UPDATE JAN. 1, 2011: Wife who filmed arrest is targeted by police after crossbow melee
Stephanie has set up a defense fund for her husband, who remains behind bars. You can donate to the Gary Grana Defense Fund, via paypal here.
A scuffle outside a Lincoln, Nebraska mobile home turned into a demand to search inside the home after the homeowner was arrested for allegedly assaulting police. Gary Grana was initially accused of shooting a bow and arrow inside city limits after a neighbor called police. The police came to the home and demanded Grana's ID, and according to events featured in a youtube video, Grana believed police had no just cause to demand his ID. The video, posted by youtube user corneliuscomedy, currently has 304 views and is titled Police State. The compelling 20 minute video, recorded by Grana's wife, begins with footage of her front porch with officers piled on top of her husband. She repeatedly demands to know what they are doing and why they are hurting him, that he didn't do anything wrong.
UPDATE 12/26/10: Hours after going viral, 'Police State' crossbow video yanked from youtube
Jan. 1, 2011: Another update on this story today. Check back here or click 'subscribe' above to receive it by e-mail.
The video description reads "This is a video that I took of my husband being wrongfully accused and detained. They originally came because someone wrongfully accused my husband of firing a crossbow in our yard (crossbows are legal in our state). He told them he was not firing a crossbow and there was not a crossbow outside or any evidence of one being outside. The police asked him for ID and he refused on grounds that he wasn't doing anything to facilitate them asking for ID. Next thing he knew the police jumped him, then the police tripped over our steps and crashed through a wooden fence which injured the officers hand. They slammed my husbands head against my front door, breaking my door (I can't even shut it properly now and have to replace it) and sprayed him with mace and started beating the crap out of him. All of a sudden my husband is being charged with assault on an officer?! SOMETHING IS WRONG HERE!!!!!"
The wife asks if her husband was injured and why so many cops showed up. "They got on the radio said that one was assaulted they needed immediate assistance right away. That's why", replies the sergeant.
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Martin Hill is a Catholic paleoconservative and civil rights advocate. His work has been featured on LewRockwell.com, WhatReallyHappened, Infowars, PrisonPlanet, Rense, National Motorists Association, and many others. You can view a full archive of his Examiner articles here.
Comments
The video has been removed from YouTube by the user.
you can still find the video just search bow and arrow and police state on youtube.
The deletion shows you how US is turning into a police state just delete the evidence and we are all fine.
Keep finding the clip, and keep posting it. Make sure it is so viral, that no one will be able to remove it from the internet.
It's not just censorship of a single video, they take down entire domain names at the federal level if you expose their corruption. http://www.citmedialaw.org/threats/marshals-v-ahowardmatzcom
They don't even care anymore, even if you know your rights. Your home is your castle? Seriously?
The New World Oder cops call the crime, "contempt of cop." When you resist the crime of contempt by cop, it's "suicide by cop." Or an ass whooping. Gangster style. And why the "censorship by cop" of the video by the wife @ youtube.com, so quickly? Afraid of the reality? By what authority? Wake up, America. You have lost all rights. Do something! If not you then who?
The vast majority of cops I've dealt with were aggressive, arrogant, unintelligent and power/control hungry individuals. What good are cops when they do more harm than the criminals they're designed to protect against?
There needs to be a radical overhaul on who gets to be police officers. The bulk of these yahoos don't even have college degrees.
What does having a degree have to do with anything? Other than that I agree.
This is a test comment
So you run into the cops a lot? Sounds like a good citizen to me!
In Australia all police have to do a degree course. That hasn't prevented any of them from becoming thugs, though.
Police in America do not conform to the law anymore. Thugs in uniform. There's thousands of videos that prove the constitution and your 4th amendment rights are not enforced.
I've had my home searched, property destroyed, physically assaulted by officers who came into my home on an anonymous tip with no warrant.
AMERICANS ARE WAKING UP
Oh My Lord --- Someone Please SUE the living crap out of that police department and I hpoe they learn a lesson. What a bunch of AHoles.....
wow... this type of stuff is unbelievable to me.
