Army probes domestic use of troops in Alabama

[danarhea]

People are hitting the ceiling over Army troops coming into Samson, Alabama while the shooting rampage there was going on. Many are citing the "Posse Comitatus Act" for what they perceive as a gross violation of US law.

However, the troops did NOT go there for policing, but only for traffic control and similar functions. Let us not forget that small towns do not have the ability to deal with situations like this, due to the very small sizes of their police forces. Let us not also forget that, by deploying these troops there, police officers were freed up to participate in the manhunt that followed, and these troops were not engaging in policing, only giving a helping hand.

IMHO, there was no violation of Posse Comitatus here. If anything, the detractors here should be thanking those troops who came to the town to help, instead of calling them lawbreakers.

At the present time, the Army is conducting an investigation. When it is over, I believe these troops will be exonerated, and rightly so.

Article is here.

 

[GottaHurt]

Harvey Perritt, spokesman for the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Monroe, Va., told CNSNews.com on Monday that the military police soldiers, along with the provost marshal were sent to Samson.


"From what I understand it was a few folks who came to direct traffic or help where they could," Emerson said. "If it had been more than what it was there might be a reason for concern, but these folks just came to see if they could help and left."

Somethings amiss. Soldiers just showed up to help, then left? Or were they sent?

And who authorized their deployment?

 

[Coolguy]

However, the troops did NOT go there for policing, but only for traffic control and similar functions.

If this indeed is the case and they were unarmed, no problem. No need to be armed for such duties that the article states.
If they were armed, then yes, I feel it was wrong.

 

[GottaHurt]

 

[Coolguy]

The more I think about this, the more wrong it seems.

Let us not forget that small towns do not have the ability to deal with situations like this, due to the very small sizes of their police forces. Let us not also forget that, by deploying these troops there, police officers were freed up to participate in the manhunt that followed, and these troops were not engaging in policing, only giving a helping hand.

None of that justifies bringing in Federal Troops.
That is when State Police should be tasked to help.

 

[Arch Enemy]

I remember a warning somewhere maybe at the end of last year.. that we should expect an increase of troop activity within the United States, especially because economic troubles brings about extremism.

 

[RightinNYC]

As Samson only has a five-man police department, the assistance provided by the military police was badly needed during the shooting spree. Though calls for police assistance had gone out to surrounding areas, Stromenger said it wasn't the Samson Police Department that requested the soldiers' presence.

Gov. Riley's press secretary Jeff Emerson told The AP that the governor wasn't concerned with the possibility that the military overstepped its bounds by deploying in a civilian setting without the proper legal authorization.

"From what I understand it was a few folks who came to direct traffic or help where they could," Emerson said.

OH NOES ITS THE END TIMES!!!111

Forgive me if I don't put too much stock in "CNSnews.com"'s reporting abilities or legal analysis.