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ACLU: Black man detained while moving into own Kansas home

TU Curmudgeon

B.A. (Sarc), LLb. (Lex Sarcasus), PhD (Sarc.)
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From the Associated Press

ACLU: Black man detained while moving into own Kansas home

The Kansas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday asked state officials to investigate after a black man was detained by police while moving into his home, then allegedly harassed for weeks and blocked by the police chief from filing a racial bias complaint with the department.

Karle Robinson, a 61-year-old Marine veteran, was held at gunpoint and handcuffed in August as he was carrying a television out of a rented moving van into the home he had bought a month earlier in Tonganoxie, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Kansas City.

“I’d like to see those cops and that chief lose their jobs because this was uncalled for — this is strictly racial profiling,” Robinson told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday.

He added that if he were white “we wouldn’t even be having this conversation right now.”

COMMENT:-

What puzzles me is the fact that the police officer did not know that the percentage of times that a robber is taking stuff INTO the house that they are robbing closely approximates 0.0000000%.
 
From the Associated Press

ACLU: Black man detained while moving into own Kansas home

The Kansas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday asked state officials to investigate after a black man was detained by police while moving into his home, then allegedly harassed for weeks and blocked by the police chief from filing a racial bias complaint with the department.

Karle Robinson, a 61-year-old Marine veteran, was held at gunpoint and handcuffed in August as he was carrying a television out of a rented moving van into the home he had bought a month earlier in Tonganoxie, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Kansas City.

“I’d like to see those cops and that chief lose their jobs because this was uncalled for — this is strictly racial profiling,” Robinson told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday.

He added that if he were white “we wouldn’t even be having this conversation right now.”

COMMENT:-

What puzzles me is the fact that the police officer did not know that the percentage of times that a robber is taking stuff INTO the house that they are robbing closely approximates 0.0000000%.

They were looking to book him under the double secret charge of Black Man Carrying a TV.

From the information we have it does sound like racial profiling. If the facts are correct the officers should be fired. I'm betting they won't be.
 
Police chiefs need to retrain their officers in the ways of the constitution.
 
From the Associated Press

ACLU: Black man detained while moving into own Kansas home

The Kansas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday asked state officials to investigate after a black man was detained by police while moving into his home, then allegedly harassed for weeks and blocked by the police chief from filing a racial bias complaint with the department.

Karle Robinson, a 61-year-old Marine veteran, was held at gunpoint and handcuffed in August as he was carrying a television out of a rented moving van into the home he had bought a month earlier in Tonganoxie, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Kansas City.

“I’d like to see those cops and that chief lose their jobs because this was uncalled for — this is strictly racial profiling,” Robinson told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday.

He added that if he were white “we wouldn’t even be having this conversation right now.”

COMMENT:-

What puzzles me is the fact that the police officer did not know that the percentage of times that a robber is taking stuff INTO the house that they are robbing closely approximates 0.0000000%.
I'm not seeing any discrimination or inappropriate behavior by the police.

It's not unreasonable to view someone carrying a TV outside at 4am as suspicious and warranting investigation.

It's also not unreasonable for the officer to protect his safety by cuffing the guy and waiting for back up before entering the house to confirm the story.

Once the guy showed the papers the cops released him and apologized for the inconvenience. They even helped the guy carry the TV into his house. They were so racist they apologized and helped the guy. Just think about that and tell me if that sounds like they are racist.

The cops did their job and the guy should appreciate that instead of trying to sue.

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They were looking to book him under the double secret charge of Black Man Carrying a TV.

From the information we have it does sound like racial profiling. If the facts are correct the officers should be fired. I'm betting they won't be.

If you are giving odds in excess of 100 :: 1, I'll consider placing a small bet, say half my lunch money, on them being "fired". At 50 :: 1, I'd consider "disciplined". At 25 :: 1, I'd considered "required to undertake a retraining program".
 
If you are giving odds in excess of 100 :: 1, I'll consider placing a small bet, say half my lunch money, on them being "fired". At 50 :: 1, I'd consider "disciplined". At 25 :: 1, I'd considered "required to undertake a retraining program".

Yeah, I'd take the retraining @ 25 :: 1.
 
I'm not seeing any discrimination or inappropriate behavior by the police.

It's not unreasonable to view someone carrying a TV outside at 4am as suspicious and warranting investigation.

It's also not unreasonable for the officer to protect his safety by cuffing the guy and waiting for back up before entering the house to confirm the story.

Once the guy showed the papers the cops released him and apologized for the inconvenience. They even helped the guy carry the TV into his house. They were so racist they apologized and helped the guy. Just think about that and tell me if that sounds like they are racist.

