Storm Chaser arrested

[hoser147]

From what I gathered there must have been a line of watchers behind the guy that got arrested and the cop wanted to make an example out of him. Not much video before the arrest to go off of. The guy makes a living chasing storms and seems to be well setup for it. We just dont know the facts prior to when the video began. So now it will be up to the judge and he will decide what the facts are, but from what was shown the officer may have been alittle out of line, but like I said we dont know anymore than what the video showed and the witness is stating. Most of the people that are out there are doing a good thing, but as usual there is always that bad apple in the mix. Just seemed to be a little overboard when a citation would have worked.........Hoser

 

[rdale]

The sheriff dept says they will have a statement soon.

 

[bigbluemsp]

I want to see the entire video and not some 39 second clip hacked for media coverage.

Was he parked in a public roadway?

Was he blocking/hindering/obstructing traffic?

Was he parked adjacent to a public roadway but on private property?


I don't care what the video says if the officer says move and you don't move then that officer can arrest you.

The best thing to do is avoid the conflict just move then lodge a complaint later. Fighting it roadside is never a win win for anyone and it only causes issues for you.

I don't know exactly what happened but it would be nice to see the whole tape and not just what the suspects people and the media wanted people to see.

 

[loumaag]

...
I don't care what the video says if the officer says move and you don't move then that officer can arrest you.
...

Really? I guess that is the way it is in Michigan; I'm glad I still live in Texas. We may have some bad apples in our various LE agencies (such as this character in Crane Co.), but generally it is accepted that if you park in a road side park/rest area and are doing nothing illegal, you can remain in the road side park/rest area.

Is everyone ignoring the fact that this same deputy harassed the newspaper reporter in a separate incident just minutes before arresting the storm chaser? You know, with a population of about 4,000 for the county, maybe there isn't much else to do but provoke people into incidents.

 

[pappy1]

Sorry, but you guys are wrong. This person was out there engaging in a hobby. He had no official position to be parked on the side of the road. The deputy does have an offical position. Whether you like it or not, he's in control of the road and right of way. If he tells you to move, get back in your vehicle and move. You have no right to engage in a roadside argument whether his actions are right - that's for another time. If you choose to not obey a lawful order, even if you don't like it or agree with it, you can be arrested. This guy was and he now has his chance to make his case in court. That's the logical consequence of trying to play roadside lawyer.

Fron the news report:
Barnes was arrested at a road side park on Highway 385 and charged with obstruction of a highway or other passage way.
So if I am reading the report correctly I have this question:

If the news reporter is correct in his statement that the chaser was in a roadside park with no official position to park there then that means that if I am on a long road trip and I see a roadside park maintained by the state and I park to stretch my legs and take a short break from driving I will be arrested because I have no official position to park in that states roadside parks. If your state has a law such as that then your state has idiots for law makers. This is my opinion only.

 

[af5rn]

B.S.

I've youv'e ever been on the "inside" you know it's quite the opposite. It's a 24/7 headhunt to some degree.

Who are you talking to, and what are you talking about?

 

[OpSec]

B.S.

I've youv'e ever been on the "inside" you know it's quite the opposite. It's a 24/7 headhunt to some degree.

Rough day at the drug checkpoint?

 

[af5rn]

Rough day at the drug checkpoint?

Seriously, you're supposed to let THE DOG do the sniffing! :lol:

 

[unitcharlie]

The Crane County, Sheriff Robert Deleon, responds in defense of of his son-in-law.... If Deputy Ellison is telling a newpaper fotog to leave while he is shooting a story there is a problem. Sheriff Deleon might have a larger fight on his hands than he wants.....

 

[bigbluemsp]

Again one side of the story.

Where is the "REST" of the video? I don't mean some edited for TV media copy like this I want the entire video of the situation then hear both side and what they have to say.


So many people passing judgement on L.E. all the time when they see a 4 second clip then automaticaly it's the cops fault.


Just like ooo the cops beat on Rodney King for no reason based on a 10 second clip.

Most haven't seen the 20 minute video which would more the likely change minds.

 

[mancow]

Who are you talking to, and what are you talking about?

I was referring to you or your post rather...

Quote:
I would agree, but in theory only. Complaints against cops are futile -- regardless of their validity -- unless you're black. They have to literally kill somebody before civil rights violations are even considered against them. Their only "punishment" for abusing their authority or violating your rights is that their case gets dismissed by the DA. Big deal. They still go back and do it again. Because they can, and because they enjoy it.

