As Arthur Velazquez was riding his bike down the street, police claimed that he ‘fit the description’ because he was wearing a hoodie and on a bike, so they stopped him.

A small suburb of St. Louis where 95 percent of residents are black has allegedly found a new source of revenue by increasing municipal citations by 495 percent since 2010, a lawsuit claimed this week.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the Institute for Justice’s office filed a lawsuit seeking class action status this week against the city of Pagedale.

The lawsuits accuses Pagedale of “an unprecedented governmental intrusion into the homes of its residents” for issuing tickets for things like barbecuing in the front yard, drinking beer too close to the grill and even saggy pants.

In some cases, residents said that Pagedale officials threatened to demolish their homes, even though the city admitted that the homes were only a nuisance and presented no public safety threat.

Valarie Whitner and Vincent Blount told the paper that they were forced to take out a payday to pay $1,810 in fines.

After a Justice Department investigation found that Ferguson, Missouri was raising revenue by fining residents, the state passed a law limiting how much of a city’s funding can come from traffic violations.

But Pagedale has been able to skirt that law by issuing municipal citations instead of traffic tickets. In 2013, 17 percent of the city’s revenue came from fines and fees, The New York Times noted.

“This case demonstrates that property rights are fundamentally civil rights,” Institute for Justice lawyer William told The Associate Press. “Pagedale treats its residents like walking, talking ATMs, making withdrawals by issuing tickets for ridiculous things that no city has a right to dictate.”

Pagedale city attorney Sam Alton insisted that the fines were for the good of community.

“Both the lawsuit, and any perception that these people are being treated unfairly, is unfortunate,” Alton said. “The city is doing everything it can within the boundaries of the law to make sure that properties within the city are code compliant and do not present any type of danger or risk to the residents of the city.”

“The city is simply attempting to get these individuals to bring their property up to code like everyone else,” he added. “If they just work with the city, and just do something minimally every month, those fines will be abated.”

Four cops from four different departments lied about shootings they were responsible for, and their lies were used by media outlets and pro-police groups to implicate Black Lives Matter protesters each time. It turns out that in all four cases, the officers involved either shot themselves, shot their own car, or were shot by a fellow officer.

But in Florida, a 4-year deputy being honored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving for making more than 100 DUI arrests was too intoxicated to pick up his award.

Pinellas County deputy Michael Szeliga arrived at a statewide police training event "ready to party," according to WFLA.

Szeliga, who allegedly packed a bottle of liquor for the 2-day training event in Fort Lauderdale, was described as “staggeringly drunk” by a witness at the Friday night banquet where he was slated to receive the MADD award.

A 274-page report on the deputy’s behavior indicates he and two other officers went to the hotel pool, where they drank alcohol instead of attending DUI training. Szeliga drank and played cornhole until he saw his fellow deputies leaving training. Then he returned to his room to get ready for the awards ceremony.

According to the report, he was so intoxicated the police chief from Gulfport, Florida, suggested Szeliga not go to the event. The deputy then made “disrespectful comments” toward the police chief, who reported the behavior to Szeliga’s boss.

Another officer reported seeing the deputy wearing “nothing but boxer shorts” in the hallway of the hotel, according to WFLA.

Szeliga said the training was not necessary because he was being transferred out of the DUI unit. He now works as a detective in the sheriff’s crimes against children unit.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri credited Szeliga with being a good deputy but also expressed his disapproval of the MADD affair. “It was wrong, and again, one of the most ridiculous things I’ve heard of,” Gualtieri said.

The deputy was suspended for one day and wrote an apology to the Gulfport police chief.

But in Florida, a 4-year deputy being honored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving for making more than 100 DUI arrests was too intoxicated to pick up his award.

Pinellas County deputy Michael Szeliga arrived at a statewide police training event "ready to party," according to WFLA.

Szeliga, who allegedly packed a bottle of liquor for the 2-day training event in Fort Lauderdale, was described as “staggeringly drunk” by a witness at the Friday night banquet where he was slated to receive the MADD award.

A 274-page report on the deputy’s behavior indicates he and two other officers went to the hotel pool, where they drank alcohol instead of attending DUI training. Szeliga drank and played cornhole until he saw his fellow deputies leaving training. Then he returned to his room to get ready for the awards ceremony.

According to the report, he was so intoxicated the police chief from Gulfport, Florida, suggested Szeliga not go to the event. The deputy then made “disrespectful comments” toward the police chief, who reported the behavior to Szeliga’s boss.

