Law Enforcement

Federal judge denies Oregon’s request to stop arrests by federal agents in Portland

A federal judge on Friday denied an order sought by Oregon’s attorney general to prohibit federal agents from making arrests during the ongoing protests in Portland amid a battle between progressive local leaders and the Trump administration over the presence of federal forces. U.S. District Court Judge Michael Mosman said the state lacked standing to sue on behalf of protesters. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum sued the Trump administration last week, alleging federal agents have arrested protesters without probable cause and used excessive force. Authorities deny the accusations. The lawsuit sought a restraining order to stop federal authorities from unlawfully detaining protesters. Agents have arrested 18 people in Portland this week, the Justice Department said Friday. They face a slew of charges, including assaulting federal officers, arson, looting and damaging federal property. The agents have been “subjected to nightly threats and assaults from demonstrators while performing their duties,” said U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams. Federal agents were sent to the city by President Trump, who has blamed local officials for not addressing the nightly gatherings while trying to project himself as a law and order president. The most recent civil unrest has occurred near the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse where fires have been set and some protesters have hurled projectiles at agents. Protesters also projected lasers on the building and tried to take down a security fence. They scattered as clouds of gas rose up and agents fired crowd control munitions, which critically injured a demonstrator this month. However, the use of tear gas and rubber bullets have set off a wave of criticism from Democratic mayors and civil liberties advocates across the country who are opposed to the deployment of federal agents to cities. “While the decision in the state’s lawsuit is disappointing, federal agents should not for a minute think their unconstitutional actions will go unanswered,” said Jann Carson, interim executive director of the ACLU of Oregon. “The ACLU will be in court again to hold federal agents accountable for their unconstitutional attacks on the right to protest.”

We applaud Judge Mosman’s excellent decision here.

Gutfeld on defunding the police

Who knew that calling the cops, when your family is threatened, comes from a place of privilege? Here’s this exchange recently on CNN: Alisyn Camerota, CNN anchor: What if, in the middle of the night, my home is broken into. Who do I call? Lisa Bender, Minneapolis City Council president: Yes, I hear that loud and clear from a lot of my neighbors. And I know — and myself, too, and I know that that comes from a place of privilege. What an idiot! That was the president of the Minneapolis city council, who’s planning a formal vote to defund the police. So after days of violent unrest, that’s their next step. If you do not believe that we are in the middle of a mass delusion, where humanity is willfully rejecting what works for what destroys, I don’t think I can’t help you. But if you can’t beat the mob, when not help them? Let’s defund. But baby steps first. — It’s too expensive to start from scratch and create a police-free city. So let’s pick two cities and observe the outcomes. Because the Minneapolis city council is voting to defund, let’s go with them first. And for comparison, let’s do Hollywood, where some celebs, who signed an open letter demanding defunding, actually live. The comparison eliminates race from the equation and sits it squarely on something else: wealth and class. While citizens of Minneapolis will fall prey to chaos and roving gangs of violence — last week being the prequel — Hollywood will rely on private security, which many of its fabulous inhabitants already enjoy. It’s why John Legend and others see no problem in defunding the police because it won’t be a problem for them. At least with Minneapolis, the hard left zombies on that council are ready to see their delusions through, citizens be damned — or killed. Let’s see Hollywood do the same thing. And when the rich do fine — while the poor suffer — maybe that injustice will be televised, too. In color, not just black and white.

Agreed…  Thanks to Greg Gutfeld for this.  It was adapted from his “Gregologue” on June 8th, 2020 on The Five.  To see the video of this, click on the text above.

Georgia state trooper tells protesters in viral video: ‘I only kneel for … God’

A law enforcement officer in Georgia is going viral after he said he “has much respect” for Black Lives Matter protesters after the death of George Floyd — but he only kneels “for one person.” Georgia State Trooper O’Neal Saddler was allegedly asked to kneel during a demonstration in Hartwell while a bystander was recording. “If I didn’t have any respect, I wouldn’t [be here],” Saddler explained. “I was supposed to be out of town this weekend with my wife. I took off today, this weekend, but I’m out here to make sure y’all are safe.” He added, “Don’t go there with respect, OK? I have much respect, but I only kneel for one person.” Someone in the crowd replied: “And that’s God,” which the trooper confirmed: “God.” “God Bless him!” Ryan Fournier, founder and co-chairman of Students for Trump, wrote in a tweet. Others praised him in the original post as “one of the best in the business.” The state trooper’s comments come as many police officers have been urged to take a knee in solidarity with protesters as some are pushing to “defund the police.”

