What is Wrong with the Denver Police Department??

[LanceOregon]

Did anyone else watch the ABC Evening News tonight with Charlie Gibson? ABC seems to be the only network that ever investigates or exposes any corruption or influence peddling within the Democratic Party. Both CBS and NBC seem to be convinced that such activities are only a Republican thing.

Tonight's investigative report showed how the Democrats were pandering to their "fat cats" at the convention. These are extremely wealthy individuals who raised or donated over $100,000 in private funds to the party.

One ABC News reporter that was part of this investigation had a camera crew outside an event that the Democrats were holding for some of these "fat cats". He was outside the building, on the public sidewalk with his sound and camera men, covering the event. However, a security guard literally pushed him off the sidewalk, and out into the street.

Then, shortly after that, an entire gang of Denver Policemen descended upon the reporter. They promptly arrested the reporter, shutdown the camera, and took the ABC News reporter to jail.

Why did the Denver Police Department react with such overwhelming force and numbers to the simple threat of an ABC News investigative reporter who was targeting the Democratic Party? What has happened to the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution, that guarantees Freedom of the Press? Does this freedom only exist if it is Republicans that are being investigated?? Why on earth would the Denver police act as stooges to the Democratic Party like this??

Here below is a link to the video that ABC News took of the arrest. So you can judge for yourself who was in the wrong here. Take special note of the officer who is clearly in charge, who has a great big fat cigar stuffed into his mouth!!

What is up with that? Senior Denver Policemen smoke while they are on duty? The man looks just like some kind of Gary Busey movie character.

Here is a link to the ABC News video of the arrest:

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=5670682

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[WINSTON THE WOLF]

welcome to a police state. Maybe ABC News didn't get the memo that the first amendment doesn't exist anymore. I wonder how long the second will last..................

I hope ABC has good lawyers. Can you say cha ching!!!!

 

[CelticMP]

I will bet the ACLU will fight in support of him. :barf:

 

[Ballenxj]

That's "incredible"! So much for the slogan "To Protect and Serve". Gotta wonder just who those guys are serving?
-Bruce

 

[ssilicon]

There is more to this. Has to be. For example, is there no circumstance in which police can ask you to "move along" just because you are on a public sidewalk? If there are times when they can legally do so, how do we know this wasn't one of them? This clip missed a lot of footage between the street and the arrest.

 

[LanceOregon]

The image of that Sergeant with the HUGE cigar stuck into his mouth first choking the reporter, and then handcuffing him is what really struck me.

I wonder who exactly in the department made the decision to take this reporter in? Certainly no low ranking officer did.

 

[Recon7]

What I found interesting is the cop asking the camera man to turn the camera off. Maybe he was smart enough to know they were in the wrong.

We are missing a few facts, but what if that guy got hit by a car after the cop forces him into the street?

 

[LanceOregon]

There is more to this. Has to be.

The bottom line for me is this:

Whose interest were the police serving here, by arresting a reporter investigating a story embarrassing to the Democratic Party?

The answer would appear to be obvious, at least to me.

The whole point of the ABC Evening News investigation was to point out the utter hypocrisy that exists in the Democratic Party. Have you not been listening to speaker after speaker at the convention condemn the Republicans for alleged corruption, and pandering to both the rich and also corporate interests?

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid railed and railed tonight in his speech about how the Republicans are the party of the rich and powerful.

Yet, the ABC News investigative report on tonight's evening news noted that the Democrats have managed to raise far more money than the Republicans this year. A whopping total of over $1.2 Billion so far. This helped to explain how the party was able to spend over $80 million dollars on 4 day convention.

In one "fat cat" convention event that ABC News did manage to sneak a camera into, they were able to tape Party Chairman Howard Dean thanking those assembled, saying that they were a big part of the success of the Democratic Party's campaign to raise more money this year from business.

Just go to the ABC News website ( http://abcnews.go.com/ ), and click on the WATCH VIDEOS link in the upper right corner of the page. Then go down to the World News section, and select World News Reports. You can then view the entire investigative report that was on tonight's news there.

