Saturday Morning Links

Saturday, November 1st, 2008
  • Mississippi death investigation system moves slowly, kicking and screaming, into the 1980s.
  • Cop tasers undercover alcohol control agent he mistook for a robber. Should be interesting to see whose side of this story comes out on top.
  • McCain campaign flack Michael Goldfarb gets flummoxed.
  • More bad Halloween costumes (link NSFW–or good taste).
  • Noted without comment.
  • The dog ate it.
  • So this is the kind of thing it’s helpful to keep in mind when some politician tells you why we need to track more things in government databases. Like health care records.
  • Finally…


    In The Know: Has Halloween Become Overcommercialized?

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  • 15 Responses to “Saturday Morning Links”

    1. #1 |  Cynical In CA | 

      “Cop tasers undercover alcohol control agent he mistook for a robber. Should be interesting to see whose side of this story comes out on top.”

      Heads, the State wins.

      Tails, the State wins.

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    2. #2 |  Jet | 

      On a related not to “noted without comment”. here locally, we had a police officer disciplined for extorting coffee from Starbucks. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25731525/

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    3. #3 |  anonymous | 

      >So this is the kind of thing it’s helpful to keep in mind
      > when some politician tells you why we need to track
      > more things in government databases. Like health care records.

      But at least the chilling effect and intimidation of such heavy-handedness is not a violation of Joe the Plumber’s first amendment rights, nor anyone else considering confronting a candidate for political office.

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    4. #4 |  Bernard | 

      The guy in the McCain video didn’t look remotely flummoxed. I presume he’s referring to the preacher guy but doesn’t want to be seen to be dragging that one up again by naming him directly. It’s pretty clear that he thinks he’s made his point.

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    5. #5 |  Hamburgler007 | 

      At least the cop didn’t shoot the undercover agent.

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    6. #6 |  Bob | 

      So… Either the agent was actually HOLDING UP THE STORE at gunpoint, or the cop was lying through his teeth to make his use of aggressive tactics look better.

      I’m going with lying through his teeth.

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    7. #7 |  Mike H | 

      This is getting spooky.

      Radley posted the Palin / First Amendment link just as Bravo was airing a Law & Order episode dealing with a racist’s murder trial and the line between criminal incitement and free speech.

      Then he posts this Florida liquor store link just as Bravo was showing the next episode, in which an undercover cop / agent provocateur was shot by a security guard…

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    8. #8 |  Bob Weber | 

      Since when do undercover Alcohol Control officials induce store clerks to sell alcohol to minors, and then pull a gun on them for yielding to the inducement? Is this S.O.P.? WTF? Welcome to the New Order!

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    9. #9 |  pierre | 

      well, regardless of what is the truth, at least a cop got a taste of what they do to regular people everyday.

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    10. #10 |  pierre | 

      jeez you post one fascist cops address and all of the sudden your posts are moderated :)

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    11. #11 |  gswift | 

      and then pull a gun on them for yielding to the inducement?

      I doubt it. Likely the state agent had a gun in the holster, and the customer saw the outline of it through the agent’s clothes, or maybe caught a peek at it when the state agent was walking into the store or something.

      Assuming the article is correct, the state agent should have followed the verbal commands of the deputy. Any cop should know that if you’re the one in plainclothes, you follow the orders of the guy in uniform. In any kind of mix up like this, it’ll get sorted out quick, and with no one hurt if you just get on the ground and get cuffed. Ignoring the uniformed officer’s commands when he thinks he’s responding to a robbery at gunpoint is an excellent way to get shot.

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    12. #12 |  Andrew Williams | 

      Goldfarb got PWNED.

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    13. #13 |  markm | 

      gswift: According to the news article, “The mixup on Tuesday started when a customer saw the clerk’s arms raised and saw McQueen with a gun, and thought the store was being robbed.”

      That sure raises more questions than it answers. Did the customer just see the holster print, and the clerk raised his arm for no particular reason? Was McQueen trying to arrest the clerk on the spot? Or does McQueen’s idea of how to induce the clerk to sell a beer include brandishing a gun?

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    14. #14 |  Libertarian Mac | 

      Store clerks dont have badges in the first place. Entrapping them to break the law is just WRONG.

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    15. #15 |  gswift | 

      This article has more details.

      http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008810300341

      Looks like the state agents had retrieved a gun that was on the store premises, and the agent that was tased was also visibly armed. His partner followed commands and got on the ground. He went outside and didn’t follow orders. Maybe he’s a little wiser now.

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