TheAgitator.com
Police Union Intimidating Derrick Foster’s Supporters
Monday, June 2nd, 2008Derrick Foster is the man who recently shot and wounded two Columbus, Ohio police officers conducting a drug raid on a house where Foster was shooting dice. There were no drug charges as a result of the raid. In fact, the only charges to come out of the raid are those against Foster and another man, both of whom say they mistook the raiding officers for armed robbers. Foster is a code inspector for the city of Columbus, Ohio who received glowing reviews from his supervisors, a former Ohio State football player, and a father of two. He had no prior criminal record.
As Foster’s initial court appearance, his attorney introduced several letters attesting to his character from Ohio State athletes, local businessmen, and local educators. Many called him a role model.
That apparently has disrupted the police narrative that Foster is a dangerous cop-killer.
The Fraternal Order of Police passed on many of the supporters’ letters to its 4,100 members and encouraged them to express their displeasure or boycott their businesses.
"I still believe he’s a threat to society. The minute you put your thoughts on a letterhead, you open yourself and your business up to criticism," said Jim Gilbert, president of Capital City Lodge No. 9.
"We’re asking our officers and the public to stand up between the citizens and the violence they put against our officers."
Weiner said the union is off base. "This is witness intimidation. I might be calling some of these people as character witnesses for the defense," he said recently.
The first two union targets were Michael McGuire, the owner of a Budget car-rental location and a lifelong friend of Foster’s; and Pickerington Central High School Principal Scott Reeves, who met Foster at OSU in the mid-1980s. McGuire said he felt threatened when one officer called him and the union sent him an e-mail after he wrote that Foster "is a tremendous role model to his children and other teens in the community."
Wonder how the union feels about the violence Columbus police use against nonviolent citizens in these raids?
The high school principal was reprimanded by his boss, the school superintendent. The police union says it also plans to send a cadre of officers to the school’s next school board meeting, again to register their displeasure for the principal’s support of Foster. The superintendent may have a point in that the principal shouldn’t have used official letterhead in his note of support for Foster. But then, I wonder how many of these police officers have acted in their official capacity in their efforts to intimidate Foster’s supporters. I’d presume the answer is "all," given that if they hadn’t, the recipients of their emails and phone calls wouldn’t have known they were cops. How many will show up at the school board meeting in uniform?
So in sum: The Columbus police waged a hasty drug raid (the third that night for the same SWAT team) on a house where no significant amount of drugs were found. In the process, a man with no prior criminal record and who worked for the city understandably mistook them for armed robbers, and fired his legally-registered gun in self-defense. The authorities are now charging that man with attempted murder, and any of his friends or acquaintances who dare vouch for his character and judgment (both of which are pretty important to establishing his guilt or innocence) can expect intimidating phone calls, emails, and visits from the police, as well as police efforts to interfere with their careers and livelihood.
Foster’s attorney is right. This is blatant witness intimidation. Ohio’s attorney general needs to rein the police union in.
We continue to get these cases where someone with no prior criminal record fires on a team of raiding police officers. And every time, we’re supposed to believe that said person knew the armed men breaking in were cops, and that for whatever reason, each time this person who had shown no prior indication of criminality suddenly turned into a deranged cop killer.
Hardly seems likely, does it? Isn’t the more rational explanation here that these raids are dangerously volatile, confusing, and violent, and put the people on the receiving end of them in understandable fear for their lives?
I think that it is entirely appropriate behaviour for police officers who want to intimidate witnesses, prevent any examination of their violent actions and who wish to suppress dissent of any kind. I also think it quite right that they show up in large numbers in uniform to ensure that only their views are heard and that people expressing alternate views are fired or intimidated into silence.
The only thing I would ask of them is that they wear their full dress uniform, because black and silver with lightning bolt collar patches does send the message that they want heard.
Who is the current AG in Ohio? I thought the Dann-imal just resigned.
What’s the difference between city government and the mob, again? I keep forgetting.
I keep trying to ‘hate the policies, not the police’, but today that’s not working out…
I am guessing that with the current AG situation the last thing they are going to want to do is show support of a “cop shooter” in any way.
Pickerington Central is where my children will go to high school, though not for many years. I hope the principal does not lose his job over this. Perhaps I should send him a letter of support.
In fact, I would like to know the list and contact info for all the businesses that wrote letters of support. I would like to show them my support.
