TheAgitator.com
More Professionalism
Sunday, February 6th, 2011A reader sends a link to this National Rifle Association profile of Jeff Overcash, who is listed as an NRA “curriculum developer” and certified law enforcement instructor.
Jeff is a 10 year law enforcement veteran who has honorably served with both the Charleston, SC and Ft. Lauderdale, FL Police Departments. While with the City of Charleston, Jeff served as a Field Training Officer, Narcotics Investigator, and SWAT Officer. After relocating to South Florida, Jeff served with the City of Ft. Lauderdale Police Department where he was assigned to the Patrol Division as well as their SWAT Team.
If you read this site regularly, Overcash’s name may ring a bell. Last year, he resigned from the Ft. Lauderdale police department after a a cell phone video showed he illegally arrested Brennan Hamilton shortly after Hamilton asked for Overcash’s badge number. The two had gotten into an argument after Overcash reprimanded Hamilton for leaning on his squad car, after which Hamilton rolled his eyes at Overcash. Overcash then falsely claimed in his police report that Hamilton was intoxicated and had resisted arrest.
This isn’t just a case of a cop losing his temper over a guy leaning on his car. His bad judgment carried over into an illegal arrest. He then filled out, signed, and filed a falsified a police report to cover up his other mistakes. Were it not for the video, Overcash’s report could very well have resulted in a man getting convicted and sentenced for crimes he didn’t commit. Now I suppose it’s possible that the only time Overcash abused his authority and lied in a police report was this one time where there was also video evidence available to contradict him. But it seems unlikely.
Gun training includes instruction on when it’s proper to use lethal force. If I were a member of the NRA, I’d wonder why my dues are paying for this guy to give that sort of instruction to other cops. Given the circumstances of his resignation, I’d also wonder why the NRA would describe Overcash’s service as “honorable.”
“I’d also wonder why the NRA would describe Overcash’s service as “honorable.” ”
You have to remember that they’re judging by LaPierre standards, by which lying sacks of shit can make the cut.
Very good reason to follow your logic and join GOA. I left the NRA when they endorced ‘Dirty Harry’. The NRA is starting to look like the AARP. PS Don’t forget about Nashville Byline.
I’m an NRA member, and though I don’t agree with all of their actions, I’m proud to support them. Having said that, I’ve just emailed them regarding this association with Overcash.
It might be worth nothing, but if more members did the same we might see something change here. Having him on the NRA’s staff is very disappointing.
Except for the GOA is against issuing concealed carry licenses to resident aliens, because that’s one step closer to giving them to illegal aliens.
I’ve always been uncomfortable with NRA’s entirely-too-cozy relationship with police. I don’t like their LEO-only matches, for instance. I haven’t been a member for about 10 years, now. If I had the jack, I might get a Life Membership just so that I could vote for board members who might throw the cops out. The NRA should be for private citizens only.
I concur on LaPierre. He is the Country Club Republican of the gun culture. Oh how I miss Neil Knox!
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I’m an NRA lifetime member. Civil policing being critical to the functioning of the Republic: people like this should have no role in the organization. Calling and complaining Monday morning.
JPFO! (Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership) They’re really serious about defending the Second Amendment. :)
I’ve often wondered how the NRA can be so close to Law Enforcement. law Enforcement isn’t 2nd amendment friendly. If the fraternal order of police advocated suspending gun ownership, I have a feeling that NRA would be on board.
After the DISCLOSE act insanity, I lost any interest I had in joining/supporting the NRA.
Yeah, and it’s also possible that corrupt thin-skinned self-centered abusive cops like him are the exception..
But it seems unlikely.
Clark -”Except for the GOA is against issuing concealed carry licenses to resident aliens”
Pratt was misquoted and later made it perfectly clear that he was not against issuing concealed carry licenses to resident aliens.
In the gun owning community they just throw the world honorable around for anyone who’s signed their life away to be a gun hand for the government or state, because supposedly there is some near insurmountable tide of murder crime and terrorism out there that is only just being kept from our door steps by these brave noble guys with guns. It’s weird how so many gun guys are militia anti-government don’t-tread-on-me types and yet I don’t think there’s any other community that’s as pro-authority and worships anyone who carries a gun for their job as they do.
