Police Harassing Spokane Youth?
Posted by Arroyoribera on July 23, 2007
Interviews with Spokane young people reveal a disturbing pattern of random stops, improper questioning, illegal searches and unprovoked threats by the Spokane Police Department, particularly in the dark of night.
Please send your accounts of harassment by the Spokane Police and/or other law enforcement, including but not limited to the Spokane Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, Riverfront Park security, and other private security forces.
In addition, please send web links on the legal limits of police powers as well your own thoughts on how the community can address this unconstitutional and–given the Spokane Police history of killing its own citizens–extraordinarily dangerous trend of law enforcement stopping Spokane youth in the night for no legitimate reason.
Finally, if you are aware of details of an incident in the last few days in the Spokane Valley in which law enforcement yanked a bikini-clad female from a vehicle and threw her to the ground, please contact me as well.
unholycrap said
My son, who was involved with the 4th of July March for Rights, was harassed by a police officer who stopped him while he was walking to the store one night. He asked my son what he was doing. My son said he was going to the store. Duh. He then asked my son if he had been part of the protest on the 4th, to which my son replied that he had. The officer responded by telling him that they deserved to have their asses kicked. My son said something to the cop to the effect of “that’s not a right thing to say” (can’t remember exactly) and asked the officer for his badge number. The cop then just drove off.
We have seen cops repeatedly cruising past our house very slowly, looking while I’m outside smoking a cigarette. Sometimes they even stop and just look, so I will reach back and close my door. I don’t want them thinking they can even use their eyes without a warrant. I don’t think a day goes by that this doesn’t happen. Maybe they are trying to intimidate, but it doesn’t work. I watch them back.
I have no idea why this is going on. My son has done nothing wrong. Nothing. He’s a good kid with an amazing head on his shoulders. I joined him at the march to City Hall and sat in council chambers with the rest of the people. Maybe I got profiled, too. Who knows? Regardless, I’m not pleased, but I’m not backing down. I will still drive around this town with my “Legalize Picnics” sign in my car.