In Miami Gardens, store video catches cops in the act

www.miamiherald.com...

Earl Sampson has been stopped and questioned by Miami Gardens police 258 times in four years. He’s been searched more than 100 times. And arrested and jailed 56 times. Despite his long rap sheet, Sampson, 28, has never been convicted of anything more serious than possession of marijuana. Miami Gardens police have arrested Sampson 62 times for one offense: trespassing. Almost every citation was issued at the same place: the 207 Quickstop, a convenience store on 207th Street in Miami Gardens. But Sampson isn’t loitering. He works as a clerk at the Quickstop. Read more here: www.miamiherald.com...=cpy

I think we all understand the cancer that gang violence has become, but to target everyone with BS charges, shakedowns and physical violence because of race is not a good sign of what America is becoming.

reply to post by olaru12


Six cops to cite one individual for a tag light ? They're really scared aren't they ?
They only grow balls when they outnumber the prey !

Easy way to get their quotas I guess. But a feel a disturbance in the force. No donut shops will be safe.

They store owner is doing the only thing he can in filing a lawsuit. The viloations of Rights are clear and copiously documented on video and in print. The only question is will the guy live long enough to see justice or will he be found dead somewhere? When the corruption is this severe, it ordinarily won't let a convenience store owner stop it.

I was driving home one day and next thing I know I get pulled over by 3 marked units and 2 plain trucks. Only one got out and came and said I was driving aggressively. Not the case. Anyway, I had a contractor with his work crew following me and they pulled in a local parking lot to watch this spectacle. She searched me and the entire truck including removing all my tool boxes and going through them. When she found zero, I was shocked when she pops her head out and says like some sweet woman, "You don't have any narcotics?". I gave her an incredulous look and said no, I don't do drugs. (Note: I do have meds at home which I usually take in the evening. As some may know I had 23 surgeries after being shot). Anyway, she tells me to get back in and comes back with a ticket for following too closely. There wasn't anyone within a 1/4 mile of my truck. As I was signing the ticket, she must have been panicking that she didn't really have anything on me, nor was the ticket justifiable. She said, "If you try to take me to court I will hang your A**".

I just laughed and gave it to my attorney the next day. Never heard anything about it. But, I see the same crew pulling people over all the time in force and found out later that this is their M.O., and there are some that would plant something if they couldn't find something according to people I have spoken with in the community. I believe they somehow knew I had pain medication from getting pharmacy records and figured I would have them on me while driving. I leave them at home for this very reason. They never bothered me again. I think a lot of them are out of control. But, I will say this. I had an officer who is a family member tell me that when I was younger (early1980's in high school) tht people might run, but that was it. Now they have teenagers stealing cars and when they try to stop them they are getting shot at. The world has changed and I think it has jaded a lot of them and they are willing to push the limits which often violates civil rights. They rely on people being scared to pursue a lawsuit. I had a friend who had an external fixiter (sp?) on his leg from a motor cycle accident. They had a burglary complaint and went to the wrong address. I was there and when they were frisking him, an officer kicked the external fixiter (pins and rods through the l bone and held in place by rods and such outside the leg) to make him spread his legs further apart. He sued the department and these cops sat around the corner and pulled him over every time he left the house. It got to the point that he dropped the suit. They told him straight up, drop the suit or we will keep doing this. He had to get an attorney from Atlanta (we live in Florida) because the local attorneys felt they would be harassed and lose their practice if they sued the PD.

I don't know what people can do today, especially with some of the laws passed for fighting terrorism, etc. Something needs to be done about the bad cops. There are a lot of good ones, and these that ar off the chain are setting the reputation of all officers. And they wonder why people run from them.

reply to post by spirit_horse


People shoot back for a few reasons. First and foremost, we are the most imprisoned nation on the planet. You can measure by actual number, or by percentage of population. In either measurement, we have the most prisoners of any other nation. America, the land of the free. The things you can go to prison over are trivial, and once you get there you change. The best way to make someone a hardened criminal is to put them in prison for something trivial.

We have had so many prisoners that an entire culture has sprouted up around it. And since we seem to like imprisoning blacks and hispanics the most (as our laws are geared towards the things they do....American racism actually is written into the laws, despite it being subtle), that culture tends to be the black and hispanic people. You know, the ones wearing baggy pants, like in prison where sizes are not so much on the "custom tailored" side.

There is also the fact that police in general have altered their behaviors with the infusion of military training. Instead of "citizen", you are now "perpetrator" or "suspect". And all the "non lethal weapons", which seem to be used very liberally....it is hard to respect a cop. For me, a 40 year old man....i bristle at a 22 year old kid having authority over my actions.

If we could stop putting pressure on people via legal/police chanels, we might see a reduction of the negative reactions of people who have to interact with the police. Respect is a two way street. I am no thug, either. I am a community leader, and sit on several civic boards with various police and political leaders (elected and unelected). I still can't stand cops. I like our deputies quite a bit. They are good guys around here. The cops....they are the best excuse one could come up with as a reason to vote to de-incorporate our city.

I ran across this article yesterday and was going to post it but it's already here.

The first-shown comment in the article sums it up succinctly (by Antonio Buehler):

The cops in this country form a violent criminal gang known by many as the thin blue line. They are above the law because the so-called "good" cops refuse to go after the criminal cops, because the chain of command covers for cop crimes, because prosecutors refuse to prosecute, and in the rare cases they do, stupid members of the public fail to convict and judges fail to hand down meaningful sentences. The only way that we can stop this criminal gang is to come together and stand up to these thugs, like this store owner did. But we need many more than just him.

And the following quote by then-sergeant, Martin Santiago, seems to be supported by the whole department, as repeated by Saleh:

“I’m going to get you mother-f-----"

Nothing more than abuse of power using a badge. It's a systemic problem that trickles down from the top. The "I'm gonna get you" attitude is not just present but thrives and is encouraged within the force.