What is wrong with these people who become police officers. Do they not know there is absolutely no way out of answering for your actions later on in life, or even instantly?
Every single one of these bullies is in for a hard lesson -- 100 fold from all the grief, and pain they have caused.
And, it's true there needs to be a complete overhaul in how police are chosen. Only college graduates should be able to become cops, because I do not think these cops who are merely HS graduates have the emotional maturity to handle themselves appropriately in volatile situations. I mean, it's pretty much been proven time and time again, all across the country, and even the world, that most of these cops are emotionally retarded.
And finally, we need a better system for punishing these dolts. Cos, as they say, spare the rod, spoil the child. We've definitely been spoiling the children.
It should be "Emotionally Limited", as we wouldn't want to offend any of those retarded cops.
deal with the underbelly of society every day of your like and see if your views don't change. Cops deal with alot of crap, like whats being posted here, then they get sued when they don't push and find the abused child in the home. its a thankless, win-less job.
One common thread to all these awful run-ins with law enforcement.
The person questioned or was defiant with the officer.
"I knows my constitutional rights",or in this case' "you don't need to see my ID!"
They may be right, but challenging the authority of the officer almost always ends badly.
Its no longer about what you may have done, its now personal. Very bad idea considering what they can do.
So be polite, be courteous, show respect. Defuse the situation with a nice "Yes officer, here it is officer"
If your not really doing anything horrible you can easily make the situation go away.
Even if you've got a real ball buster. One of those cops that keeps pushing, hoping you'll snap. Bite your tongue and be nice. Don't let pride ruin everything.
Those who do not practice their rights loose them.
So, you are essentially saying to shut up and give the officer whatever he or she wants, regardless of the legality of such a request?
F@CK their authority.
The only rights a man has are those he is able to make other people respect.
What a sheep. Just do whatever those in authority tell you to do? Your comment is beneath contempt for anyone who truly believes in the constitution and limited government authority. These cops should be prosecuted but of course that will never happen.
of course, yes, bow down to your masters. the rights guaranteed to Americans by the constitution be damned! these officers are doing god's work don't you know, right?
NO absolutely NO. No American should ever give up one iota of their rights to 'defuse' a situation that would never had occurred in the first place until these jack booted thug pigs on a power trip showed up to escalate the situation and enforce what they perceive as their authority. it is people like you who slowly allow our rights to be taken away from us under the premise that if you've done nothing wrong you have nothing to fear. well you are wrong, and i can only pray that one day something of this manner happens to you and that on that day your right are violated to the extreme. maybe then your police can do no wrong mentality will change.
Cops are trained to coerce you into waiving your rights. That's why they persist.
wow. Comply with illegal requests fro fear of getting your ass beat. Sounds like someone needs to move to Mexico. WE LIVE IN AMERICA. COPS SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED OR EXPECTED TO BREAK THE LAW.
"Oh yes Officer. Here it is , Officer. I'm a fool, Officer."
Never comply with an illegal command. They will lie to you (they can) and attempt to bully you to get you to consent or otherwise legitimize their illegal actions. Know the relevant case law. Ask if you are being detained. If the answer is yes, demand a lawyer and do not utter one more word. If the answer is no, leave the scene immediately. If you know and exercise your rights you may (albeit eventually and at great cost) prevail. If you do not then simply lick the boots of your oppressor. You deserve the treatment you permit.
I'm not saying that all cops are just, but they're still the one's who put their lives on the line every day protecting the general population. Everyday they get up for their 9-5 job knowing that some random person might decide to try and kill them instead of getting a speeding ticket, or while being question on suspicious activity (like shooting crossbows). There are many police who I am sure abuse their power and deserve to be fired and/or jailed for their actions, but I won't jump on the bandwagon labeling the men and women who risk their lives to make our communities a better place as "vermin."
While the police do not appear to have any right to do what they did to this guy, when they came to investigate a claim by some frightened neighbor, they were immediately met with hostile behavior by a man accused of using deadly weapons.
