Tag: police state

When the Supreme Court Ruled a Vaccine Could Be Mandatory

In 1901 a deadly smallpox epidemic tore through the Northeast, prompting the Boston and Cambridge boards of health to order the vaccination of all residents. But some refused to get the shot, claiming the vaccine order violated their personal liberties under the Constitution.

One of those holdouts, a Swedish-born pastor named Henning Jacobson, took his anti-vaccine crusade all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The nation’s top justices issued a landmark 1905 ruling that legitimized the government’s authority to “reasonably” infringe upon personal freedoms during a public health crisis by issuing a fine to those who refused vaccination.

Keep reading

GOP Senator Kevin Cramer Says He’s ‘Grateful’ for Capitol Cop Who Killed ‘Criminal’ Ashli Babbitt for ‘Not Complying’

While fielding questions as part of a radio program, North Dakota GOP Senator Kevin Cramer called 14-year Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt a “criminal,” and said he’s “grateful” for the Capitol Police Officer who killed the unarmed January 6th protestor for “not complying” with his orders from the other side of a barricaded door.

The comments from Senator Kevin Cramer came as citizens of North Dakota called in to “The Jay Thomas Show” to speak with their elected official directly. While on the line with the Senator, one caller asked that Cramer reveal the identity of the Capitol Police Officer who shot an unarmed election integrity protestor, Ashli Babbitt, to death from the opposite side of a barricaded door inside the U.S. Capitol building on January 6th.

Keep reading

‘I Caused the Death’: Cop With Beer in Car, Admits He Killed Woman in Crash, NOT Arrested or Fired

In June of 2020, Sgt. Ryan Hartman was drinking and driving when we stopped “paying attention” and crashed into a car occupied by Jennifer Miller and her life partner, Pam Watts. The crash would put Watts in the hospital and her partner in the ground. It has been over a year since Hartman killed Miller and not only have police refused to arrest him, but he’s back on duty.

This is not some case with no evidence or disputed facts. According to body camera footage that was released this week, Hartman admitted that his lack of attention caused Miller’s death and police found an open Dos Equis beer in his truck.

“I caused the death of somebody buy me not paying attention,” Hartman says according to the newly released video. According to a search warrant carried out on Hartman’s phone after the crash, he was using his phone whilst drinking a beer.

Despite finding a beer can in his truck and admitting that he caused Miller’s death, Hartman was not arrested that day — or any day after. Instead, he was put on paid vacation for five months while his office “investigated” the crash. Hartman received blue privilege from the start.

After the crash, Hartman refused a breathalyzer and police waited over eight hours to get a warrant for a blood draw. Since so much time had passed after the crash, Hartman still had alcohol in his system but his levels had fallen below the legal limit.

Highlighting the nature of Hartman’s blue privilege was the fact that the neighboring department who responded to the crash, the Lockhart Police Department, recommended charges of negligent homicide. However, the investigation was turned over to Hartman’s department, the San Marcos Police Department.

That investigation was subsequently passed to Bastrop County District Attorney Bryan Goertz, who chose not to send Hartman’s case before a grand jury.

Keep reading

Federal Court Forces Colorado Web Designer To Celebrate What She Believes Is Wrong

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit ruled on Monday a Colorado web designer must design and publish websites that violate her religious conscience. In the 2-1 ruling, the court ruled 303 Creative founder Lorie Smith must create graphics or websites for LGBT customers despite messaging that conflicts with her deepest beliefs.

“The government should never force creative professionals to promote a message or cause with which they disagree. That is quintessential free speech and artistic freedom,” said attorney John Bursch, who serves as a senior counsel and vice president oat the First Amendment non-profit Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). The group represented Smith in the case, and said in a Monday statement it intends to appeal the court’s ruling.

Smith filed the pre-enforcement challenge to Colorado’s Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA), which prohibits any business that offers public services from discrimination based on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. The web designer filed the motion after she was approached to make a website for a same-sex wedding but didn’t respond in order to avoid violating the act.

Keep reading

Police Cross Paths With Innocent Mentally Ill Man, Kill His Dog, Put Him in ICU

 A disturbing video illustrating the problem with police in America and their inability to deal with the mentally ill, surfaced over the weekend. What it shows is that when your only tool is a hammer, people in a mental health crisis and even their dog will be pounded like nails. George Barlow, 32, and his dog, learned this the hard way over the weekend when their paths crossed with Inyo County Sheriff’s deputies.

According to police, “on July 24 shortly after 2:00am Inyo County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a domestic violence restraining order violation at 969 Tu Su Lane. Upon arrival of the deputies, neither the reporting party nor the suspect could be located. While looking in the area, the deputies noticed a male subject across the street at the Chevron station, which was closed; the subject was agitated and yelling.”

The man yelling was Barlow. He was alone, was not the person police were looking for, breaking no laws, and had harmed no one. Despite these facts, police decided to initiate a confrontation with him which proved to be deadly for his dog and put Barlow in ICU.

Police claim that when they approached Barlow, he “charged the deputy with his pit bull closely behind him.” This is not seen on the video posted to social media. The video shows a shirtless Barlow with his hands up, clearly frightened of what is going on and just trying to get away. According to the police statement:

The deputy continually ordered Barlow to stop charging. When Barlow came within 10 feet, the deputy deployed his Taser. Due to the heavy clothing Barlow was wearing, the Taser had no effect on Barlow. Barlow removed his heavy sweater.

The second deputy responded to the Chevron at this point and after Barlow refused to follow commands, he deployed his Taser striking Barlow in the upper abdomen. This caused Barlow to fall to the ground. Before the deputies were able to handcuff him, Barlow sat up and removed the Taser darts.

After tasering the man who was doing nothing but standing in an empty parking lot, police then pulled out their batons and started wailing on him. Naturally, this caused Barlow to attempt to protect himself from the officers, and his dog as well. As Barlow grabbed the police baton to stop it from smashing in his skull, one of the officers can be heard on the video saying, “shoot the dog.”

Moments later, an officer shot Barlow’s dog causing Barlow to jump up and run away. When police caught up with Barlow in the parking lot next door, they released their dog this time, which was not nearly as nice as Barlow’s pit bull.

In the second video, Barlow is seen on the ground as the dog can be heard snarling and tearing into his flesh. The attack was so over the top that the people filming began yelling at the officers to get their dog off of him. The deputies didn’t listen.

Barlow’s injuries were so severe that according to his family, he is currently on life support. They have since launched a GoFundMe for Barlow, who they say is a victim of racial bias in policing as he was a Native American..

Keep reading