Patriot Picket Protesters Arrested

[Stoveman]

*UPDATE*

Long day, but I wanted to close it out with what we know.

After the Ch9 and Bryan Sears interview, yes, they were both given another citation for Trespassing on State Property and a COMAR violation. We were standing at the usual spot for the interviews and afterwards Chief Wilson and Lt. Labs came over to us and informed them both of the additional citations and asked them to go over to their car which was on the State House side of LM.

Lt. Labs was with the guys and Chief Wilson and I had a conversation in which he reiterated the same reasoning (safety/near misses of pedestrians/general Death Race 2000 mayhem) that was in their statement of earlier today. I asked him who made the complaint, was it a pedestrian or legislator? He told me that there WAS NO COMPLAINT CALLED IN. He could tell that I was a little incredulous and I asked him if Sgt Pope had received orders from higher up the chain of command or was the decision to remove and subsequently arrest his alone? The Chief replied that it was his decision as the supervisor on duty.

I then told him that we have been there every Monday night since the session started and asked why we weren't informed of this change of policy before last night. And that we weren't actually informed last night as Sgt Pope gave NO REASON on why we had to move but simply stated that "things have changed" and then started barking out orders on where to stand and where not to stand or be arrested. He had no answer for that but stated that we were not informed earlier because he didn't have the budget to staff an officer out there every Monday night. I challenged him on that and told him that not only were there officers on site every Monday but that one officer in tactical gear with a K9 unit sniffed us down every time.

He said that the officer with the K9 might have been AACo. I then asked him if the MCP had a K9 named "Bo" and he replied that indeed they did. Every PP member knows who Officer Bo is, the Chief's statements today MIGHT have been less than truthful.

 

[protegeV]

Stoveman gives unlimited benefits of never-ending doubts.

 

[teratos]

What are the additional charges?

Would love to know. Just saw this on Brian Sears’ Facebook page....

 

[zoostation]

Of course, if they were really worried about pedestrian safety and people not stopping for pedestrians it would have been much safer to have one officer handle stopping traffic at the crosswalk as opposed two at least two tied up booking these two desperadoes with divergent opinions. I wonder if they had any officers out in the street crossing pedestrians while the arrests were going on. I mean that must have been a much bigger "distraction" to drivers than just a few guys with signs. After all, this all just stemmed "out of an abundance of caution" from the Capitol Security Police, right? Doesn't sound very cautious to me if they were arresting people on the sidewalk causing a crowd to gather beside the road and didn't have traffic stopped.

I guess I forgot about Maryland's new law. The Opinion Free Crosswalk Zone. Passed in secret session behind close doors of course. By voice vote, both unrecorded easily denied. Oh, and there seems to be only one crosswalk in the state affected too.

I doubt in the history of the entire state of 7 million people they can find one other instance of a picket being forced to move because it might "distract" drivers near a crosswalk. Heck, I'll bet they can't find one previous example in the entire country. "An abundance of caution" my ass, sounds more like an abundance of subterfuge on the part of Capitol Security Police. Pre-planned and used as an excuse to remove those pesky demonstrators and appease the indignant regents of the state house royalty is what it sounds like to me. And I would also strongly suspect not done without seeking legal counsel on it first. Just my opinions. Hopefully the truth will eventually come out. It usually does. Even in Annapolis.

 

[teratos]

Long day, but I wanted to close it out with what we know.

After the Ch9 and Bryan Sears interview, yes, they were both given another citation for Trespassing on State Property and a COMAR violation. We were standing at the usual spot for the interviews and afterwards Chief Wilson and Lt. Labs came over to us and informed them both of the additional citations and asked them to go over to their car which was on the State House side of LM.

Lt. Labs was with the guys and Chief Wilson and I had a conversation in which he reiterated the same reasoning (safety/near misses of pedestrians/general Death Race 2000 mayhem) that was in their statement of earlier today. I asked him who made the complaint, was it a pedestrian or legislator? He told me that there WAS NO COMPLAINT CALLED IN. He could tell that I was a little incredulous and I asked him if Sgt Pope had received orders from higher up the chain of command or was the decision to remove and subsequently arrest his alone? The Chief replied that it was his decision as the supervisor on duty.

I then told him that we have been there every Monday night since the session started and asked why we weren't informed of this change of policy before last night. And that we weren't actually informed last night as Sgt Pope gave NO REASON on why we had to move but simply stated that "things have changed" and then started barking out orders on where to stand and where not to stand or be arrested. He had no answer for that but stated that we were not informed earlier because he didn't have the budget to staff an officer out there every Monday night. I challenged him on that and told him that not only were there officers on site every Monday but that one officer in tactical gear with a K9 unit sniffed us down every time.

He said that the officer with the K9 might have been AACo. I then asked him if the MCP had a K9 named "Bo" and he replied that indeed they did. Every PP member knows who Officer Bo is, the Chief's statements today MIGHT have been less than truthful.

So the Chief is taking the heat? What a lackey.

 

[Stoveman]

Bryan Sears posted on the Book of Faces that he saw a view with another political leaning recently demonstrating and passing out leaflets on the same sidewalk and was not forced to move.

 

[buellsfurn]

Would love to know. Just saw this on Brian Sears’ Facebook page....

first line of stovemans post

 

[teratos]

first line of stovemans post

Yep. Started typing before he finished.

 

[protegeV]

So are public sidewalks considered state property? If I'm just existing on a public sidewalk, field, etc and with no reason had or given I'm told to go away I just have to "Because they said So" or I'm trespassing? What in the actually F?!?!?!

 

[Stoveman]

Of course, if they were really worried about pedestrian safety it would have been much safer to have one officer handle stopping traffic at the crosswalk as opposed two at least two tied up booking these two desperadoes with divergent opinions.

