Officer Alex goes head-to-head with clergy on a mission
I was very interested to see a group of pastors protesting on the sidewalk of the Hamilton County Courts building recently demanding three people resign for “egregious acts” not committed in their presence and otherwise not yet investigated.
They were basing this on a dash cam video of a handcuffed man who was recorded clearly trying to reach for something inside the back of his pants and two officers correcting this behavior with their hands and fists (the general admission price for the ticket he bought). Just as clearly we see the officers dropping his pants to see what the hell he was so determined to get at, and from his boxer shorts a small plastic bag is produced.
This was not a long sword or a Glock, but it was still an item he knew he wasn’t supposed to have and was charged with. As for the search (as seen from a separate dash cam), while this is actually not the topic of my missive, let me touch on this for a moment (pardon the pun).
I’m one of the lucky few individuals in this world who has never had to have anything removed by force from my ass; everything inside of said cavity has egressed of its own accord as biology intended.
That said? If something I had (or had not) chosen to cram up there was to be removed...I really think my underwear would get in the way of this. Dude was still in his chonies and the slick plastic baggie was produced almost immediately.
Now I also have not chosen to hide anything between my butt cheeks (much less inside me) so I’m speaking out of assumptions here myself, but I think a reasonable person WOULD agree that something lodged in my colon would necessitate the removal of my undergarments.
“Getting up in there” with an unwilling participant just lends itself to the concept of access, particularly when forced. I say all that to say the Sheriff’s conclusion that he didn’t think this guy was cavity searched doesn’t seem that outlandish. Hey, it’s video. Back to the topic though (despite that delightful detour down the Colon Road).
The topic of what happened will be decided in the hands of the Sheriff’s Office internal affairs and administration and eventually civil court so I’ll leave that there. But the irony of “demanding” people resign and or be fired without due process is worthy of a silver medal in this special-needs Olympiad because these are often literally the first to demand “due process” when it’s not the cops on trial.
Why the different sets of standards? I get that coppers are held to a higher one, but when that “higher” standard becomes a “double” standard, how do you expect either side to play the game with different rules (or at least rules of convenience)?
Direct your anger here. Not towards why the same guy was in jail for violent felonies three hours later (which really has nothing to do with the accusations), or what led him to a life that involves cramming drugs into your butt cheeks in the first place. Don’t march on the sidewalk as preachers and ministers about how one in five children in this country experience chronic hunger.
March because a convicted felon wrestled with deputies and didn’t have the sense to NOT reach for the baggie of drugs down the back of his pants. Because, “Justice.” Demand people resign or be fired without evidence between demanding people be released from prison who are there because of evidence.
Let’s compromise perhaps, and after you are finished giving into your emotions, let me know what the next steps you’ll be taking in the life of Mr. John Doe there are. Because surely this isn’t “it” is it? Job training? Drug rehab? Parenting classes? Getting him something other than possibly the worst defense lawyer in three states? Surprise us by not being one-trick ponies “of God”.
Otherwise, you look like priority-lacking profiteers. But what do I know?
I use pants pockets instead of “prison wallets” for storage, but at least I’m not claiming to be an expert.
When officer Alexander D. Teach is not patrolling our fair city on the heels of the criminal element, he spends his spare time volunteering for the Boehm Birth Defects Center.