Gee, and I feel intimidated when the cops and firefighters call up my house to try to raise money for whatever pet cause they have. At least with these tactics, there’s a hope that people will see through the cops for what they are: bullies.
They’re basically telling everyone else ‘Whatever you think is wrong. We say this guy is a worthless cop killer, and if you argue with us, we’ll threaten you. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve known him, or what he’s done before. The only thing that matters is that we say he’s a bad guy.’
Regarding Ohio’s Attorney General, yes, Marc Dann resigned. The Governor just appointed the Dean of Ohio State University’s Law School as the interim AG (until this November’s elections). Her name is Nancy Hardin Rogers.
I’m also in the Pickerington School District, though my kids went/are going to Pickerington North. Probably in addition to writing a letter of support for the principal we should show up at the board meeting.
Why are so many people (as quoted in the Dispatch article anyway) required to say the Mr. Foster did a bad thing? I wouldn’t advocate shooting cops at all, that not what I’m saying. Rather, if he really is the upstanding citizen he is, then it makes a lot of sense that he’d confront armed intruders and defend his friends. It’s not his fault the armed intruders were cops, it is the cops’ fault.
As sovereign citizens of a (purportedly) free country we should not have to expect armed invasions of our homes and property by our (purportedly) public servants, whether intentional or accidental.
“boycott their businesses”? Really? Like not having to give cops a discount on everything is a threat…
“Isn’t the more rational explanation here that these raids are dangerously volatile, confusing, and violent, and put the people on the receiving end of them in understandable fear for their lives?”
You forgot one important thing, Radley. They’re also totally, utterly wrong.
If they had seved a warrant normally, with a calm, controlled, professional serving, we could be here discussing the need for such warrants and the silliniess of it all.
However, since our local police forces have determined, not through experience or need, but rather through popular media, movies, and the macho desire to be heroes, that military style raids, kick-butt attitudes, and a complete and utter disdain for the very people they serve should be the norm, that we’ll just talk about how many lives are destroyed to utter and complete idiocy coupled with the new U.S. fascism.
Even some mainstream media outlets are starting to notice. Check out this Radar article if you’re ready to cringe.
I just sent Mr. Gilbert an e-mail linking to this story. I told him to be sure and read the comments.
Who knows, maybe he’ll join our discussion.
The police union is part of the problem. They’re job, just like any union, is to keep people on the job regardless of if they’re qualified or capable. When you see video of some a-hole cop tazing a kid who’s having a seizure and you wonder how they have a job the next day, thank the police union.
doh, “their job” not “they’re job”.
As far as using school letterhead, I wonder if anyone at the school board meeting will call out the officers who show up in uniform. Isn’t that basically the same thing.
I’m really begining to hate cops. I know, I know, there are the “good ones”. I say bullshit on that. The “good ones” do that “thin blue line” bullshit and cover for the “bad ones”, thereby making the “good ones” bad too in my book. So in the end there are no good cops, just bad ones and worse than bad ones–i.e. criminals with badges.
Same goes for prosecutors and judges. Instead of doing the right thing they all too often close ranks, obfuscate and fall back on blanket immunity and then go along their merry way while lives are left in shambles. It sickens me.
Good luck Greg, I hope you can do some good there. I’d join ya’, but living in California my support wouldn’t mean much.
I hope this story is getting a lot of play in the local area. Since the PBA depends on business contributions I wonder what will do the most damage, businesses boycotting PBA or cops boycotting businesses? It would be nice if one of their scumbag solicitors calls me begging for money soon. This will be even more fun than last year.
That’s but I wonder what their angle is here. Taking measures to ensure the punishment of a “criminal” seem outside of the normal purview of a union. Of course, police unions generally want to straddle the line between negotiating with the department, and being the department.
They don’t want to be the department, just run it to their benefit. It’s not an exclusively American problem, either: the Toronto Police Service has an aggressive union which pretty much figures that officers should get medals and money and promotions and endless praise, no matter what the heck they do wrong.
It’s not clear that the alternative is any better, though. Canada’s vaunted RCMP is going through a nightmare period now, in part because it doesn’t have an effective union. An incompetent, perhaps corrupt and certainly stupid, sneering frat-boy-like, dinosaurish and vicious bully management culture has taken hold over the senior command levels and come close to ruining what was once one of the best police forces in the world. A union would have done sterling service fighting and publicizing the considerable damage being done to the field officers and the work of the force in general.
http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20070426_092208_9056&source=srch
http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20071114_10512_10512
The State - Organized Criminal Syndicate
The Police - The State’s Enforcers
Is this really an different than a member of the Mafia or gangbangers approaching witnesses and “advising” them of what’s in the best interest for their well-being?