I guess I forgot about Maryland's new law. The Opinion Free Crosswalk Zone. Passed in secret session behind close doors of course. Oh, and there only seems to be one too.

I doubt in the history of the entire state of 7 million people they can't find one other instance of a demonstration being forced to move because they might "distract" drivers near a crosswalk. Heck, I'll bet the can't find one previous example in the entire country. "An abundance of caution" my ass, sounds more like an abundance of subterfuge on the part of the Department of General Services Police.. Pre-planned and used as an excuse to remove those pesky demonstrators who were annoying the state house royalty.

R&R asked Chief why they couldn't have one of their officers issued a whistle and a flashlight and direct traffic during the hour or so we are there once a week since they obviously have the manpower with SIX squad cars dispatched to handle the unruly mob.

 

[Klunatic]

Long day, but I wanted to close it out with what we know.

After the Ch9 and Bryan Sears interview, yes, they were both given another citation for Trespassing on State Property and a COMAR violation. We were standing at the usual spot for the interviews and afterwards Chief Wilson and Lt. Labs came over to us and informed them both of the additional citations and asked them to go over to their car which was on the State House side of LM.

Unbelievable! Trespassing? What was the COMAR violation?

 

[Mightydog]

Long day, but I wanted to close it out with what we know.

After the Ch9 and Bryan Sears interview, yes, they were both given another citation for Trespassing on State Property and a COMAR violation. We were standing at the usual spot for the interviews and afterwards Chief Wilson and Lt. Labs came over to us and informed them both of the additional citations and asked them to go over to their car which was on the State House side of LM.

Lt. Labs was with the guys and Chief Wilson and I had a conversation in which he reiterated the same reasoning (safety/near misses of pedestrians/general Death Race 2000 mayhem) that was in their statement of earlier today. I asked him who made the complaint, was it a pedestrian or legislator? He told me that there WAS NO COMPLAINT CALLED IN. He could tell that I was a little incredulous and I asked him if Sgt Pope had received orders from higher up the chain of command or was the decision to remove and subsequently arrest his alone? The Chief replied that it was his decision as the supervisor on duty.

I then told him that we have been there every Monday night since the session started and asked why we weren't informed of this change of policy before last night. And that we weren't actually informed last night as Sgt Pope gave NO REASON on why we had to move but simply stated that "things have changed" and then started barking out orders on where to stand and where not to stand or be arrested. He had no answer for that but stated that we were not informed earlier because he didn't have the budget to staff an officer out there every Monday night. I challenged him on that and told him that not only were there officers on site every Monday but that one officer in tactical gear with a K9 unit sniffed us down every time.

He said that the officer with the K9 might have been AACo. I then asked him if the MCP had a K9 named "Bo" and he replied that indeed they did. Every PP member knows who Officer Bo is, the Chief's statements today MIGHT have been less than truthful.

What state property were you trespassing on? Did he qualify that statement? And what COMAR violation? What about the fact that SGT Pope directed you to state property to continue your “demonstration” illegally? We need to take this to the limit. Too bad you weren’t able to record his conversation.

 

[zenMonkey]

Of course, if they were really worried about pedestrian safety and people not stopping it would have been much safer to have one officer handle stopping traffic at the crosswalk as opposed two at least two tied up booking these two desperadoes with divergent opinions.

Six cars responded. SIX!

 

[Stoveman]

Edit to my update:

I asked the Chief why Sgt. Pope would not have simply explained the situation to us (as Blaster used in an example upthread) and gave a reason for the change in policy and if he thought that that would have diffused the situation somewhat? Asked if de-escalation of a situation is not SOP instead of just barking out where to stand or resist arrest?

He said that yes, de-escalation was important and in their training but that some of his officers just seem to handle situations differently. I asked if Sgt Pope would face any disciplinary action after last night and he said that he would look into it.

 

[teratos]

What state property were you trespassing on? Did he qualify that statement? And what COMAR violation? What about the fact that SGT Pope directed you to state property to continue your “demonstration” illegally? We need to take this to the limit. Too bad you weren’t able to record his conversation.

Yep. Total ********. Trespassing my ass.

 

[Cheesehead]

After the Ch9 and Bryan Sears interview, yes, they were both given another citation for Trespassing on State Property and a COMAR violation. We were standing at the usual spot for the interviews and afterwards Chief Wilson and Lt. Labs came over to us and informed them both of the additional citations and asked them to go over to their car which was on the State House side of LM.

Were the citations for what happened last night, or for having the audacity to return to the scene?

 

[Stoveman]

Unbelievable! Trespassing? What was the COMAR violation?

Violating safety procedures by hindering foot traffic or some such bull crap.


Chief told me that "The States Attorney will take care of these charges." I told him yeah, they're pretty ticky tack BS.

"Well, I wouldn't call them ticky tack, but if the States Attorney drops the charges they will not get any resistance from this office."

 

[teratos]

Were the citations for what happened last night, or for having the audacity to return to the scene?

The scene that is public property?!?

 

[buellsfurn]

Were the citations for what happened last night, or for having the audacity to return to the scene?

pile on's from last night is my understanding

 

[GTOGUNNER]

What state property were you trespassing on? Did he qualify that statement? And what COMAR violation? What about the fact that SGT Pope directed you to state property to continue your “demonstration” illegally? We need to take this to the limit. Too bad you weren’t able to record his conversation.

Apparently it said COMAR violation, Violating safety procedures by hindering foot traffic.
ingress egress ,,,or some such bull crap. (stole that part from Stoveman)

I am sure i'll be corrected on the wording but I am close..