The cops did their job and the guy should appreciate that instead of trying to sue.

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Since the gentleman was carrying the TV set FROM a moving van INTO a house, exactly what did the police think he was "burglarizing" - the moving van?

Once the police officers had been totally unable to substantiate ANY ACTUAL REASON for detaining and questioning the gentleman, "apologizing" became almost mandatory in order to attempt to head off a possible complaint about their actions.

Would you like to speculate on how dead the gentleman would have been had he NOT "complied" with the "demands of the police officers"?

Would you like to speculate on how dead the gentleman felt he was likely to be if he had NOT "complied" with the "demands of the police officers"?
 
Yeah, I'd take the retraining @ 25 :: 1.

Would you take "no further action is deemed necessary because the officer was complying with established departmental policies and procedures in a professional manner" at 1 :: 5?
 
Since the gentleman was carrying the TV set FROM a moving van INTO a house, exactly what did the police think he was "burglarizing" - the moving van?

Once the police officers had been totally unable to substantiate ANY ACTUAL REASON for detaining and questioning the gentleman, "apologizing" became almost mandatory in order to attempt to head off a possible complaint about their actions.

Would you like to speculate on how dead the gentleman would have been had he NOT "complied" with the "demands of the police officers"?

Would you like to speculate on how dead the gentleman felt he was likely to be if he had NOT "complied" with the "demands of the police officers"?
None of which has anything to do with his skin color. He was behaving suspiciously and if he were any other color it would of happened the same way. The guy seems to believe it was because he was black. It was because one could reasonably suspect he was committing a crime.

Did they pull him over earlier because he was black too. If he were white do you think they would of let him drive down the road without his headlights on.

There is nothing in the story that indicates it has anything to do with racism.

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Would you take "no further action is deemed necessary because the officer was complying with established departmental policies and procedures in a professional manner" at 1 :: 5?

Most probable outcome so far.
 
None of which has anything to do with his skin color. He was behaving suspiciously and if he were any other color it would of happened the same way. The guy seems to believe it was because he was black. It was because one could reasonably suspect he was committing a crime.

Quite right, the police office thought that the person he saw taking things INTO a house was burglarizing it.

Oh sure.

Did they pull him over earlier because he was black too. If he were white do you think they would of let him drive down the road without his headlights on.

No one is complaining about him being stopped because his lights weren't on - not even him.

There is nothing in the story that indicates it has anything to do with racism.

Absolutely, not a single thing. The police stop thousands of people that they see carrying stuff FROM a moving van INTO a house every day.
 
I'm not seeing any discrimination or inappropriate behavior by the police.

It's not unreasonable to view someone carrying a TV outside at 4am as suspicious and warranting investigation.

It's also not unreasonable for the officer to protect his safety by cuffing the guy and waiting for back up before entering the house to confirm the story.

Once the guy showed the papers the cops released him and apologized for the inconvenience. They even helped the guy carry the TV into his house. They were so racist they apologized and helped the guy. Just think about that and tell me if that sounds like they are racist.

The cops did their job and the guy should appreciate that instead of trying to sue.

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I think what it comes down to is weather or not the cops helped him unload the entire truck or not. :lamo
 
Since the gentleman was carrying the TV set FROM a moving van INTO a house, exactly what did the police think he was "burglarizing" - the moving van?

It's reverse burglary....that bastard!
 
None of which has anything to do with his skin color. He was behaving suspiciously and if he were any other color it would of happened the same way. The guy seems to believe it was because he was black. It was because one could reasonably suspect he was committing a crime.

Did they pull him over earlier because he was black too. If he were white do you think they would of let him drive down the road without his headlights on.

There is nothing in the story that indicates it has anything to do with racism.

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Doesn't matter, the cops acted absurdly and had absolutely no reason to detain him. The police acted with willful disregard for our constitutional rights and deserve to be sued, and you ought to be ashamed of yourself for being ok with this ridiculous waste of tax dollars.
 
Quite right, the police office thought that the person he saw taking things INTO a house was burglarizing it.

Oh sure.



No one is complaining about him being stopped because his lights weren't on - not even him.



Absolutely, not a single thing. The police stop thousands of people that they see carrying stuff FROM a moving van INTO a house every day.
They saw someone moving valuables from a house at 4 am in the morning. Yes I'm sure they encourage that 1000s of times and the majority of them turned out to be an eccentric home owner not a burglary in progress. Furthermore your assuming that the officer knew the items were going from the van into the house and not the other way around.

Absolutely nothing in that story indicates any inappropriate behavior by the police.

