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Lee-Lee

(6,324 posts)
19. Here is the thing
Wed Apr 25, 2018, 02:33 PM
Apr 2018

You seem to believe that the police have the authority to double question the manager to judge if she was enforcing a policy fairly.

They don’t.

They could have asked those questions, but even if she said “I don’t always enforce it the same” it wouldn’t matter one bit. That doesn’t negate the facts at hand there. They could have said they made up and implemented the “no buy no sit” rule on the spot right then and it wouldn’t have changed the elements of the crime.

You seem to think that if the police question the motives of the manager or anything else that changes the elements of the crime, or allows them to not enforce the law as written. It doesn’t.

To fit with my previous analogy, if someone called for a suspicious person and when I got there they said “those people are fishing in my pond and trespassing” it wasn’t my place to say “well do you let other people fish there? Do you only call when black people fish there? What are your rules for fishing in the pond and do you enforce them fairly?”. It wouldn’t be my job to ask that because the answers would not matter, the law said I had to act on the trespass. Even if that person only called on black people fishing and never called on white people. Even if there was a white guy right there fishing too.


Could they have handled asking them to leave better? Probably. I would still love if there was body cam footage to show the entire interaction. But it doesn’t matter how nicely or rudely you tell someone they must leave, if they refuse to leave it’s the same.

The store manager totally jacked up. The charges didn’t get followed trough on because the comparing victim, Starbucks, decided that they were not going to follow through on the complaint and withdrew. That wasn’t a reflection on if the cops made the right decision in the moment. I have made shoplifting arrests and domestic violence arrests and all other kinds before where the complainant later decideded not to follow up on the charges so they were not prosecuted. That doesn’t mean my arrests were wrong.

Was the call wrong? Yes.
Was the managers claim discriminatory and racially biased? Absolutely
Despite all that, did the offense of trespassing still occur when the men were asked to leave and did not? Yes.

What happened was the law was abused. And the police were put in a position where they were stuck having to enforce the law for a racist person, because the law is still the law even when abused.

Does it suck that the law can be abused like that? Absolutely. People manipulate and use the law in manners that are despicable all the time.

But that doesn’t allow the officers on the scene to refuse to enforce the law as written. You seem to think the police are allowed to say “I think your a racist so I’m not bothering to act on your complaint”. They can’t. I think that’s your Hangul here. No matter what amount of questions they asked the manager, no matter if they thought her actions were bigoted, no matter if they thought her enforcement of rules was arbitrary or unfair they still had to act on the complaint. The elements of the crime, remaining on the premises after being asked to leave, are not changed by any of that.

Now, there are absolutely other remidies under the law for the persons who are discriminated against like this can have under the law? Absolutely! But those would be the same had they left when asked or if they had refused and forced the issue to an arrest.4




So they respond by shooting said blacks and it's white people's fault Fullduplexxx Apr 2018 #1
Start issuing fines? ProudLib72 Apr 2018 #2
Citation Violation: "Calling Police While Racist" EffieBlack Apr 2018 #5
When you put it like that ProudLib72 Apr 2018 #6
+1000000. Calling 911 is better than shooting, claiming "you were afraid for your life" Hoyt Apr 2018 #3
These "Racist Police" are simply "Scared White People" with a badge and a gun EffieBlack Apr 2018 #4
Perhaps cops should step up and show America they don't fear blacks first. beachbum bob Apr 2018 #7
You mean, be this guy? EffieBlack Apr 2018 #10
That's my hometown! Phoenix61 Apr 2018 #26
Some of those callers aren't irrationally afraid of blacks. Mariana Apr 2018 #8
Yes... Deuce Apr 2018 #29
Ohh yeah Lee-Lee Apr 2018 #9
This is great EffieBlack Apr 2018 #11
Totally different situations Lee-Lee Apr 2018 #13
There was no "reported crime" at Starbucks, either EffieBlack Apr 2018 #15
Ok, whole lot here if you want to keep rehashing it Lee-Lee Apr 2018 #16
No matter how many times you say it, the cops had NO obligation to arrest them based on a manager's EffieBlack Apr 2018 #17
Here is the thing Lee-Lee Apr 2018 #19
If she said, "I don't always enforce it the same," you wouldn't ask her why at this moment, she EffieBlack Apr 2018 #20
Keep in mind two things Lee-Lee Apr 2018 #22
"They were arrested for refusing to leave when asked by the police." EffieBlack Apr 2018 #23
Yes, basically Lee-Lee Apr 2018 #25
My position is not only fair and just, it is the the law. EffieBlack Apr 2018 #30
See Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird". BumRushDaShow Apr 2018 #12
True story DiverDave Apr 2018 #14
Spied this on Twitter this week cyberswede Apr 2018 #18
Wow EffieBlack Apr 2018 #31
K&R Scurrilous Apr 2018 #21
Welcome to DU, T&R. Please don't shout, even Hortensis Apr 2018 #24
My apologies, tulipsandroses Apr 2018 #27
:) Hortensis Apr 2018 #28
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