If they are wearing their uniforms while they are attempting that intimidation, are they doing so while off-duty?
Or are these actions, such as the emailing and ‘visitations’ occurring during normal duty hours, using resources (fuel, vehicles, computers, etc.) provided through taxpayer-supplied funds, in order to accomplish this?
If the latter, it would be interesting to know how many man-hours (presumably spent while in uniform) their efforts at intimidation are costing the taxpayers. I’m sure the local citizens would very much like to know…
I wouldn’t consider the police = The Mafia. They’re better armed and more ruthless than The Mafia. They’re more like an occupying army. There is very little difference between an Army and Law enforcement these days. They’ve adopted a militaristic mindset, they wear militaristic uniforms or simply off the shelf military fatigues, they use military tactics and they’re awash in military equipment from grenades and tanks to aircraft. They’re also beginning to be hated just like an occupying army. Not just from the longhairs and those with an aversion to tyranny but from average citizen. Some of the most venomous cop haters I know are elderly ladies who have had encounters with the police. White, church going little old ladies from very small towns and rural areas who have nothing but contempt for cops now.
I got some interesting results Googling Columbus Ohio police union FOP and other things. I am not from this area ( my wife and her family are) and only moved recently. Cops involved in hit and runs with kids, a lot of racial stuff, a lot of people not too happy with Columbus police and FOP over racial and other stuff, and so on. Not surprising of course.
My wife knew nothing about this case at all, and I got nowhere with the discussion. She is a “liberal” but buys the state line, I guess. I just asked if she was familiar with any of these people, specifically the principal. I carefully explained the story. She knows I am a “libertarian” but really doesn’t know my interest in The Drug War, SWAT tactics. I told the story without giving my outraged opinion. Her only response was ” Oh, what was he doing in a place with people who were ready to draw guns..blah blah blah.”
Oh well.
FWIW, I don’t have much economic power, and I have a reason to fear police intimidation. The police were recently in my house and I had to deal with them for a situation where WE ( my family) were the victims. Of course, though we did nothing wrong the police and social services may have “reasons” to “followup” in intrusive ways.
In other words, there isn’t much I can do ( I guess the next time I rent a car I could see that guy at Budget instead of Enterprise) in my situation, but I sure would like to.
#22,
Excessive “Police Overtime” has been a story in the local media. It would be interesting to know if they are being paid for their intimidation trips.
Remember when “V for Vendetta” was an entertaining little “what if” movie?
crazy crazy days
I can assure you that the Columbus media is paying as little attention to this as possible. If more people knew that a former OSU football player was being railroaded like this there would be a lot more outrage.
If the Columbus FOP wants to make condemnations they should condemn the policies and procedures that put their colleagues in harm’s way. They should condemn the ranking officers, prosecutors, politicians and paternalistic interest groups that continue to cheer on this so-called war on (some) drugs. They should condemn citizens who believe it is the state’s job to raise their children and to protect the little buggers from every conceiveable harm life throws at them. I do not believe they should condemn Foster or intimidate his supporters. Based on available information, it doesn’t look like Foster is a criminal. What would these officers do if someone came crashing through their door without warning? If they are responsible and competent officers, they would reach for their sidearms and defend themselves and their loved ones! Message to Columbus FOP: End the no-knock raids, end the drug war, and life will be safer for all of us.
Well, increasingly our legal system is becoming unjust itself and we’re all becomeing criminals. You’re probably breaking laws right now you’re unaware of. As Ayn Rand said:
There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. When there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.
I agree that Foster seems like a good man, but being good and causing no unjustified harm doesn’t mean much anymore as he’s not one of the ‘more-equal’ classes of people. If he were a more-equal person, like a cop, he could cause great harm and still be innocent.
They would kill whomever came through if they could, and be hailed heroes. They should of course, as American citizens. They just shouldn’t be more equal than the rest of us.