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Doesn't matter, the cops acted absurdly and had absolutely no reason to detain him. The police acted with willful disregard for our constitutional rights and deserve to be sued, and you ought to be ashamed of yourself for being ok with this ridiculous waste of tax dollars.
Which constitutional right was violated?

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They saw someone moving valuables from a house at 4 am in the morning. Yes I'm sure they encourage that 1000s of times and the majority of them turned out to be an eccentric home owner not a burglary in progress. Furthermore your assuming that the officer knew the items were going from the van into the house and not the other way around.

Absolutely nothing in that story indicates any inappropriate behavior by the police.

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Not 'from a house' but 'into a house'. There is a big difference.

Do you not think preventing a citizen displays inappropriate behavior even if you disagree with the citizen? Shouldn't they have the right to file a complaint when they feel they were mistreated? To me, that indicates inappropriate behavior.
 
You can shoot a black man lying flat on his back with his hands in the air, 20 feet away, and get acquitted. I’m not holding my breath.
 
Not 'from a house' but 'into a house'. There is a big difference.

Do you not think preventing a citizen displays inappropriate behavior even if you disagree with the citizen? Shouldn't they have the right to file a complaint when they feel they were mistreated? To me, that indicates inappropriate behavior.
I'm not sure if I'm following you but if your asking if that gentleman has the right to file a complaint, yes of course he does.

All I'm saying is nothing in the story is evidence of racism. The police observed suspicious behavior and investigated. They inconveinced the guy but they did not act inappropriately.

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“I just bought this house,” said Robinson, who followed the officer’s order about the TV.

“You just bought this house and you’re moving in at 4 in the morning?” the officer said.

Robinson told the officer he had paperwork inside the home that would prove he was the owner.

The officer asked Robinson to walk toward the house and put his hands on his head. He then handcuffed Robinson.

Once backup arrived, the officer and a second officer entered the home, brought out the paperwork and took the handcuffs off Robinson. The officers helped Robinson carry the TV in the house after he asked them to.

Police told Robinson there had been a string of burglaries in the area. An officer can be heard on the body camera video apologizing to Robinson and saying, “If you look at the situation, I think, I think you get it.” The officers thanked Robinson for his cooperation.
 
None of which has anything to do with his skin color. He was behaving suspiciously and if he were any other color it would of happened the same way. The guy seems to believe it was because he was black. It was because one could reasonably suspect he was committing a crime.

Did they pull him over earlier because he was black too. If he were white do you think they would of let him drive down the road without his headlights on.

There is nothing in the story that indicates it has anything to do with racism.

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It is suspicious to move things into a house?

If he was taking things out of the house at 4 am, sure, but he was moving into the house
 
They saw someone moving valuables from a house at 4 am in the morning. Yes I'm sure they encourage that 1000s of times and the majority of them turned out to be an eccentric home owner not a burglary in progress. Furthermore your assuming that the officer knew the items were going from the van into the house and not the other way around.

Absolutely nothing in that story indicates any inappropriate behavior by the police.

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Part of the complaint alleges they parked outside his house regularly, followed him for miles from his house to the interstate, prevented him from filing a complaint at the police department, and this harassment continued until he called the local paper and they reported on it. So the initial stop is just one element of the complaint. It's in the OP... :roll:
 
Which constitutional right was violated?

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unreasonable search and seizure.

They had no reason to handcuff the man, they could have walked in the house with him, no handcuff and got the paperwork, then go on their merry way
 
“I just bought this house,” said Robinson, who followed the officer’s order about the TV.

“You just bought this house and you’re moving in at 4 in the morning?” the officer said.

Robinson told the officer he had paperwork inside the home that would prove he was the owner.

The officer asked Robinson to walk toward the house and put his hands on his head. He then handcuffed Robinson.

Once backup arrived, the officer and a second officer entered the home, brought out the paperwork and took the handcuffs off Robinson. The officers helped Robinson carry the TV in the house after he asked them to.

Police told Robinson there had been a string of burglaries in the area. An officer can be heard on the body camera video apologizing to Robinson and saying, “If you look at the situation, I think, I think you get it.” The officers thanked Robinson for his cooperation.

You missed this part:

The ACLU contends that public records show no reported burglaries in the area. And for weeks after the incident, according to Robinson, Tonganoxie police frequently patrolled around his block, parked their squad cars directly across the street almost every evening and on one occasion followed him from his home for more than 7 miles (11 kilometers) until he reached the highway. He claimed that Lawson, the police chief, also stopped him in October from filing a racial bias complaint about the Aug. 19 incident and the police presence afterward, which Robinson said amounted to surveillance.
 
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