Georgia State Trooper O’Neal Saddler is definitely a role model.  To see the video in question, click on the video.  Great job, Sergeant!      🙂

 

Trey Gowdy: ‘Defunding the police is the single dumbest idea I’ve ever heard’

Former House Oversight Committee chairman Trey Gowdy told “Sunday Morning Futures” that “defunding the police is the single dumbest idea I’ve ever heard.” “Who is going to process crime scenes, arrest bad people?” Gowdy, a former South Carolina Congessman, asked during an exclusive interview with host Maria Bartiromo. “Who is going to enforce any law, child sex abuse, homicide? Who is going to do it if it’s not the police?” Gowdy made the comments after a recent push to weaken law enforcement in the wake of the death of George Floyd in police custody. Days after Floyd, who is black, died after a white officer knelt on his neck, Black Lives Matter announced a “call for a national defunding of police,” and notable Democratic voices as well as celebrities have echoed the sentiment. Republican South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who appeared with Gowdy on “Sunday Morning Futures,” agreed, saying defunding police is “a ridiculous idea.” “It is not an idea whose time has come. It should never come,” Scott said. “The nation requires law and order. We need order in our streets and the easiest way to have that is to have a strong presence of character-driven law enforcement officers.” Scott then brought up the fact that he recently reintroduced the Walter Scott Notification Act, which requires states to report deadly shootings by law enforcement officers. Walter Scott was a black motorist who died in 2015 after running from a white police officer during a traffic stop and then struggling with the officer who ran after him. The officer testified that Scott grabbed his Taser and he then shot him, firing “until the threat was stopped,” which is what he said he was trained to do. “One of the reasons why I proposed … [the] Walter Scott Notification Act [was] to get law enforcement agencies to report the data on the use of force that leads to death,” Sen. Scott explained on Sunday. “Without that actual information in an aggregate value, we don’t really know what’s going on.” He went on to note that “fewer than 45 percent of agencies actually report their information to the FBI so I think it would help all of us to get a clear picture of what’s going on within the law enforcement community.” “Within communities of color, the issues with law enforcement are much broader than who shoots whom,” Gowdy said. “I mean that’s incredibly important, but it’s arrest rates, it’s sentencing disparities, it’s access to bond, it’s access to diversion programs.” The calls to defund police departments come as uniformed law enforcement officers across the nation suffered injuries during George Floyd protests that turned violent in some cities, with officers being pelted with bricks and bottles. A police officer in Las Vegas was shot in the head, while police in New York and New Jersey were injured by bricks and rocks. In Los Angeles, one officer suffered a fractured skull and officers in other cities suffered injuries in hit-and-run incidents.

For those who are unaware, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) happens to be black.  Given what’s going on, it’s worth noting.  Hopefully we’ll get to a point where such things are irrelevant.  Thanks to both Sen. Scott, and former Congressman Trey Gowdy (R-SC) from the great state of South Carolina for their wise input.  Trey is 100% spot on when he says that defunding the police “is the single dumbest idea” either of us has ever heard.  It’s the latest crazy notion put forth by the extreme liberal left, and championed by America haters like AOC and her ilk.  Giving in to this mob mentality would be a disaster for any community that would endorse such lunacy.  Imagine someone is breaking into your home, or you’re having a domestic violence issue, and so you rightfully call 911…only to hear a recording that says, “sorry.  We’ve been defunded.”  Yeah…it’s THAT crazy.

Colorado police say fake cops are pulling over drivers to warn them about coronavirus travel restrictions

Police in Colorado are warning that a number of fake cops are out there patrolling the roads in hopes of pulling over drivers to question them about whether they are violating coronavirus travel restrictions. The Weld County Sheriff’s Office says one of the suspects is believed to be driving a black Dodge Charger “that might be equipped with emergency lights in the dash, and may or may not be outfitted with magnetic, law enforcement-type signs on the door.” That individual, described as a heavy-set white man, is reported to have stopped several vehicles in March after the state implemented a stay-at-home order permitting only “essential trips such as grocery shopping or health care appointments”. “For the life of me, I don’t understand why someone would want to do this,” Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams told USA Today. “I don’t think there’s a law enforcement agency in the state that has time to do that kind of thing.” The nearby Greeley Police Department also says they received numerous reports in March from drivers claiming they were “recently pulled over or waved through a funnel type roadblock & questioned for ‘violating the COVID-19 law.’” “We have confirmed that NO GPD Officers, Weld Sheriff Deputies or Colorado State Troopers conducted these traffic stops,” the department said in a Facebook post. “Reports have all described unmarked type vehicles with dashboard mounted red & blue lights; black uniforms with no markings or badge & duty belts with little equipment.” Farther east in Georgia, police in Dawson County and Gainesville have been urging residents to be on the lookout for a suspect in a dark sedan with flashing blue lights, who is believed to have made at least two bogus traffic stops to warn residents about violating coronavirus-related curfews. In each case, the drivers have been told to continue on their way after being questioned. Reams told USA Today that Americans who fear they are being pulled over by an imposter should put on their hazard lights and then call 911 to confirm whether it’s the real deal. “They want to be in some position of power,” he said about the wannabe cops. “It just gives them an opportunity to go out and try and assert some authority or pretend to assert some authority. No good cop likes someone pretending to be a cop.”

