THIS is why you record other people’s interactions with the cops.
THIS is why you KNOW YOUR RIGHTS so you can Flex Your Rights.
THIS is why you should always be Filming Cops!!!!
THIS is an EXCELLENT example right here!!!
According to this recent article on Activist Post, “A man was hassled by a cop for walking his dog at night. A cop-blocking pedestrian came to offer some accountability by simply walking up with his camera. What happens next would be truly funny if it weren’t for the fact that the bullying tactic often works to harm many Americans.
This infuriated the cop who demanded to know the man’s name. “Am I being detained?” was all the man repeated in a respectful manner, also emphasizing that he does not consent to answer questions.
But this citizen knew his rights. That he doesn’t have to answer questions unless he is being detained or suspected of a crime.”
Written by: Nathan Cox
Edited by Meg McLain & Chris Staples
On Memorial Day weekend,May 26th, I was coming home from a side-job I had picked up. Quickly noticed that Interstate 295 was being HEAVILY Policed by State Troopers. Here is my initial CELL PHONE Video):
“I passed 3 state troopers just 50 meters from the Pole Green Road Exit on 295. They were conducting a traffic stop, funny thing was, 2 of them were conducting the stop, while a third was on the opposite shoulder. As I drove by one of the cops stared me, or my vehicle down. The next thing I knew one of those cops came up fast behind me while I was still on the phone. She moved over the adjacent lane and proceeded to pass me, just enough to see my State Inspection sticker which expired March 1. Then she pulled behind me and blue lighted me. She came up to my door, opened the door and aggressively asked to get out of the car. After I complied and stepped out of my car, she had her hands all over me trying to prevent me from recording her. After I signed the tickets she claimed my muffler sounded loud (it’s a stock muffler on a 08 civic Si). As I tried to capture some video of all the cruisers that came to the scene, she threatened me with a citation for being a “pedestrian on the highway” you can see that in the next video. 3 more cops came to the scene. The entire stop was not caught on MY phone because one of the male cops turned my phone upside down when they noticed it filming. I’m hoping to get the dashboard cam via FOIA after the criminal charges are dealt with.”
After going to court about this, I was able to get the inspection sticker citation dismissed but was found “guilty” on the charge “Failure to Display Front License Plate”. Following these court proceedings over these charges, I filed an official complaint with the Virginia State Police concerning the aggressive nature of State Trooper McKenney. I also filed a Freedom Of Information Act Request in hopes to obtain Trooper McKenney’s Dashboard Camera, as well as any other communication about me via, phone, text, email and radio. Also, I tried to recover previous complaints Trooper McKenney may have received, but was denied that request.
Approximately August 22nd I received the FOIA Request Package from the Virginia State Police. After reviewing the information we received, being the Dashboard Camera and text messages that was sent to/received from McKenney validated my account of what happened and provides enough evidence that could make a case for a 4th Amendment Rights Violation. If you have not yet seen MY video of the traffic stop yet, you can watchthe video here and you will notice at the 7:27 mark someone violates my 4th Amendment Rights by trespassing against my property (My Phone). As well as a short clip here of trying to get footage of the cop cars after recovering my phone, she then threatened to cite me for “being a pedestrian on a highway”.
What you’ve been waiting for – State Trooper McKenney’s Dashboard Camera: Read more
Day #3 of the Liberty Empowerment Project is now complete! We handed out another 700+ Liberty Empowerment Packets today which totals us at about 2000 or slightly more within the first THREE days!
Today was pretty eventful in our outreach and I’ll briefly explain why.
We start out every morning doing outreach in front of various court houses from about 8:30-9:30am. This morning we were located at Manchester General District Court located a few blocks from the intersection of Maury and Commerce St. A week from yesterday, Tuesday July 31 we were at this court house and were eventually told that we couldn’t be on the court house property handing out that information (still unclear of what we’d get charged with, likely soliciting, but I’ll push them on the issue next time and figure out what law they are claiming I’m breaking) so we stayed on the sidewalk. Today we didn’t have any issues at the courthouse, although we did notice one of the deputies came outside to see where we were located. Right about 9am we spotted Joe Morrissey and he told us that he’d take our packet as soon as he got out of court roughly 15 minutes later. Which we did! Meg McLain, briefly spoke with him and gave him a Liberty Empowerment Packet and included her business card. Later in the day she received an email from him about the material that was given to him. Below is the screen shot from that email.
