Houston woman sues after being arrested for allowing her kids to play outside.

Mom sues police over arrest.

LA PORTE, Texas - A stay-at-home mom from La Porte has filed a lawsuit against the city's police department, an unknown officer and one of her neighbors.

Tammy Cooper said she was wrongly accused of endangering her children and was even forced to spend the night in jail, all because she let her kids play outside.

She said her children, ages 9 and 6, were riding their motorized scooters in the cul-de-sac where they live while she watched from a lawn chair in her front yard just a few feet away.

So a neighbor sees the kids but doenst see the mom. Instead of maybe walking a few steps over to see if the mom was around, the stooly calls the cops.

And what do your local jack booted thugs ("JBT") do, arrest the mom. Just like that. From whats being presented here, he didnt ask any questions, nothing. Just accepted the neighbor's word as fact.

Would it really have been that difficult for the JBT to say, "ma'am we got a call with regards to your children playing unsupervised."

First of all, since when does a parent have to watch over their kids playing outside? Depending on their age, it may not be a bad idea but all kids play outside their houses without direct parental supervision.

The hell is wrong with these cops?

It would be great if she wins her law suit and could bankrupt the cop personally.

gladtobehere
From whats being presented here...

The arrest actually happened in July 2011. The story about the lawsuit is the one that is from 2012.

A facebook page exists: link

I know this because I did a google search.

Thats harsh, but may have saved some ones life by the cops not being there to shoot them.

On a more serious note: People have been making stupid phone calls to the police since the telephone was invented. Unfortunately potentially serious cases must be investigated as per the guidelines for dealing with certain types of crimes.

Whats clearly not a problem for us to see now with the evidence, may not have been at the time, like you say, simply not seeing the parent was near by.

reply to post by gladtobehere


Regardless on how old this story is, it's the first time I've heard it and doesn't change the fact that it's insane. I remember back in the late 80's as a kid around that age, I had a dirt bike. It was a little 50cc thing, geared down so it wouldn't go past 20mph. Never in a million years did anyone in the neighborhood complain. Several other kids also had gasoline driven bikes ranging from mini dirt bikes to those build at home style things. One kid even had a little lawn mower powered go-kart.

I just can't believe the stupidity of people today. "Oh no they're driving scary bikes with an engine! Let's call the cops!", but hey, even before they can buy alcohol they don't have a problem with these kids being sent off to war.

reply to post by gladtobehere

I'll star your post and flag it after I get a wet towel for the spluge on my keyboard. Also time to start that replacement drawer for my 90 year old tool chest, and sign off for a couple days again.

Here's your warning. Keep your kids inside when they're not on the bus going to and from the preparatory hive-- and be sure the batteries in the chip monitor are fresh. You wouldn't want to go a long term indoctrination for electronic negligence... And if they break the perimeter like Bobby Duvall be sure to have tape in the printer so you've got a record of the excess oxygen charge they're running up on your account... Tex.

Jesus saves at First Federal O'Fallon, this country's growing a profile more nutball than the Fisher plant on April FOol's. Are my kids disturbing your chemically induced peace and quiet with some young energy? Tell me before you tell the cops.

Stoolbot. Move to Minsk, I hear it's real quiet up there after they hose off the morning blood from the disobedient few lemmings. I hope to God the neighbor hasn't repro'ed, ... promise me. I'm just grateful from stories like this I haven't.

Geez, my poor parents and even myself should be in prison!
I would be gone from sun up to sun down in the summer time, traveling a mile or 3 through fields, woods, and riding my bike down the hill in the middle of the road.

And bad mom that I am, I let my sons do the same growing up.
I really wonder how we all managed to survive?

When reading stories like this I used to take a hostile position toward nosy busy-bodies. In some ways I still do but I'm now adding the qualifier of "timid."

It's one thing to be a nosy busy-body and take it upon yourself to investigate. It is quite another to be a nosy busy-body and bring in the police to do what you are too much of a pussy to do for yourself.

Calling the cops is like firing a gun. You can't take it back and once done something is going to be destroyed.

reply to post by Biigs


interesting you should say that,they could have freed some time up to catch some teenagers smoking weed,you know like the serious crimes that need addressing........sorry couldnt help myself....on a serious note that is a bit harsh and i hope she wins the lawsuit...