No kidding!  Nobody likes to be pulled over in the first place.  If you find yourself in similar situation, and don’t think it’s a real cop, follow the advice above:  Put on your hazards and call 911 to confirm.  Hopefully they find this guy in Weld County and arrest him.

Feds arrest over 600 alleged Mexican cartel members

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced Wednesday that more than 600 arrests have been made as a result of an interagency operation cracking down on Mexican cartel activity. “Project Python,” a DEA-led initiative, targeted members of Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). According to the DEA, over the last six months federal law enforcement officials have been monitoring the activities of the accused. The operation resulted in more than 600 arrests nationwide, 350 indictments and “significant seizures of money and drugs,” according to the agencies. “Project Python marks the most comprehensive action to date in the Department of Justice’s campaign to disrupt, dismantle, and ultimately destroy CJNG,” Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski said in a statement. Benczkowski cited an executive order President Trump passed shortly after Trump was inaugurated in 2017 that condemned cartel operations in the U.S. and directed federal law enforcement to use the Threat Mitigation Working Group, which was put in place by the Obama administration in 2011. “When President Trump signed an Executive Order prioritizing the dismantlement of transnational criminal organizations, the Department of Justice answered the call and took direct aim at CJNG. We deemed CJNG one of the highest-priority transnational organized crime threats we face,” he said. “And with Project Python, we are delivering results in the face of that threat for the American people.” According to the DOJ, CJNG is active in major U.S. cities such as Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Houston and Atlanta. The DOJ and DEA also announced a superseding indictment Wednesday on charges of alleged continuing criminal enterprise against Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” the leader of CJNG. Last month Oseguera Cervantes’s son was extradited from Mexico to the U.S. to be served drug trafficking charges. Two weeks ago, on Feb. 26, his daughter was arrested by federal officials for financial crimes.

Score one for the good guys!!     🙂

Trump Admin to Send Border Patrol Special Ops on Raids in Sanctuary Cities

The Trump administration is sending officers from a special operations unit of the Border Patrol to assist in raids by Immigration Customs and Enforcement in so-called sanctuary cities. The officers from BORTAC, the Border Patrol’s version of a SWAT unit, will deploy to New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and various other cities whose local governments forbid law enforcement from working with federal immigration officials, the New York Times reported on Friday. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Lawrence Payne confirmed the initiative. BORTAC officers will be deployed “in order to enhance the integrity of the immigration system, protect public safety, and strengthen our national security,” Payne said. “As we have noted for years, in jurisdictions where we are not allowed to assume custody of aliens from jails, our officers are forced to make at-large arrests of criminal aliens who have been released into communities,” ICE acting director Matthew T. Albence said in a statement. “When sanctuary cities release these criminals back to the street, it increases the occurrence of preventable crimes, and more importantly, preventable victims.” BORTAC usually operates in hot, rugged areas along the U.S.-Mexico border and specializes in capturing criminals and cracking down on smuggling operations. While embedded with ICE in sanctuary cities, BORTAC officers will engage in more run-of-the-mill arrests. The news comes after Attorney General William Barr announced Monday that the Justice Department would begin a “significant escalation” against sanctuary cities. Barr said the department would move to file lawsuits against sanctuary cities and locales that actively impede federal immigration enforcement.

Portland mayor stands by decision to allow Antifa to block traffic, hassle motorists