After we left the court house we finished up handing out packets in Mosby Court and that surrounding area, as well as Oliver Hill Apartments. From there we went into Fairfield Court where we got a great response from people in that community! As I was turning around on the first street street we went down to head back to get more supplies I noticed a guy in a car. As I walked by the car I noticed a shortwave radio in his lap. His windows were rolled up and immediately asked him if he was the Police. He wouldn’t roll the windows down and did not give me a clear answer, so I took a couple pictures of the car as I walked around to the driver-side door. To my new friends in Fairfield Court, if you see this car/ this license plate know that this alleged police officer failed to ID himself and threatened to arrest me for simply asking him to identify himself. Continue to photograph and film the police at every possible chance you get. It’s for your own protection as well as the protection of anyone victimized by the police. It’s the only way to hold our public servants accountable.
Under Cover & Unmarked Richmond Police Car. Officer failed to ID himself.
After walking away from this car, we noticed a high level of police presence in the neighborhood for the next couple of hours. As I was dropping off some literature to some folks sitting on their front porch Officer Deane Waite who had already circled the block and noticed me and my colleagues helping with outreach pulled over to the curb as I was walking away from the house. This video is video of my first encounter with Officer Deane Waite.
Officer Waite later pulled my vehicle over as I was driving a few streets over from where it was originally parked (as we were making progress in the neighborhood). He thought I may or may not have ran a stop sign because after I made a right onto the street I was proceeding on, a vehicle came up quick on my rear and honked the horn (which he witnessed). Which is ironic, because I had just seen nearly the same thing happen at the intersection while I was walking back to my car, because the street that I was making a right on didn’t have to yield or stop at that intersection, although just behind me on the street I was turning on was a semi-sharp turn that people going fast would likely come up fast on someone just making a turn from that stop sign that I did. Anyways, He pulled me over and hit the blue lights just as I was popping my trunk and getting out of my car. I got out my car and closed the trunk and the rest of the conversation you can find in the video below.
We continued to have great conversations with folks until we left the community a couple hours later.
To educate people about their rights, and empower them to be active in the protection and preservation of liberty.
Goal:
The creation and targeted distribution of 10,000 educational packets consisting of literature on the following subjects:
-The Philosophy of Liberty/The Nonaggression Principle
-Police Accountability/Know Your Rights When Encountered by Police
-Never Take a Plea Deal Concept
-Jury Nullification
We feel these subjects are the most critical to convey to the public; as they offer the most direct, immediate, and individually beneficial results in dealing with the ever expanding police state.
How it’s going to work:
To start every morning we will be handing out this literature in front of various court-houses and police stations from roughly 8/ 8:30am – 10/ 10:30am – which allows us the chance to then go into the neighborhoods mid-morning, keeping in consideration residents who may be late sleepers, or not “morning people”. We will target everyone out in the street, sidewalks, pedestrians as well as go door to door handing out literature, and if not home leave the literature in a bag hanging on the door handle. We will be on foot doing outreach, educating an activism 8-10 hours a day. If we encounter anyone whom we get a very positive reaction out of we will ask to do a quick video interview (and will try and do this as much as possible.) We will also make a quick 2-5 minute AAR (After Action Review) video at the end of each day explaining what we accomplished for the day, if we ran into anything positive or negative, police, etc. At the end of every week we will make a 5-10 minute AAR video covering/ releasing anything not included in those daily updates. We will be making live/ real-time updates throughout the week. EVERYTHING will be transparent.
Materials Included:
-The Philosophy of Liberty (trifold brochure)
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is the fundamental message behind our movement. This brochure breaks down the principles behind liberty in a very easy and eye catching manner and it also is paralleled with a brief explanation of the Non-Aggression Principle. Statism is running rampant in this country and educating people on these basic principles is a MUST if we want to see further growth in the Liberty Movement.
-Police Accountability/Know Your Rights (4″x6″ flyer & business card)
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The Country has literally become a Militarized Police State that has very little accountability. It appears the police have thrown their oaths out of the window and have chosen to “serve and protect” Lobbyists, Law Makers, themselves & The State – Instead of the people whom are coerced to pay for their “services”. It’s been my personal, second hand and thirty party experience that many people whom are encountered by the police simply DO NOT know their rights, and because of this they are either victimized by police abuse or misconduct OR they are taken advantage of and get locked up or some sort of citation simply because they incriminated themselves by talking or allowing for a search of their person or property. We MUST educate and empower people. The literature we plan on handing out from this comes from CopBlock.org and VirginiaCopBlock.Org. It explains the mission of Cop Block, being police Accountability, it encourages people to film the police, most especially their interactions with the police as well as educating individuals on what to do/ not do and say/ not say when talking with the police.
