This is not exactly what a police state looks like.
Extremely Graphic.
The first two minutes of this video, which took place in Manteca, CA on June 11, 2011, are horrible and gruesome, a tragic example of a cop, Officer John Moody, gone berzerk, killing Ernest Duenez Jr. for no reason. It is a depiction of an officer who should be prosecuted for murder, but who never was. (This video was released about a month ago after the District Attorney's office decided not to file any charges against the officer.)
What a police state does exactly look like is what happened in the last few days related to this case. The Manteca Police were trolling the facebook page set up for the victim, Mr. Duenez, and found a post that said
50 rounds to your dome, Moody
(There are some reports that Officer Moody himself was the person who reported the post, but this is unconfirmed as best I can determine).
This resulted in Dominic Aguilar, the poster, being arrested for "terroristic threats" and, just yesterday, having a $150,000 bail amount upheld by a judge. That's right, $150,000 bail for making a third-person statement that could easily be construed as expressing wish, not intent.
Dominic Aguilar was arrested for felony terrorist threats because of a comment posted to the Facebook page. It read "50 rounds to your dome moody."
And, oh yeah,
the 1st Amendment be damned.
The Duenezes have filed a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court, and they hired Oakland attorney John Burris. Burris also represented the family of Oscar Grant...
Burris said the allegations against Aguilar are "ridiculous." "It's a freedom of speech question," Burris said. "He didn't say he was going to do it."
"It has to be an immediate credible threat," ((Tai Bogan, attorney for Mr. Aguilar)) said.
The following was recently posted on the
Duenez Facebook page.
Law Offices of Tai C. Bogan
Mr. Dominic Aguilar is currently being representing by this office. We are going to fight for Dominic's freedom. We have been in touch with the ACLU and they will take a role in the case. This is going to be a long hard fight against the system. I am more than confident that Mr. Aguilar will be vindicated. We will not be charging Dominic attorney fees.
John Moody has already escaped prosecution. Now the Manteca police are out for blood, trolling the Internet on the lookout for anything they can use to arrest a sympathizer. They are attempting to cow allies by charging Aguilar with "terrorist threats", and all this to "send a message" to the Duenez family and their supporters.
This, indeed, is what a police state looks like.
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This is What a Police State Looks Like in Iowa. Tasing a Mentally Troubled Woman
This is How a Police State Operates
Free At Last. Alameda DA Finally Dismisses Absurd Hate Crime Charges Against Three Occupy Oaklanders