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler came under fire over a viral video showing Antifa protesters blocking traffic and harassing drivers, but he says he supports the decision by police to watch from a distance without getting involved. “I was appalled by what I saw in the video, but I support the Portland Police Bureau’s decision not to intervene,” he said at a Friday press conference. “This whole incident will be investigated.” The video posted by journalist Andy C. Ngo showed protesters, including members of Antifa and Black Lives Matter, blocking an intersection and attempting to direct traffic at while officers on motorcycle watched from a block away. At one point, the activists chased down 74-year-old Kent Houser after he made a right turn against their wishes, pounding on his silver Lexus and breaking a window. The car sustained thousands of dollars in damage, he told the Oregonian. Even so, Mr. Wheeler insisted that “motorists should feel completely safe coming into downtown Portland.” Demonstrators did not obtain a permit before holding the Oct. 6 march to protest the death of Patrick Kimmons, a 27-year-old black man who was shot and killed Sept. 30 by police. The shooting is under investigation. The mayor has been accused of taking a kid-gloves approach to the protests that routinely roil the liberal enclave, such as the summer occupation of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building, which saw Portland police refuse to assist unless federal officers were in physical danger. “This is the kind of street anarchy that routinely happens where I live,” tweeted Mr. Ngo. Rioting broke out Saturday night as Antifa activists brawled with protesters who turned out for a “flash march for law and order,” organized the right-tilting group Patriot Prayer.Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler came under fire over a viral video showing Antifa protesters blocking traffic and harassing drivers, but he says he supports the decision by police to watch from a distance without getting involved. “I was appalled by what I saw in the video, but I support the Portland Police Bureau’s decision not to intervene,” he said at a Friday press conference. “This whole incident will be investigated.” The video posted by journalist Andy C. Ngo showed protesters, including members of Antifa and Black Lives Matter, blocking an intersection and attempting to direct traffic at while officers on motorcycle watched from a block away. At one point, the activists chased down 74-year-old Kent Houser after he made a right turn against their wishes, pounding on his silver Lexus and breaking a window. The car sustained thousands of dollars in damage, he told the Oregonian. Even so, Mr. Wheeler insisted that “motorists should feel completely safe coming into downtown Portland.” Demonstrators did not obtain a permit before holding the Oct. 6 march to protest the death of Patrick Kimmons, a 27-year-old black man who was shot and killed Sept. 30 by police. The shooting is under investigation. The mayor has been accused of taking a kid-gloves approach to the protests that routinely roil the liberal enclave, such as the summer occupation of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building, which saw Portland police refuse to assist unless federal officers were in physical danger. “This is the kind of street anarchy that routinely happens where I live,” tweeted Mr. Ngo. Rioting broke out Saturday night as Antifa activists brawled with protesters who turned out for a “flash march for law and order,” organized the right-tilting group Patriot Prayer.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler (D) is garbage, and a spectacular hypocrite…who doesn’t care about the good, law-abiding citizens of Portland in the least.  He has the nerve to call for an “investigation” into what happened with the Portland PD allowing Antifa to terrorize citizens…when it was he who ordered the cops to do nothing!  Some enterprising journalist should ask Mr. Wheeler, on camera, if he “should investigate” himself for knowingly, willingly, allowing a domestic terrorist organization to control the streets of Portland, and terrorizing its citizens…while he ordered his cops to just back and watch.  Of course, that would mean journalists actually doing their jobs and not being partisan hacks making excuses with Democrat politicians they’re trying to protect.  Let’s be honest..  The citizens elected this idiot Mayor.  So, that’s on them.  Hopefully they’ll wake up the next time he’s up for re-election, and vote for the other guy/gal.  Imagine a Republican mayor in Portland…    There have been crazier thing..

ICE officers demand Portland mayor relinquish control of police after Occupy ICE protests

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers asked Portland, Oregon, Mayor Ted Wheeler to give up his authority over the city’s police Wednesday and face investigation for his handling of this summer’s violent Occupy ICE protests, saying Wednesday that he broke state laws and violated Americans’ civil rights. The National ICE Council, the union that represents ICE harassed and menaced during the protests, asked both U.S. Attorney General Jeff Session and Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum to open investigations into Mr. Wheeler’s behavior. Portland’s protests were the most disruptive ones during a nationwide outbreak of anti-ICE activities, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers put the blame on Mr. Wheeler, saying he had a chance to cool things down but instead fueled violence with his orders to police instructing them not to respond to calls related to the Occupy protest unless they involved an immediate threat to someone’s life. The ICE officers say 911 calls from employees who were being followed or targeted by protesters were either ignored or given short shrift by officers, and ICE had to shut down its office in the city for weeks. “Instead of faithfully executing his oath of office and pledge to support the Constitutions of the United States and Oregon, as well as the laws of Portland, Mayor Wheeler chose to leave his fellow citizens to fend for themselves for over a month against a lawless mob which included violent militant groups,” Mr. Crane said. In the letter to Oregon’s attorney general Sean J. Riddell, the ICE Council’s lawyer, said Mr. Wheeler’s leadership of the police has been tainted. “Our hope is that Mr. Wheeler relinquishes his supervisory authority of the Portland Police Bureau pending the outcome of your investigation,” the lawyer said. Neither Mr. Wheeler’s office nor the Oregon attorney general’s office returned messages sent Wednesday morning seeking comment. Text messages obtained by the ICE Council show the mayor’s office issuing its directive to the Portland Police Bureau to avoid responding to calls from those involved in or targeted by the protest. “Here’s where our office stands: The mayor will provide strategic direction to PPB. He will not dictate tactics[,] we will leave that to the expertise of PPB. In this case, the mayor’s strategic direction is for PPB to not get involved unless lives are in danger,” read one message the ICE officers obtained. A follow-up email showed the police decided that meant they would not “proactively patrol” the protest, and would only respond to calls “that have an immediate life safety concern.” That meant ignoring calls from ICE employees trying to get their cars out of parking lots blocked by protesters unless they felt they were specifically threatened, the email said. Mr. Crane says he tried to work things out with Mr. Wheeler directly over the summer, with his lawyer sending a cease-and-desist letter to the mayor. In a July 31 response, Mr. Wheeler disputed the ICE officers’ version of events. He denied there was a policy of refusing to answer calls from ICE employees — though he said it was up to the federal government to police its own property in the city. Mr. Wheeler said he didn’t want his officers “to be engaged or sucked into a conflict for the purpose of securing federal property that houses a federal agency with their own federal police force.”