True cops may put their lives on the line. But they have no right to complain about how dangerous of a job it is. They knew that potentially they could be in some life or death situations. But realistically how often does that happen. I don't want to hear some story from a cop that it happens everyday. If you think it is happening everyday then maybe it's the stress getting to you. Your mind is building it up more than what it is. Cops in general do hate it when their authority is legally challenged. They expect people to just jump when they are commanded to do something. Something about command presence is what they call it. And as it was pointed the majority of cops have only a high school education and the training is inconsistent from city to city.
I can completely agree with this poster. The man may have had the crossbow hidden in his pants pocket, or tucked into his belt, where he could have brandished it at any moment and shot the officer with it. You simply can't take chances when it comes to crossbows.
How do you know that?
You only have one side of the story. In an ideal world, cops would be faultless protectors of justice and liberty.
In the REAL world they are mostly just power-tripping bullies.. and if they do something illegal (Which happens alarmingly often), they will NOT get my co-operation.
I recently attended a local citizens police academy. And I graduated from it. These police delight in using force. They have no understanding of justice, fairness, logic, or reason. I used to think the police were just thugs doing whatever they wanted to do. Instead, they are thugs following an established set of procedures.
Despite perceived dangers, policing has never been listed among the top ten most dangerous jobs in America. In terms of deaths per capita, driver-sales work such as pizza delivery is a more dangerous profession than being a police officer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_officer
You paint an image of cops like they are constantly putting their lives in danger for our safety, and hero's that should be allowed slack when it comes to decency. That's a very friendly way to see it, but unfortunately why they have become such tirants....they are allowed to be based on that mindset.
Lets talk about the real cops that sit on the freeway, in areas where the general public clearly is prone to not notice a speed change, or even be able to safely abide by it. Ie: exit ramps with 30mph speed limit. I've tried to do this after receiving a ticket once...you only end up creating road rage because the person behind you is tailgating you and desperately trying to whip around you throwing rocks over your car. Pigs don't care about this unfair situation, they just see it as a good opportunity to 'fund raise'. Set up traps where pretty much EVERYONE exiting is waved to the side in a group of 4 patrol cars; that many needed so they can maximize efficiency. They are jerks and thugs.
That's not the one thing that makes me have this opinion, there's just so many ways they're out there NOT doing what we pay them to do, but instead abuse friendly and all around reasonable citizens. It's such a shame we have to tolerate them. All that power and nothing about them that makes them deserve it.
You can watch this video on my youtube channel. I was able to download the original before it was removed. I had to split it up into two parts. Also, I played that 20 minute video in it's entirety on my Reality UnKnown internet broadcast.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkixwnfgxRY Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqTo5t-9qvM Part 2
The Obama regime is taking things to the state level. It is a sad day in America.
Are you an idiot? Troll?
What on earth does this have to do with Obama?
Where did you come with that? My god, these anti-Obama republicans are not too bright.
You must be a moron.
This story has nothing to do with politics, why are you dragging something completely off-topic into this article?
Stupid troll is stupid.
Obama!!!
Obama regime?
Get a clue.
This has been happening since long before the present president took office and it will continue long after he is gone.
I believe the Office of Homeland Security was set up by a previous administration, yes? What the heck can Obama have to do with it?
truth is that the Police forces across the country are seeing a lower level of respect from the average citizen on a daily basis and this makes them more and more nervous, as they are indeed outnumbered many thousand times over.
The law is only as effective as the desire of the average citizen to follow it, really. The police cannot possibly 'force' everyone to obey the law and that is not their job.
With the average Joe becoming less and less interested in following the rules of the country, the average cop has to become more and more heavy handed to keep from getting jumped by bigger groups of thugs who think that this is the time to take matters into their own hands.
Unfortunately, this self-defensive position from the police only pulls them farther from the attitude of the average citizen by making them look more and more like bullies.
Note that this justifies NOTHING that is happening- it merely explains it, somewhat.
The problem with this perspective is the following: Most of the incidents you see involve many armed officers assaulting a single unarmed citizen. Officers claim these events are rare, however they are popping up with more frequency on the internet. The response has been to deny it and defend it and act like it didn't happen. Then when it's proven that it did via video, the person who took the video is often charged if possible to dissuade others from doing the same.