Well, this is just what I'd expect spiffy college boys in uniforms to do. Enforce the laws, to the letter because the paper says so and well... "If one exception was made...we'd have to.." and on the ignorant logic goes. What a sight when book logic replaces life experience ...and 4 years of college is required for many departments (2 min. on most) rather than looking at someone able to handle themselves with confidence...and judgement.

No judgement at all... Then again, I'm sure the cop will get off with this because he'll have followed procedure and policy 100%, precisely to the letter. Which probably said, when in doubt? Book her.

Remember when cops had or used discretion? Oh.. the old days... lol

reply to post by alfa1

If there is an update or outcome, I'd like to include it.

We all can type "back in the day, I did this & this", and it's true.

The bigger, more frightening thing here is being FORCED to choose between morally right & illegal.

Huh?

We have been seeing this nonsense for YEARS from cops, judges, and DA's, and we've let it slide.

And we've been told by AJ & others "Don't start a war with them, that's what THEY want, to start another civil war, revolution, whatever, so that they can put the other boot down." I don't think however, what ANYBODY saw at the time, is that the FRONT LINE would be moving forward TOWARD us.

They're not gonna be content with "peaceful protest" or voting, or any of that other garbage. They're just gonna push & push & push until you're either dead or in a cattle car, I really believe that.

Arresting a woman for letting her kids play outside is child endangerment?! Are you #ing kidding me?!

"We have every confidence in the arresting officer..." Seriously?

Someone tell me that I haven't had enough coffee this morning, that it's all in my head.

Someone tell me that I'm seeing things that aren't there, someone explain this to me in SOME form of logical, rational, or intellectual matter, so that this makes sense, b/c the way I see it is damn scary.

In all my years of reading alt newswebs, I've never seen such vitriol about my country, and the discontent concerning govt & authority figures. Someone tell me I am wrong.


eta: thanks for this op, SNF. I didn't see this original story.


edit:2 Here's a link from psychology today stating what the mother did was a GOOD thing. (As if we needed to be told that "from a professional"
Kids need to play outside

I grew up in the day where you could play outside and really not have to worry. I have a twin brother so we were always together w/ friends and without. We played in the woods ALL day long. You know, building forts, ice skating, ect...

When I had my children ( they're almost grown now) I also let them play outside. I have 2 girls really close in age. I figured if I couldn't have twins I wanted my children close in age to benefit like me and my twin did. They could watch after each other.

We were living in NC when I got my first visit from CPS ( child protective services) because a neighbor had complained about my girls... ( this is no lie!!) roller-skating around the block w/ black children. This was around 2000-2001 so it's not like it was back in the 60's -70's... Not only was I shocked and appalled so was the woman from CPS. By law she came to our home, we had coffee, we talked, we laughed, we were disgusted and she closed the case.

My 2nd interaction was in Richmond Va. I had no Health Ins and I did not have welfare. I didn't believe in it. I took my girls to the local Health Dept. for physicals for school. The youngest went first... She was around 8 years old. My oldest ( 10 yrs) and I were in the room w/ her and the Dr. and we read a book and watched as the youngest was getting her physical done. When it was my oldest turn to get her physical done my youngest would not sit there being quiet and polite while the Dr. worked. I warned her " enough " 2 x's. She didnt want to listen so it was time to have a " come" to Jesus meeting.

My girls both had long hair and wore pony-tails. Not only was it s'cute, it made for a great attention getter. I took little Miss " I don't want to listen " by the ponytail and directed her down the hall into the bathroom for a talk. Her feet never left the ground... I didn't whack her from side to side against the hallway wall... She wasn't crying and no blood was spilled. We got into the bathroom, I got down on her level and talked w/ her. I pointed out that it wasn't nice to do that to Jamie or the Dr. because it was important the Dr. could concentrate on her sister so they could go to school and ect ect ect... She got it. We went back to the patient room and she was quiet and acted like a little lady the rest of the exam. Good girl.

3 days later I came home from work and there's a card from CPS in my door. I could not imagine what the hell was going on. I called and we agreed she would come the next day. What she told me floored me. Someone at the Health dept. called CPS because of the way I had corrected my daughters behavior and they had a problem w/ it. ( Using her ponytail as an attention grabber, rudder ) I told the CPS worker exactly what I did and she had noooo problem w/ it. She even talked w/ My youngest and found nothing to be alarmed about. She even thought the way I grabbed my child's bad behavior was fine and smirked about it. ( Far better the. HITTING!!) Again, feet never left the floor, she wasn't whacked from side to side hitting walls, and she did not cry!)