Mayor Wheeler is a real team player…not.  He’s your garden variety, extreme liberal Democrat who is a speech nazi, and wants even more gun-control Porland…imagine that!  Now, the focus of his energy is fighting ICE.  What a tool..  Let’s hope that AG Jeff Sessions puts the legal screw on this loser.

Fleeing Illegal Immigrants Killed 2 Tracking Dogs, Says Texas Sheriff

One of at least 14 illegal immigrants trying to flee law enforcement near a Texas beach is believed to have killed two tracking dogs. One suspect may have ties to a Mexican drug cartel, say authorities. The case took place north of Holiday Beach, more than 150 miles north of the Texas border, when state and local police were trying to stop a human smuggling attempt, the Aransas County Sheriff’s Office revealed in a prepared statement. A black Ford truck was headed north on Highway 35 as it was trying to flee law enforcement when it crashed through some fencing and stopped near a brushy area. Between 14 and 16 individuals reportedly ran from the vehicle. Authorities responded to the scene with a group of tracking dogs from a private kennel. According to police, the dogs are not trained to bite like K-9 officers–but are used for search and rescue operations. Authorities were able to find five of the individuals in the brush. A sixth man turned violent, telling law enforcement “if you want me, come and get me,” police said. After his arrest, the man was described as bearing a cartel tattoo among the strangled bodies of two tracking dogs. In the agency’s statement, Sheriff Bill Mills said the case serves as a reminder to officers: “[W]e are still dealing with individuals who may have questionable immigration status these encounters can turn just as violent as any domestic dispute we respond to. And while every effort is being taken to ensure everyone’s safety, we are reminded that not everyone we encounter shows the same level of respect for the rule of law and or life even for highly trained animals.”

No kidding..  This is the sort of story that makes ya sick to your stomach.  Glad these vermin were finally caught by those brave law enforcement officers in Texas.  Hopefully they’ll be charged with not only the immigration violations, and the resisting arrest charges…but also charged with the brutal killing of these poor dogs.  There is a special place in hell for evil people like this.  If ever there was yet another reason to secure our southern border, then here it is.  That is why we have been calling on the last two administrations to BUILD THE WALL NOW!!!…and put U.S. Army National Guard troops physically ON the border with Mexico!  Then, those troops should remain ON the border until that wall/fence is finally built above, and below, ground to prevent tunneling…however long it takes.  Simultaneously, we need to be deporting illegals already here by the hundreds of thousands (and yes, you read that correctly), paying particular attention to known cartel (like this) and gang members (i.e. MS-13, etc.), criminal aliens, and those already determined by an immigration judge to be deported…regardless of age or gender.  And this is just the bare minimum, folks.  To do anything less is NOT in our country’s national security, or economic, interests.  Of course, we’re all for supporting legislative efforts at the state and federal levels intended to fight social security fraud, and to punish employers who knowingly hire illegals.  BUT, securing the southern border, as well as ports of entry into the U.S., should be our number one domestic national security objective.  Period!  President Trump, and AG Jeff Sessions have made much progress on this issue in the year and a half they’ve been in their respective positions.  But, it doesn’t go nearly far enough.  We ALL need to continue to put pressure on AG Sessions, and President Trump to push for the building of that wall…as well as on our legislative reps in both the House and Senate to fund such efforts.