-Don’t Take the Plea Deal (trifold brochure)
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The idea behind this initiative is that if enough people (not necessarily a majority) STOPPED pre-paying their pre-payable traffic “violations” (or any victimless crime for that matter) and insisted on battling it out in court even if the likelihood of being found guilty is still imminent, the idea is to CLOG the system. Who knows how many people, probably countless amounts pre-pay their tickets, or go to court and inter a “Plea Deal”. Take a second and think about this, if you’ve ever been in a court room, you know they are already backed up with all sorts of cases and there are always delays and they have an increasingly harder time trying to manage their dockets because of how many people they coerce into these unpleasant appointments with the State. Imagine If more and more people stopped prepaying those tickets, and stopped taking plea deals and exhausted the State by fighting for their innocence. The Court system would be shut down, they’d have to figure something out.. or stop arresting/ issuing citations for so many people. The Fact of the matter is non-violent offenders make up more than 60 percent of the prison/ jail population. Nonviolent drug offenders now account for about one-fourth of all inmates, up from less than 10 percent in 1980. FACT: There are 2.1 MILLION people caged up in a Prison — or in Jail, awaiting trial. FACT: More than 40% of the prison population are African American despite African American’s making up only 12% of the American Population. The U.S has about 5% of the world’s population, yet 25% of the world’s prison population
-Jury Nullification (trifold brochure)
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To educate individuals regarding their full powers as jurors, including their ability to rely on personal conscience, to judge the merit of the law and its application, and to nullify bad law, when necessary for justice, by finding for the defendant. When every American juror is aware of and permitted to exercise all of his and her rights, the final judgment of law will return to where it was always intended to be located…in the hands of the people. Once again our jury system will function as our country’s founders intended it to function as people’s final check against the government’s tendency to encroach upon the rights of its people. Jury Nullification is another effective way and essentially our last resort to restore the republic, to salvage and take back our freedoms and to strike the root of the State.
How to make this project possible:
I (Nathan) initially thought of this idea or similar version of it, near the beginning of this year or late last year but it was for a 6-12 month plan, plus I was working two jobs. Now that I lost my full-time job (about 4 weeks ago) I have the opportunity to do FULL-TIME Activism. This idea I have, the project I’m pitching is for ONE MONTH of Full-time 40+ hour a week educating, outreach and activism. Meg McLain along with myself will be on the street of Richmond, targeting inner-city neighborhoods, residents, etc combined with a number of “part-time” activists/ educators whom are eager to help as well.
Expenses: All donations will first go to cover material expenses, then personal expenses.
Materials
Philosophy of Liberty (trifold brochure) x 10,000: $463
Don’t Take the Plea Deal (trifold brochure) x 10,000: $463
Jury Nullification (trifold brochure) x 10,000: $463
Virginia CopBlock (business card) x 10,000: $139.15
Police Accountability/Know Your Rights (4″x6″ flyer) x 10,000: $261.88
Cover (4″x8.5″ flyer) x 10,000: $301.92
Bags (6″x9″ clear bags w/ handle) x 10,000: $209.60
TOTAL = $2,301.55
Personal
Cell Phone (Verizon): $109.38
Car Insurance (Progressive): $85.92
Rent: $700
Electric (avg of last 3 months): $115
Water (avg of last 3 months): $69
TOTAL = $1,079.30 (does not include things like gas, food, etc…)
GRAND TOTAL = $3,380.85
Ad Sales:
To help fund this project, we have come up with several different ad options. These spots will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. Print ads range from $25 to $500, depending on size and location. Please see images for size/price options.