Remember when “V for Vendetta” was an entertaining little “what if” movie?
crazy crazy days
It was an entertaining little graphic novel back in the 80’s. If you ever wonder at the Bush Administration’s tactics you only need to go back to the Nixon administration. Many of the them, (Cheney, Rumsfeld, etc) cut their teeth during those heady days. They learned their lessons well from Nixon’s fall, and if you pay close attention to their bios you’ll notice a lot of the worst ones (in the current crop) all should have “former Nixon staffer” (or mentored by former Nixon staffers) in their history.
A lot of the same players (in various different capacities) show up in Iran-Contra, and it played out much better for them that time. Go read Cheney’s Minority report on Iran contra. Addington shows up there. The ideas aren’t new. The execution was just better this time. They’ve been telegraphing their playbook for years, but people like to lie to themselves and pretend Cheney et. al weren’t saying exactly what they were saying.
Damn… screwed up the quote tags.
yeah, you’re right, dantes. it’s all the eeeeevil republicans’ fault. help me out, though: i’m getting old. i seem to be unable to remember all the great freedom-loving initiatives put forth by the noble democrats carter and clinton.
you know: the ones where they decriminalized drugs; lowered taxes; reduced the power and scope of the federal government; dismantled the surveillance and tracking powers of the almighty state and ordered that it stop considering american citizens as the enemy; conducted the abolition of the IRS….
what? what’s that you say? “none of that happened but it’s still all that bastard nixon’s fault”? “and reagan too!”??
your masters - either the all-powerful godlike figure known as “teacher” back in school or the MSM - have really got you dancing to their tune, don’t they, little puppet. bonehead.
I am outraged at what I am reading. First of all this unit was not SWAT it was a unit called INTAC. Second of all the did not do movie still kicking in doors. They knocked announced who they were gave ample time for someone to open the door and instead of answering the door he started shooting. What I dont get is why this man with a gun and was illegally gambling is getting all the attention, how about the Police Officer who almost DIED! I think what upsets me the most is how some people put the cops down again and again however when you need them and they aren’t there you will be the first person to BITCH. I just wonder if everyone would be talking and glorifying this criminal if the Police Officer had actually died?
It takes a lot of courage to put a uniform on and go out into a public who doesn’t appreciate what you do. Drugs were found by the way….just so that gets cleared up. I do believe that these police should show up to the board meeting to represent these two men who were shot. I would not want my child to go to a school were the principal protects the actions of a man like Foster. This man shot through a closed door….what if it had been a child on the other side? Would we be so quick to blame the cops then? If I were a police officer I would be extremely upset that the values my school was teaching my children, that it is ok to shoot cops as long as they dont die. Then I am sure it will come out that he was only arrested because of the color of his skin. Police spend everyday of their lives making it a better place for us to live and yet you spit on them every chance you get. I am proud that they are stading up for their fellow officers and I hope Principal Reeves loses his job over this, this was totally unproffesional and completely inappropiate. One more thing everybody keeps vouching for Fosters character…based on the man he was 20 years ago, are still the same person you were 20 years ago?
I have known D. Foster since 7th grade and he has always represented himself as a stand up gentleman and a productive citezen. There has got to be someone out there w/ the capabilities to organize average citizens to fight against police-bullying. When I say ‘average citizens’ I mean the ones who wreck their brains and break their backs to live a productive life and work diligently to avoid destructive confrontations.
I have heard of a few secret groups out there that are starting to form unions to protect themselves from the police-occupations that, I’m sure, most of see on a routine basis. Perhaps more of these secret groups need to form. If we learn the lessons of the past these groups will thrive under a satelite format just as the body of police forces have grown since the days of Key Stone Cops. Know your history; communicate it; and know that if YOU do nothing to address such police brutality - you, in fact, support it. Form alliances with Attornies; Police Officers; Politicians; Rational Historians that fall under (what I call) American Slave Descents. These people include: Blacks, Colored People, Negroes, Niggas, Afro-Americans, and some African-Americans.
We are for the first time in this country are on OFFENSE. We MUST adapt to this new position and address these matters that threaten our efforts to acquire our rights of power in this on going decorum war we call ‘Living in America’.
[...] Foster had no prior criminal record, and in fact had an exemplary employment record as a code inspector for the city of Columbus. He also had a legal permit for the gun he used, and has said he tought the place was being robbed. The raid was the third raid of the night for that particular Columbus SWAT team. And when many of Foster’s friend and acquaintances wrote letters to the judge vouching for his character to say he wasn’t the kind of person who’d knowingly shoot at a police officer, the police union initiated an intimidation campaign against them. [...]