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[LanceOregon]

What I found interesting is the cop asking the camera man to turn the camera off. Maybe he was smart enough to know they were in the wrong.

So you are saying here that this order by this police sergeant to shut the camera off was legal? That the camera man had no right to have his camera turned on while on a public sidewalk??

Is that consistent with the press being free??

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[Recon7]

No, I just think the guy realized that they were in the wrong and didn't want the embarrassing ordeal taped.

I'm agreeing with you (on this thread)

did you get a lot of parking tickets in Denver or something? you really seem to have a bone to pick.

 

[dipper]

did you get a lot of parking tickets in Denver or something? you really seem to have a bone to pick

No Recon, maybe Lance is concerned that this behavior will be coming to a city near him---or maybe you!!

 

[Recon7]

Dipper, sorry I didn't use a smiley to denote sarcasm. I forget sometimes. I made the comment based on the 2 threads Lance has running that are critical of Denver PD. I am agreeing with him in this one.

from my post earlier

Maybe he was smart enough to know they were in the wrong.

emphasis added, I thought this would be clear enough, but here we are...

 

[WINSTON THE WOLF]

Riot at the Democratic National Camp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sQt67_ppmk&feature=related

DNC- When Storm Troopers Attack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpYqAB61Wd0&feature=related

More videos, More proof that the first amendment is dead. It seems like peacefull protests only get out of hand when the police do.

This is, was the first amendment...........

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

 

[Recon7]

Surrounding the protesters for hours and kicking out the press ain't cool.
That second link is pretty moving
"you guys have made real big news today"

 

[jimpeel]

HERE is the full Brian Ross report on the Democratic Elite and the arrest of the reporter as it aired on World News Tonight with Charles Gibson.

 

[Darren007]

What I think is really ironic is how we blasted China for their "Protest Zones" that they set up away from the Olympic Stadium. Then I open the Denver Post the other day and lo and behold there was an article about "protest zones" set up away from the DNC. The pictured showed one of the zones. It looked like a cage or fenced in parking lot with a gate on it. It was located about a mile from the DNC i believe.

As one protestor interviewed put it..."Whats the point of doing this if the people your protesting cant see or hear you".

For once I actually agreed with a protestor.

 

[Forwardassist]

Nothing is wrong with the DPD, they are doing what they are being paid by the Dem party. The Republicans will do the same in their convention. Hence the vicious cycle were the wealthy control the many. That is the nature of politics in America.

 

[Darren007]

Hence the vicious cycle were the wealthy control the many. That is the nature of politics in America

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I have been saying this for years. But its not just the nature of politics....its the nature of man. The wealthy, powerful, and influential will ALWAYS control the populace at large. And it, for better or worse, right or wrong, will ALWAYS be that way. Whether you agree with/believe it or not.

 

[WINSTON THE WOLF]

Surrounding the protesters for hours and kicking out the press ain't cool.
That second link is pretty moving
"you guys have made real big news today"

Doesn't seem like America does it.

HERE is the full Brian Ross report on the Democratic Elite and the arrest of the reporter as it aired on World News Tonight with Charles Gibson.

Thank you Jimpeel. Maybe some people will wake up now.

What I think is really ironic is how we blasted China for their "Protest Zones" that they set up away from the Olympic Stadium. Then I open the Denver Post the other day and lo and behold there was an article about "protest zones" set up away from the DNC. The pictured showed one of the zones. It looked like a cage or fenced in parking lot with a gate on it. It was located about a mile from the DNC i believe.

As one protestor interviewed put it..."Whats the point of doing this if the people your protesting cant see or hear you".

For once I actually agreed with a protestor.

I remember watching other countries deal with protesters. China, Russia and many others.Thinking that would never happen in this country.

I would be wrong. I wonder how long it will be until we see a protester run over by a tank.

 

[JWT]

Interesting that people and the media criticized China for the way it supressed protest during the Olympics but the same media says little, if anything, about the supression during the Democrats party. Will be interesting if they do the same with the Republicans next week...