POLICE: Ask tough questions

A gun is not the most dangerous weapon our local sheriffs carry. The U.S. Supreme Court has made a law that allows an officer to lie to you in order to get information from you. This happened to me Sunday night. My child was taken from me due to a threat made by an officer that I would be charged with kidnapping if I did not allow her to go. This officer went as far as to write me a citation for this crime, which upon releasing her under duress, but for her own emotional well-being, was dismissed and my copy of the citation taken from me. It was not until this officer refused to answer the questions every cop must answer by law; am I under arrest, do you have a warrant, and will you identify yourself, that I started video recording.

I urge all citizens to not make the same mistake I did. Do not wait until your civil rights have been violated before you start gathering proof. As long as you’re part of any conversation you have the legal right to make record of your interactions. With technology in the place it is today almost all phones have some recording ability. It is a recording that acts as an impartial witness as you cannot depend on officers to be this. Don’t make the same mistake I did. The cost could be too high like in my instance, my child.

JOHN HEYDEN

Hayden