The NRA stands a lot more strongly for mindless worship of anything wrapped in a uniform than freedom of any kind.
Perhaqr’s right. JPFO’s a real pro-freedom group.
Barnes, what is a state-sucking weenie like you who obviously loves the taste of the cop smegma doing commenting on this blog? You’re trolling us, right?
Um, did you actually READ Barnes’s comment, Justthisguy? If so, try again.
Might wanna improve on your reading comprehension there.
The greatest threat to gun rights is the existence of the police.
Only in America is authoritarianism successfully marketed as dissidence. The NRA is at the forefront of that effort.
“Oh how I miss Neil Knox!”
Word.
The National Republican, excuse me, “Rifle” Association never saw a jackboot it wouldn’t lick. That’s part of the reason I stopped supporting them shortly after Bush II was elected.
The NRA is about what’s good for the NRA, not what’s good for gun owners or freedom. If they feel they have to compromise or cozy up to authority to keep their nice building and their nice jobs and their nice car service, then that is what they will do.
The fact that law enforcement buys a lot of guns couldn’t -possibly- be the reason the NRA wouldn’t want to ever openly criticize and potentially alienate them!
For all that they go on about being built around the second amendment, the NRA is controlled by people who care more about gun-related profits and business, and not any sort of lofty idealism.
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I’m all for Law Enforcement. False arrest and false charges aren’t Law Enforcement: they are criminal acts. They should disqualify Overcash from even holding a commission. He should be off the NRA staff shortly. They will listen when yelled at by their life members.
good comments here about what the NRA really is. I disassociated myself from the NRA long ago. I belong to a local gun club so I can use their outdoor range. My renewal app always asks if I’m an NRA member. I need to go to a meeting sometimes and ask why that is. There is somehow this belief that anyone who owns a gun should be a member of the NRA. I can’t stand Wayne Lapierre and I got tired of getting 3 or 4 mailings PER WEEK begging for money.
The NRA is a victim of Jerry Pournelle’s “Iron Law of Bureaucracy”. Same is true of most of the law enforcement apparatus at this point, including courts and surrounding organizations. Any meaningful solution is difficult to figure and both tricky and dangerous to apply.
Justthisguy: I think ya screwed the pooch on that one. You might want to carefully re-read Barnes’ comment, and consider a retraction.
Justthisguy
So by your standards, as a LEO I shouldn’t be considered a private citizen and should be barred from being a member of the NRA?
[...] Enforcement training division resigned from his position with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department after being caught making an unlawful arrest, then covering up the evidence: This isn’t just a case of a cop losing his temper over a guy leaning on his car. His bad [...]
Notice how all those reflexively authoritarian NRA members, in this comment thread and in trackbacks, seem to agree unanimously that this guy is garbage and should be gotten rid of.
God, I hate those rightwingers. They’re all the same.
I got message systems but the emails I sent bounced back. I sent them to their exact addresses.
Guess its back to the phones tomorrow.
I’m all for Law Enforcement.
Most laws have no business being enforced. Law enforcement is largely a criminal enterprise.
Be glad the police action didn’t happen in Illinois. Here, if we record a LEO in the course of his official duties it’s a felony. I guess we’d be violating his right to privacy while he makes another illegal arrest. As for the NRA, I reluctantl pay my dues as membership is required at the only range in the area, but the “extras” they ask for every week go to other organizations, and I tell the NRA why. I don’t really think they care, but I get it off my chest.
Charlie-O, I’ve heard that when this issue is brought up in most clubs, rather than go thru a revolt of a significant percentage of members, the club can be persuaded to broaden the “join” requirement to include the GOA, JFPO, 2AF and maybe even some others.
My guess is that the clubs got sucked in by the NRA’s schmooze on being an “official club”, etc ad nauseam, but if the experience I had with another type of club (yacht club) is universal, the USC 501 language governs such associations and the resulting tax-exempt categories therefrom, so association with any 501 corporation of the correct classification would be OK for a local gun club. If the NRA said otherwise, they probably lied.
Barnes, I humbly beg your pardon. I think I was looking at one post and commenting on another, yours. I plead guilty with an explanation, that I was suffering from the Budweiser Effect.
It happens.