"Licensed gun-holder loses guns & permits after he and cops lock horns -- twice," Stephanie Farr of the Philadelphia Daily News reports.
What in the world is going on here?
On two afternoons in a row last week, [John] Solomon, 24, was arrested after hanging out at a North Philadelphia bus stop, and each time, the cops confiscated from him a legally owned gun and a separate license to carry a gun, the licensed security guard said yesterday.
Solomon maintains he was waiting for a bus and let some pass him by "because it was about 3 p.m. and he didn't feel like riding a bus full of kids leaving school."
The cops say "Solomon was being insolent and used poor judgment."
"If he's that defiant, should this guy have a gun?" said Sgt. Ray Evers, a police spokesman. "The most uncommon human trait is common sense. He's not using good, adult judgment."
Let's follow Ray's logic: People he deems to have poor judgment should not have guns. Common sense is uncommon. Therefore, most people should not have guns.
Besides, the bus stop is at a "known drug corner." That Solomon was not observed making transactions and that he had no drugs in his possession seem not to be factors here.
So why didn't Solomon just, you know, obey the cops?
"I was mad. I told them you can't lock me up for waiting for a bus," he said. "I'm allowed to miss a bus or two...A bunch of other people was loitering, but they [police] didn't say nothing to them..."
And the position of Philadelphia's finest?
"If the cops tell you to move four times and you don't move, what do you expect?"
What I expect is the police have probable cause to suspect a crime has been committed before they accost citizens. What I expect is in the absence of evidence of a crime, for police to leave citizens the hell alone, and to be able to exert the right to demand that without being subjected to petty revenge. What I expect is for someone who took an oath to the Constitution to understand that free citizens have a right to be where they want to be, that their right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, and that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.
That's what I expect.
What I don't expect is some oath-breaking authoritarian with a badge getting in my face and taking away my freedom, my property, and my tools for self defense because I didn't kiss his hind end long and hard enough to his satisfaction, and shuffle off grateful that he let me go.
Keep it up, though, Sarge, and some day, that attitude, that the function of citizens is to unquestioningly and deferentially obey the police, may come back to bite you. If and when it does, about the only thing I can think to ask would be "What the hell did you expect?"
Hey ACLU: Do you still think this doesn't "raise...a civil liberties issue"? On what planet?
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Comments
Good luck with that. Their departements will start setting up 'anti-police civil abuse' funds to funnel them both departmental and donated funds to help preserve the 'rights' of these totalitarian douchebags to continue to trample the Constitution to death.
I posted the following on WoG yesterday and I apologize for reposting, but it fits this instance too.
When a government agency uses color of law for the express purpose of asserting its supposed authority the agency quickly become irrelevant and subject to well deserved disrespect and derision.
... and also insolence.
[W3]
If those buses he missed did contain school children and the guard chose not to ride those buses where it might expose children to his gun then I applaud the man for using good judgement. Rowdy kids can cause an incident and kids do get rowdy when let out of school. The man chose discretion. As for the cops they have no right to force anyone to do anything if the party is not breaking a law no matter how many times a cop says something. What a cop wants and what is the law are two different things entirely. These cops were out of line and he should sue them and more. They should demand these men be fired and the sarge be reprimanded for the cover up if not worse. Where is the ACLU and the NAACP on this? Sounds to me in my personal opinion like neo-nazism is alive and well in Philly and wearing uniforms.
I love that quote at the end of the news story: "[W]hen you go through the process of arrest, we have the right to take your gun and secure it and you have to fight to get it back."
The Only Ones KNOW they don't have probable cause to keep him, but they also know they can make him jump through hoops, apparently for months, to get his legally owned property back. My other question is, did he have to jump through all those same hoops to get his legally owned wallet and keys back? If not, then they're selectively confiscating his property. Without cause or a warrant, I might add.
It is called oppression and sometimes you have to light a fire under their ass and get people fired to back totalitarians off. Not any fun, hard dangerous work and you can run right into organized crime;s shake down rackets..been there and done that.. over twenty years of putting up with bs like that in Kansas City, Missouri..
How long before the wrong guy, on the wrong day, gets pushed a bit too much by the Only Ones?
Different headline, that's for sure...
Sam
III
Didn't we fight a long bloody War of Independence to get rid of things like lèse majesté?
I seem to recall there was tar and feathers involved.
Solomon needs to sue the cops individually, the city and the police department for conspiring to deny him a fundamental civil right protected by the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Re. 18 USC Sec. 241 and 242.
Make'em pay Solomon.
Gun rights organizations in the state should be jumping to his assistance!!!
It's "Liberal" Philadelphia, what do you expect? Of course there will be oppression and abuse, the city is run by liberals.
Yup, until a few of the police officers are made to pay out of their own assets for abuses under the color of law. Once the individual cops start getting slammed with civil penalties they have to pay themselves, they'll wise up real quick.
The city and department should also have to pay but that doesn't get the attention of the individual officers.
Once the officers realize they're putting their personal assets at risk, they'll get the message.
The individual officers cannot claim impunity when they are acting illegally under color of law.
A good attorney should be consulted by Solomon with the help of state gun rights advocates/organizations.
IF you ACCEPT bad behavior as NORMAL you just NORMALIZE it. BAD ACTIONS MUST BE BROUGHT TO THE LIGHT OF DAY AND EXPUNGED FROM SOCIETY.
Inimical behavior will get you every time!
That boy has got to learn to lick boots.
Don’t he know the police are gods.
We will shortly have a pro-gun Governor, Senator, and we took back control of the State House and rid the state of some anti-gun legislators. Things are looking up for the new year.
Thank God I don't live in Philly!!! The Police here in Arizona are a little more understanding about a person with a gun. Here we have sensible gun laws. Laws like Constitutional Carry, meaning if you are of age and not a fellon, you have a right to carry a gun concealed. We have had open carry for years, the concealed carry came this year. It is the way it was when the United States was originally formed.
Those of you still in the the State of Pennsylvania need to get ot work on your state legislators to get new laws protecting your Second Ammendment Rights. Even thougn the Supreme Court has now ruled we have an individule right to keep and bear arms, it helps if the state supports those rights.
I am unbeleiving of the whole story &/or incident! GOT to be something omitted... I mean, the Cops sit there & watch Bus Stops??? They got nothing better to do, or was this a stakeout he simply got caught in the middle-of. If it wasnt a stakeout, what in HELL r they doing - besides obviously wasting taxpayers $$$ & "loitering" themSELVES!!
the Insolence portrayed in this case is the pseudo politically correct term for CONTEMPT OF COP! which the POLICE in this case have certainly EARNED!
A lawful CITIZEN has been arrested, harassed, profiled, and abused by a SYSTEMIC lack of respect for CITIZENS in the PHILADELPHIA POLICE DEPARTMENT. How can I say it is Systemic from this one article.... JUST HOW MANY TIMES HAS THIS ONE CITIZEN'S RIGHTS been denied, ignored, and walk upon by members of a SINGLE POLICE DEPARTMENT!
Keep it up cops. Someday soon you are going to find out how unwise it is to continually piss off millions of people who are uniquely capable of removing you from the gene pool.
Another great article, David.
This is the same city where two jackasses who were obviously involved in voter intimidation were just given a pat on the head and let go two years ago. See a trend?
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