Carry arrest is a perfect example of why the law on "mandatory notification" needs to be changed quickly.
This video is real life evidence of a re-occurring problem in Ohio law with gun owners: The poorly defined "promptly inform" law leaves a gaping opportunity for police officers to cite a gun owner with a misdemeanor when they can't find anything else to charge that person with, or when they want to make an example of that person for carrying a firearm. In this particular case the officers are so focused on their own demands that they completely miss multiple opportunities to be "promptly informed" by the licensee. At least once when an officer is climbing around his car, and only minutes later when finally approached by an officer at his door the man tries to say "I have a carry..." but is interrupted."
Today, I got another notification from OFCC with a link to yet another video of the same officer a year ago doing much the same thing. So, it is not an isolated incident on a bad day, but a pattern.
http://www.cantonrep.com/news/x2014919089/Video-Officer-Harless-loses-his-temper-on-another-arrest
"CANTON —
The police department is investigating a second incident involving an officer already under scrutiny for his conduct during the arrest of a man with a gun.
The circumstances of the incidents differ: One, from June, involves a driver with a license to carry a concealed gun. The other, from July of last year, concerns a backseat passenger without the legal right to be armed in a vehicle."
The police department is investigating a second incident involving an officer already under scrutiny for his conduct during the arrest of a man with a gun.
The circumstances of the incidents differ: One, from June, involves a driver with a license to carry a concealed gun. The other, from July of last year, concerns a backseat passenger without the legal right to be armed in a vehicle."
My response to this second incident from last year was:
"Well, it appears that Ofc. Harless did not pop his abusive cherry with the incident of June 8. Here, again on dash-cam video, is an earlier example of Ofc. Harless's language skills and lack of professionalism. I've had incidents like this happen in the wee hours of a morning and my partner and I didn't go ballistic. When the gun was seen, whoever found it said, "Gun!" loudly and froze the scene. It is possible that my partner or I would draw a weapon to make sure that no one moved to pick the gun up. All parties would, most probably, be on the ground in the "felony prone" position and handcuffed. Once the subjects and the weapon was secured, questioning could begin as to why there was a gun found in the car. But maintaining a calm demeanor is essential. If you act the way Harless did on both occasions, the chance of the situation escalating into a shooting is very, very high.
This guy does not deserve to wear the badge and should be, at least, deprived of his livelihood, his pension and, most probably, his freedom."
This guy does not deserve to wear the badge and should be, at least, deprived of his livelihood, his pension and, most probably, his freedom."
We were discussing this incident in the car on the way to my wife's work. Ana -- who has a strong dislike for abuses of authority and was somewhat trepedatious about getting involved with a cop, sort of the ultimate authority figure -- has been appalled at this incident. But she raised a question I couldn't answer: "What happened to this guy that he's so uptight about finding guns? Did he get shot? Lose a partner in a shooting? What?" Even if all of the foregoing were true, while they might explain his actions, they certainly don't excuse them. Or the inaction of the Canton Police Department for negligently retaining what is so obviously an out-of-control cop with serious anger-management issues and a .40 caliber Glock.
I received this email from Mayor Healy, of Canton:
ReplyDelete"Thank you for your email and your concern about the mentioned video regarding a Canton City Police Officer.
I am fully aware of the situation along with the Safety Director and Chief of Police. The police officer has been placed on administrative leave and removed from all duties. Our Internal Affairs Division is in the process of completing a thorough investigation and appropriate action will be taken.
Thank you again for your email.
William J. Healy II
Mayor, City of Canton"
I responded to him with this:
"You Honor,
Sad as it makes me, I have to admit that this is about what I expected in response to my email to you. It is about as pro forma as it gets and does not address my comments about City Council President Schulman at all. If this is how the City of Canton will be dealing with this incident, then those of us who were expecting a whitewash of some type won't be disappointed.
Your reply will be posted as a comment on the blog page where I wrote about the incident. People reading it can draw their own conclusions. I don't think too many of them will be supportive of your lackluster response. I know I wasn't."
We'll wait and see if this is the end of it. I suspect it will be. After all, I won't be voting and don't know a soul in Canton whom I can influence. Politics. And so it goes.