In a testament to how militarized police have become nationwide, a video from Gainesville, Florida shows a 23-year old veteran being pulled over last month by camouflaged cops driving and armored vehicle after he ‘flipped them the bird’. The cops stated that they pulled him over for making an ‘improper hand signal’ and accused him of engaging in a sexual act with his female passenger.
Gainesville is a college town filled with students attending the University of Florida – the cops were heavily outfitted in gear one would expect to see in Afghanistan so they could keep these ‘dangerous’ students in line while attending a three-day celebration of festivities highlighted by a Florida Gator scrimmage football game.
“I’m really getting pulled over by a tank right now?” Jewell, a Navy veteran, states, to which an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responds “yes sir”.
Jewell refers to a U.S. Court of Appeals ruling which found that a “gesture of insult is not the basis for a reasonable suspicion of a traffic violation or impending criminal activity.”
However, the cop is not interested and instead demands to see the Jewell’s license before making him step out of the vehicle.
The officer then starts to get angry and threatens to arrest Jewell for “resisting” because he is not obeying orders quickly enough.
The cop claims that Jewell performed an “improper hand signal”. Jewell responds by expressing his shock that a “safe community” would need tanks patrolling the streets, stating, “I didn’t know we were in Iraq”.
Another cop then objects to being filmed, claiming that the phone camera could be a firearm, before Jewell is eventually allowed to leave.
“Deputies felt the need to dress up like soldiers because it was Orange and Blue Weekend, a three-day celebration of festivities highlighted by a scrimmage football game between Florida Gator teammates that was free and open to all ages,” reports Carlos Miller.
Concerns about the militarization of U.S. law enforcement have heightened since last year’s unrest in Ferguson, Missouri.
In December, we reported on comments made by a Spokane Sheriff’s Deputy defending the use of an MRAP armored vehicle by saying it was needed to deal with the threat posed by “constitutionalists”.
“I mean, we’ve got a lot of constitutionalists and a lot of people that stockpile weapons, lots of ammunition, they have weapons here locally,” the officer said.
During a New Hampshire city council meeting in 2013, former Marine Corps Colonel Peter Martino, who was stationed in Fallujah and trained Iraqi soldiers, asserted that the Department of Homeland Security was working with law enforcement to build a “domestic army,” because the federal government is afraid of its own citizens. Martino was responding to the city’s Police Chief, who justified the necessity for the acquisition of an armored ‘Bearcat’ vehicle by citing the “threat” posed by libertarians, sovereign citizen adherents, and Occupy activists in the region.
As we have exhaustively documented, the use of armored vehicles is just one sign of how law enforcement authorities are gearing up to deal with civil unrest in America.
LEO’s aren’t military. Whether they are a veteran or not is irrelevant. They’re not military, end of story.
WTF?? Why are these people driving around in an ARMORED MILITARY VEHICLE, Wearing CAMOFLOUGE AND ARMY FATIGUES??? From the SHERIFF’S Department?? What the $#%&!@* is going on here?? Is this even real??? This has gotten totally, totally out of control people…And it needs to stop NOW…Not tomorrow, not a month from now, not after a f**e “congress investigation”..NOW…People in Gainesville should be gathering together in a large group, going to the sheriffs office,and demanding answers on how something like this is warranted, and allowed to go on…Totally ridiculous…
What are these idiots trying to be?
Get over yourself.
Fat pile
Kain, then YOUR definition is $#%&!@*ed up, not theirs.
The military unloaded a ton of surplus equipment to sheriff and police departments around the country. Boys and their toys, gotta show them off.
But now let’s consider this. Obama allowed the military to “gift” military grade weapons and vehicles to civilian police forces. All hell is breaking loose in our cities while the president and head of the DoJ is fanning the flames, condoning rioting and $#%&!@*$#%&!@*inating police officers. Now at the same time the Democrats are making strong moves to relieve law abiding citizens of their fire ark’s and ability to protect themselves. And now his favorite cronie Sharpton gets on tv running his mouth about nationalizing the police force.
Now how many of you are familiar with how $#%&!@* and the $#%&!@* party came to power? Go read some history books. The $#%&!@*s started by creating fear, then giving them a target for their hate. Relieved ordinary citizens of their fire arms and whala! $#%&!@* Germany was created.
All through my childhood I listened to my uncles talk about the new world order and thought they were crazy. I don’t anymore.
Our president wants to give Iran, the country that openly supports terrorists groups, the ability to have nuclear capabilities. He has turned his back on Israel, the Ukrainians, is busy alienating the rest of our middle eastern allies by his negotiations with Iran, and has forced our military down into the weakest state of readiness it has ever been.
Yes, I AM afraid.
I think it’s overkill and intimidation on the police and sheriffs part as well as the fed govt. they are dressed as if they are headed off to round up some Taliban.
Why are our local cops acting like they are military????
Yeah I have to also go with the officers on this one. Regardless of what millitary experience you may claim to have, an APC is not quite a tank. And tanks ride with tracks, not wheels. The police could instantly pull up his sheet and know if he did do millitary service and I can accetrain from the cops, they sure knew he was lying about that one. Its simple. Dont get a BJ whilst driving and middle finger other trafickers who notice it. Stupid kid.