What I meant is that in my experience this is all BS. Is it that way some places...yea... unforatunately it is. But, now days for the most part it's a mine field of policies and internal investigations and citizen complaints because someone got their feelings hurt. As much as many people hate to believe it...to most that do it...it actually is just a job, not an opportunity to F*** with people for no reason. That's all I was referring to.

As for the storm chaser, if he wants to hang out on the side of the road and get blown away more power to him. It's a free country. I hope he enjoys the ride. I would have suggested he move. If he refused then wish him luck and get the hell out of Dodge.

 

[mancow]

No, the phantom drug check point. As you already know.


Hey, it wasn't because of the non existant drug CP but they got 2.1 mil a while back. Man, the S.O. is rollin phat with new SUVs and all kinds of goodes. I'm still trying to get brakes that aren't warped. :roll:

Rough day at the drug checkpoint?

 

[SAR923]

As I understand it, Crane County was under a tornado warning at the time. Does it not seem reasonable that deputies would try to move people off public roads (whether it be a road or a rest area) and get them to go to some place of safety, like any substantially constructed building? While the storm chasers may have been conducting a business, it was the deputy's job to try to protect human life. If there was a line up of other vehicles behind the van seen in the video, all the more reason to get them to move out of the area. As has already been written, without seeing the whole video, I am merely speculating, as are the rest of us here.

Just as a corollary question, what do you suppose the reaction would have been if the deputy had just driven past this group of people, waved, and 10 minutes later, they were all killed by a tornado? Think he'd be in any trouble then? I'd much rather defend an arrest that I thought was justified based on the law and circumstances than have the lives of people I might have saved on my conscience for the rest of my life.

 

[mancow]

But, where does it stop? You can't load up the County and take them all away.

I fully understand your sentiment and you are correct that it would have been his a** if he had waived and driven by. It just seems to me that he could have made a stong suggestion and if the person refused then it's their own stupid fault if they get blown away.

I guess it's kind of like a suicice call in a sense. It seems to me that to really be justified in an arrest you would almost have to take them in to protective custody.

I guess in the end what seems like common sense often isn't. :roll:

 

[chrismol1]

Are you!!! a blankety-blank? sheriff had a rough day, just showd how much a quota can screw up a cop

 

[steveh552]

Has anyone not realized that Texas is its own world? They do as they want, even make things up when they have no evidence of wrong doing. The over 400 children taken by a "phone call" by a girl that they have yet to find proves to the world that they do things like that.

In Ohio, if a cop gives you a lawful order (move on) and you do not obey, you are subject to arrest for failing to obey the order of a police officer, I am assuming it is the same elseware.

 

[chrismol1]

Has anyone not realized that Texas is its own world? They do as they want, even make things up when they have no evidence of wrong doing. The over 400 children taken by a "phone call" by a girl that they have yet to find proves to the world that they do things like that.

In Ohio, if a cop gives you a lawful order (move on) and you do not obey, you are subject to arrest for failing to obey the order of a police officer, I am assuming it is the same elseware.

dont assume casue the laws afre dif everywhere

 

[boyledad]

Not nepotism

I'm not taking sides on whether the arrest was justified, but a careful reading of the TV station's blogs reveals that one viewer said, for the purpose of discredit, that the sheriff had hired his son-in-law but did not imply that the deputy in question was the same person. In fact, people who live there deny that this deputy is even married.

Chuck

 

[andrewccm]

Has anyone not realized that Texas is its own world? They do as they want, even make things up when they have no evidence of wrong doing. The over 400 children taken by a "phone call" by a girl that they have yet to find proves to the world that they do things like that.

So how many teenage wives do you have? Just curious..

 

[rdale]

Does it not seem reasonable that deputies would try to move people off public roads (whether it be a road or a rest area) and get them to go to some place of safety

That's not the case here... He wasn't sending them to safety - he simply told Brian to leave.

If there was a line up of other vehicles behind the van seen in the video, all the more reason to get them to move out of the area.

So they'd line up on the highway instead of the rest stop - what is the value in that?

Just as a corollary question, what do you suppose the reaction would have been if the deputy had just driven past this group of people, waved, and 10 minutes later, they were all killed by a tornado? Think he'd be in any trouble then?

Of course not... There is no obligation to tell people to move. There is no LEGAL right to force people to evacutate an area. Remember Katrina? Under the Constitution, there's no right for police to come pull you out of your house.

I'd much rather defend an arrest that I thought was justified based on the law and circumstances

Remember that after the arrest, the officer drove THROUGH the storm that they were originally behind. Through it.