Look at the moves underfoot to make it illegal to record police officers. In states where it is not illegal you will still find yourself harassed, potentially arrested, and sometimes assaulted. Even if what you did isn't illegal, they are going to make sure you are afraid to even attempt it.
I know people who are police officers and good ones, and they have said, video tape me. I want you to. If I get hit with a false claim of assault or such against me by people that I arrest that I would love to show the video tape in court showing that they are blowing smoke.
The people making the rules need to remember one of their favorite quotes. If you aren't doing anything wrong, then you have nothing to fear. Or.. If you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to fear.
They have a gun, we have a a camera, but we're the bigger threat. Cameras don't kill people.
Yes. It is the Obama Regime at work. And yes, it is true that he only continues the policies of the previous regime. The police are free to act this way under both Presidents. It part of the police state.
Frankly, the attitude of the average cop toward the public in America today make me feel ill.
Although they are trying to make sure everyone maintains a 'healthy respect' for the uniform and the law, they are only driving the wedge deeper between the uniform and the citizen.
They have forgotten the difference between "Respect' and "Fear', as many authority figures do, from business owners and managers down to teachers and parents.
Respect comes from the people to you. It is earned by your actions plus the desires of the people you are involved with.
You cannot force respect into existence, you can only inspire fear and distrust that way.
myth #1: police job is dangerous and they risk their lives, that's why they are justified to use any degree of force whenever they feel danger.
reality: police job does not make even top ten most dangerous jobs in US. The jobs of farmer, logger, sanitation worker and many others are more dangerous, however they are not known to shoot anything that moves whenever they feel the danger.
myth #2: police is protecting people
reality: police is not legally required to protect anyone. This fact had been challenged in courts and affirmed many times. Practically, consider the recent case when the police killed a man who was holding garden hose that officers mistook for the gun. The officers were observing the man from hiding place for 15 minutes, during which time he was pointing "the gun" in all directions, including windows of the apartment building. This did not result in any action from the police. But then he pointed it in their direction (he did not see them and did not know they are around), and they instantly killed him without any warning. This proves that the only object of their protection was themselves. Further, this incident was discussed at police own forum officer dot com, and was met with unanimous "good shot" and 100% approval from dozens of officers nationwide.
Knowing your way around a conversation is never a bad thing, there are better ways to stop talking to an officer than "I don't have to tell you that, Sir." But cops are by and large scum.
The militarization of law enforcement is one small aspect of an ongoing class war.
"There's class warfare, all right, Mr. (Warren) Buffett said, but it's my class, the rich class, that's making war, and we're winning."
you gotta love the uneducated rednecks that shoot lethal weapons in a residential areas where someone could potentially get killed or injured and this lady (loosely said) thinks she know the laws well guess what you don't and if you don't like it leave the the country.
Hey troll, how about you leave first?
This lady was 100% correct. And the rednecks you're referring to are the cops, I hope. That is what happened and guess what? If you don't like it, YOU can leave this country.
Hey Bob Jones, why don't you leave?
This lady was not right in any sense of the word. He did something illegal and did not cooperate. What do you expect would happen? Oh, the cops will just accept that and go on their way. Whatever dude. I hope your next run in with a cop isn't this bad, but I suspect you'll have a run in soon! Good luck with that one!
Not Redneck, RTFA!
It was made clear in the article that it is NOT against the law to shoot a crossbow in that city. So he was innocent of any "infraction". However, even the guilty have the unalienable right to remain silent. The guy's wife was fully within her rights to refuse to leave the house, but (as an earlier commenter wrote) she should have stayed silent, too. Everything she said will be twisted and used against her husband.
She knew the law exactly except she was intimidated at the end, you think this is fair go to China.
/Shrug
Even if I had seen the video, the description of events doesn't leave me oozing with sympathy for the rednecks. If you are confrontational with cops (even on the level of refusing simple requests or to answer simple questions) you're usually going to end up eating dirt. If you aren't bright enough to figure that out I recommend getting used to the flavor. I say that as someone that is not naturally sympathetic to either side of this ridiculous "argument".
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