Had I not done anything to correct her behavior the nosey a'hole would have JUDGED me as a parent that doesn't control her unruly children. The CPS worker and I talked about the abuses of her office and how kids that really needed her help were not getting the help they needed because of cases like this, people just being plain vindictive.
I couldn't agree more.

People have no respect for those that do not live or do things exactly the way they do. They judge people harshly especially if they're not in the same $ bracket they are. People have lost the art of respecting others and listening to others. I was sick of years ago and I'm definitely sick of it now.

I agree that there are children out there that need protecting...but there are people out there that need an education in what abuse really is and what respect is!!!

Old story and as yet the lawsuit is unresolved. I think that says something right there and it's not good. I doubt she will win her case. Why? Because totalitarian systems rely on citizen-informers like the nosy twit of a neighbor.
This makes me very sad. To think kids not only can't play outside but must be supervised by a parent? How the heck can they ever grow up if they never enjoy any independence? Oh right, that's the idea isn't it? for shame.
I hate our new emoticons, they do a poor job of conveying my real feelings.

reply to post by gladtobehere

It would be great if she wins her law suit and could bankrupt the cop personally.

Unfortunately, there is a huge problem with all of this (aside from the absurdity and reckless authoritarianism [is there any other kind?]). Any conviction or penalty is ultimately paid for by, you guessed it, the tax payers. If the officer is incarcerated (unlikely), we pay for it. If the suit wins a settlement, we pay for it.

Additionally, any financial penalty is funded by increased taxes which, once paid, do not ever go back down. So, essentially, all misbehavior by police or government resulting in payouts, result in revenue increases for the town.

How about them apples?

greencmp

Unfortunately, there is a huge problem with all of this (aside from the absurdity and reckless authoritarianism [is there any other kind?]). Any conviction or penalty is ultimately paid for by, you guessed it, the tax payers. If the officer is incarcerated (unlikely), we pay for it. If the suit wins a settlement, we pay for it.

Additionally, any financial penalty is funded by increased taxes which, once paid, do not ever go back down. So, essentially, all misbehavior by police or government resulting in payouts, result in revenue increases for the town.

How about them apples?

I'm not seeing why you think this is some huge problem. How else should it be? Police are public employees hired, trained and supervised by other public employees, who in turn are put in that position by US the voting citizens. If we allow our employees to act this way we should be held responsible, shouldn't we?

Isn't that the other half of freedom, responsibility?

reply to post by gladtobehere


Meanwhile I see kids 5 years old taking the metro to school by themselves in the city.

Montana

greencmp

Unfortunately, there is a huge problem with all of this (aside from the absurdity and reckless authoritarianism [is there any other kind?]). Any conviction or penalty is ultimately paid for by, you guessed it, the tax payers. If the officer is incarcerated (unlikely), we pay for it. If the suit wins a settlement, we pay for it.

Additionally, any financial penalty is funded by increased taxes which, once paid, do not ever go back down. So, essentially, all misbehavior by police or government resulting in payouts, result in revenue increases for the town.

How about them apples?

I'm not seeing why you think this is some huge problem. How else should it be? Police are public employees hired, trained and supervised by other public employees, who in turn are put in that position by US the voting citizens. If we allow our employees to act this way we should be held responsible, shouldn't we?

Isn't that the other half of freedom, responsibility?

edit on 9/26/2013 by Montana because: (no reason given)

I'm not sure how you don't see that as a problem except that, I guess, I hadn't elucidated a solution.

I suggest that we gradually reduce and remove most official power and officials, including police officers.

I could go on but, I don't want to hijack this thread completely with something that I am shouting from the rooftops already.

Should also be demanding what the hell is wrong with these neighbors? I swear there are people that want this kind of world. Prime example of the authoritarian state winning.

alfa1

gladtobehere
From whats being presented here...

The arrest actually happened in July 2011. The story about the lawsuit is the one that is from 2012.

A facebook page exists: link

I know this because I did a google search.

edit on 26-9-2013 by alfa1 because: (no reason given)

??............please tell us what point you are making....thx

Sheesh... who gives a crap if they were playing outside unsupervised. They weren't two years old were they? Is there seriously a law in the US which says kids must always be supervised by their parents when outside? If there really is such a law, I feel absolutely sorry for US children.