If you would like to support this project, donations can be made here:
Here are current AD spaces available: (ALL SOLD OUT) unless otherwise stated, ADs can be purchased for $50 (1.75″ x 2″ – “small”) or $100 (3.5″ x 2″ – “large”) till AD space is filled
-Philosophy of Liberty (trifold): $300 worth of AD space available (SOLD OUT)
-Don’t Take the Plea Deal (trifold): $400 worth of AD space available (SOLD OUT)
-Jury Nullification (trifold): $200 worth of AD space available (SOLD OUT)
-Police Accountability/Know Your Rights (4″x6″ flyer): $100 AD space (SOLD OUT)
-Cover (4″ x 8.5″ flyer): $500 for full page (SOLD OUT)
March 17th, 2011 I had witnessed my second “sobriety check-point” within in matter of 6 days in my town, of Mechanicsville (within Hanover County). The first checkpoint I witnessed, I was leaving work at around 10:30pm on March 11th.. I noticed the checkpoint at the intersection just adjacent to the shopping center where my work is. I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was the first check point I had seen since living in the county for 17 years. I didn’t get caught in it, because it was in the opposite side of the road. So I ended up making a quick right and parked in the shopping center to capture some video and commentary of the scene, you can watch that here (includes encounter with police)”
However this blog is not about that police check point.. it’s about the check point I witnessed just 6 days after the one mentioned above. I was coming home from a movie in Richmond.. it was early only around 8:30pm (St. Patricks Day evening). As I was about 2 miles from my County line, on Mechanicsville Trnpk, I was nearing the county line which first requires me to go up a steep hill.. then down the same hill before a long straight-away over a swamp lands. As SOON as I hit the crest of the hill and started down ward.. I noticed something going on. Traffic was backed up 1/4 of a mile atleast.. I didn’t see ANY blue lights.. but I could see tons of cop cars and VDOT equipment, cordoning off the lanes down to one lane. I quickly realized it was a massive check point.. I couldn’t believe it… As I was approaching the sign that said “Sobriety Roadcheck ahead: Prepare to stop Henrico Police I noticed a cop car in the median, facing the direction I was going with no lights on – my assumption was he was regulating “squirters”. I took a picture of the traffic jam, and the check point sign, and then as I passed the sign I maneuvered my car though the traffic cones that had been placed and made a u-turn. I was shocked to see I did not get pulled over by the cops, for which later, after talking with Henrico Police Internal Affairs is supposedly “illegal” to do.
So I went home and made it home successfully but not before immediately facebooking about the checkpoint. I was furious and sick to my stomach – two things that fire me up quick 1) Illegal Wars
2) The Police State. I was determined to do some Cop Block‘ing! I was home for a matter of minutes before I ran down do CVS to pick up some sign making materials. I made a sign with glitter paint that said “Police Ahead” and another one that said, “Do Not Consent”. I grabbed cameras, flashlights, my glock 26 and my signs and headed back to the check point. I parked my car and proceeded to start signwaving at around 10pm. I was standing in the road, in the direction that people would get caught up in the check point, about 1/8th – 1/4th of a mile from the top of the hill where you at that point would see the check point. There IS, one last chance to make a U-Turn at the very top of that hill.
So I sign-waved, about 30-45 minutes into it, a cop flashing his blue lights came up from the opposite direction and made a u-turn where I was posted up and sorta blocked off the road while he questioned me from his car. I got about half of that encounter on videoAbout 20-30 minutes after that encounter, with the cop who never ID’ed himself.. another cop (quite possibly the same one) came and parked his car in the parking lot I was standing in front of by the road. He immediately got out of his car and whipped out his cell-phone and began what appeared to be shooting video. As you’ll see in the video, he never ID’ed himself either.
30 minutes after that encounter with the cop, a buddy of mine finally met up with me to help me sign wave and shoot video. We walked over to the top of the hill where we could seee the checkpoint at around 12:20am. We shot some video recapping the situation and noticed after we shot the video they were taking down the roadblock. I’m not sure if we had anything to do with it or not. But I DO know we had a dozen or two cars honk (in support), wave, thumbs up, and even turn around before they made it to the checkpoint and even some thank you’s.
I’m disgusted at the police state we live in. I did what I did to raise awareness and to educate people of their rights. The Police have no authority over me. I own & govern myself and take responsibility for my actions. Just because they have swore an oath to do X,Y,Z.. doesn’t mean they have additional rights as I do, or are immune to the law. We’ve got to not only educate ordinary citizens of their rights when encountered by cops, but we need to try, and educated cops of what their job is supposed to be! USE DISCERNMENT in what laws you enforce! Do NOT enforce “crimes” in which there is NO victim, “No Victim, No Crime.”
Large of amount of credit for knowing my rights when encountered by cops go to websites Cop Block and Flex Your Rights.
