Wow.
Arrested for "looking at deer"
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DeerCamp
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I saw this on youtube, and I'm glad that this fella has gotten some exposure. Think about the folks who got railroaded and no one paid attention.
The constantly muting body cams and some of the comments they made ... despicable. Just gross on 1000 levels.
The constantly muting body cams and some of the comments they made ... despicable. Just gross on 1000 levels.
They're going to have fun with this one.
These cases are typically financially counterproductive and end up slipping through the cracks unless you find lawyers/litigants with the luxury of prosecuting a lawsuit for the principle.
The tactic mentioned at the end, that the officers didn't violate the policy because they didn't have one is extremely common. I've litigated against a few different organizations through the years and they routinely don't have policies for things you'd expect a policy. Of course, if you don't have a policy, its never violated. The most egregious one I had was a K9 officer that sic'd his dog on a maintenance worker who had done nothing wrong and had complied with the officer's request to identify himself. He had guy sit down, then the officer backed up and ordered his dog to attack him, (apparently just for the fun of it). Department claimed he violated no policy so we requested the K9 handling policy and it literally just said that the officer would take care of this dog. We requested use of force policy, and it was similarly vague and generalized and didn't actually address use of force. Our officer wasn't disciplined for deliberately attacking an innocent citizen with his K9 but still ended up in the Federal penitentiary for nearly beating a detained subject to death about a year later.
As someone who fully supports game wardens and other officers of the law, that situation is whack and there should be repercussions for those wardens. I was impressed to see the boy able to maintain his composure when trying to understand why he was being arrested. For all we know, he may have poached that big deer. (It wouldn't surprise me the least, especially since it talked about his business and social media presence.) But in that particular situation at that time and moment, those officers went too far. They should have opened up an investigation into him afterwards if they suspected he did poach that deer.
I hate it when a few bad apples give all wardens a bad look.
I hate it when a few bad apples give all wardens a bad look.
themanpcl
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themanpcl
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IMHO: Seems like the officers incriminated themselves throughout the video. I'm no lawyer but I believe this one would be an easy win. Now, what would he win? Probably cannot prove much monetary damage so no big $. Probably would not be enough to get the officers fired. But a good lawyer should be able to get the officers disciplined and force an apology from the department. I too value law enforcement and hate the bad apples. You only see the bad behavior publicized and I get that but personally I don't ever see those with a corresponding punishment. Seems a lot like the "good ole boy" system.
It would likely be a win, but not an easy one. Nearly every case I've had against law enforcement has been scorched earth. There appears to be no limit to what they'll spent and no tactic they won't employ to make litigation as costly, drawn out and difficult as possible no matter how clear cut the case may be.
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Arrested for stopping on a gravel road and looking at a deer....I plead guilty many times...even at night!
megalomaniac
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Wow... this arrest is just scary.
And shameful
And shameful
Poker
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When you want to support law enforcement, you come across something like this. Shameful. I've encountered many good resource officers, so I know this is rare, but it proves you have to be on your toes and know your rights and the law.
themanpcl
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This is exactly what has paved the way for the criminal domestic terrorist cartel to come out and use night gear/rifles on private and destroy our once nice farming community through terrorism. ."We're just looking". That's what all the pieces of yugo road hunting scum says.
DeerCamp
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There are always going to be "bad apples" - but in the rest of the functional world those bad apples get dealt with.
It would seem in law enforcement sometimes the answer to "we found a bad apple" is pretend like it's not rotten, and cover it up.
themanpcl
Well-Known Member
Been that way forever. Gives all of the LEO's a bad name when they all protect the ones that suck.
Knowing the law and knowing his rights didn't help this man a bit. He was the target of two overzealous Officers. They were taking him down and seizing his truck no matter what he did or said. Apparently because they knew he was a popular youtuber. Had it not been for the body cams he probably would have been convicted and possibly lost his truck and guns.
Based on what I saw in that video it is, in my opinion, at least incompetence, but probably something more sinister. The fact those officers haven't been reprimanded speaks volumes. That probably won't happen now that a lawsuit has been filed.
Based on what I saw in that video it is, in my opinion, at least incompetence, but probably something more sinister. The fact those officers haven't been reprimanded speaks volumes. That probably won't happen now that a lawsuit has been filed.
TheLBLman
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By all appearances, the young man was over-charged, and there didn't appear to be enough evidence for him to be arrested? Maybe given a citation of some type?
The senior officer came across as being dishonest, while the other seemed to be more or less just doing what he was told by his superior.
Truly bad optics for the South Carolina DNR, at the very least.
The senior officer came across as being dishonest, while the other seemed to be more or less just doing what he was told by his superior.
Truly bad optics for the South Carolina DNR, at the very least.
The two DNR officers should be fired immediately and this young man should be paid handsomely. I support law enforcement, but not egotistical, jackasses who try to make their career arresting innocent people.
out of them.
If you think this does not happen in every state and far more with regular police, you are naive at best if not complacent in this happening. Just go to YouTube and watch the thousands of videos of cops breaking the law and violating peoples rights... The YouTube channel "The Civil Rights Lawyer" is a good place to start.
When body cams are being muted, you know the crooks are at work. It should be an automatic dismissed case if the body cam muting crap starts.
marty d
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I have worked in LE over 30 years and I detest any officer that violates the rights of those they serve on purpose because it makes the ones out there that think and act as I do look bad, and I don't like it. From where I stand they tarnish my badge. I have some great friends that work for the TWRA too but sadly more than once some TWRA Officers have grossly violated a persons rights. Below is yet another example. No one is perfect including me but if I am not 100% certain I have a convictable case I am not arresting.
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DeerCamp
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I am not even sure he broke any laws. Maybe the firearm being loaded in the truck?
As a hunter and a taxpayer, this is NOT how I want to be "policed". That should count for something, if not everything.
DeerCamp
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They are getting hammered on social media.
infoman jr.
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So did I.
I agree on all points. Give the guy tickets for laws broken, and he'll have a chance to contest them in court or just pay them. The arrest and seizure of assets was grossly out of line. Everything about the situation makes the wardens look super slimy.
Urban_Hunter
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I honestly don't understand the department not terminating these two guys. Is this not a huge liability to employ guys to do an honest job that act this way? Body cam on and off constantly and obviously lying about the written law, then showing clear emotion on taking advantage of someone? Seems to be in violation of every code of conduct I imagine written?