Another officer reported seeing the deputy wearing “nothing but boxer shorts” in the hallway of the hotel, according to WFLA.

Szeliga said the training was not necessary because he was being transferred out of the DUI unit. He now works as a detective in the sheriff’s crimes against children unit.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri credited Szeliga with being a good deputy but also expressed his disapproval of the MADD affair. “It was wrong, and again, one of the most ridiculous things I’ve heard of,” Gualtieri said.

The deputy was suspended for one day and wrote an apology to the Gulfport police chief.

Three Tuscaloosa police officers are on paid leave after they were seen using a Taser stun gun and baton on students during a noise complaint early Sunday morning in what the chief called a "black eye" for the department and the city.

Chief Steve Anderson today said more officers could be placed on leave as what promises to be an exhaustive and lengthy investigation continues. The officers placed on leave are the first officer to arrive on the scene, the officer who used the Taser on a student and the officer who used the nightstick, he said.

The first officer who arrived on the scene and was seen at the doorway in the multiple videos made public is an eight-year veteran. The officer who used the Taser has 12 years on the force, and the officer who repeatedly struck the student with the baton has two years on the TPD.

...

The video shows an officer talking to those inside the apartment at the front door, and those inside refusing to exit the apartment. The students questioned whether they were being arrested or detained, and whether the officers were within their rights to search the apartment.

Officers ended up going into the apartment. In one of the videos, one of the officers tells those inside the apartment to "Shut the (expletive) up." When told the incident was being videotaped, he replied, "I don't give a (expletive)."

At least a dozen officers quickly responded to the scene. A witness told AL.com the scene was chaotic. "They had a girl and two boys on the ground,'' she said. "They were all screaming and everybody was videoing it."

"It all happened extremely quickly, and I'm still shaken by the images that will forever be on my mind," said Patrick Weaver, a student who witnessed the events from a nearby apartment. "I've always been taught to respect authorities, but I believe that respect should be extended.

Attorneys for The Rutherford Institute are rebutting an attempt by a Virginia police officer to dismiss a lawsuit filed on behalf of a man who was arrested as he was engaged in a First Amendment protest against President Obama while lawfully carrying a rifle. Rutherford Institute attorneys are also challenging an assertion by police that Brandon Howard was not actually under arrest, even though he was detained by police at gun point, handcuffed against his will and transported against his will to a local police station.

...

On Monday, Aug. 26, 2013, Brandon Howard arrived at an overpass above Interstate 295 in the City of Hopewell, Va., and displayed a 6 foot by 4 foot sign that read "Impeach Obama." Howard was carrying a DMTS Panther Arms AR-15 rifle slung over his shoulder on a strap, and a .380 caliber Bersa Thunder sidearm pistol in a belted holster on his waist. Howard lawfully owned each firearm and did not point or brandish them at any time while engaged in his First Amendment protest activity on the overpass. Howard displayed his protest sign for 30 minutes, but Howard did not directly engage with anyone.

...

Approximately eight officers exited these vehicles with their guns drawn and ordered Howard to drop his sign and get on the ground with his hands spread above his head. Howard complied with the officers' orders. Despite the fact that Howard at no time made any threatening action toward the officers or anyone else, one police officer allegedly asked Howard, "What do you think you are doing threatening people on my interstate?" Howard explained that he had not threatened anyone but was simply exercising his First and Second amendment rights. Howard was then handcuffed and transported to the police station, where he was left, handcuffed, in an interrogation room for 90 minutes, after which time he had his firearms returned and was released. A month later, the Deputy Chief of Police acknowledged in writing that an internal investigation had concluded that one of the officers violated department policy and would be disciplined and sent to remedial training.

Police officer John Gorman is due to appear in court next month, to face charges of “aggravated discharge of a firearm” after he fired several shots at other off-duty cops who were attempting to pull him over while he was driving drunk.

The 53-year-old officer was caught driving drunk on November 23rd of last year when another cop noticed that he almost ran over a flower vendor. Gorman was followed by multiple police and began to weave in and out of traffic trying to outrun them. Eventually, Gorman ended up stopping at a traffic light where he was approached by multiple officers.

When they approached his vehicle with their badges in the air, they noticed that Gorman even had an open bottle in his hand. Gorman allowed the officers to approach his car until the light turned green, at which point he sped off down the street. After racing through the streets for several more minutes, Gorman pulled over and began to fire his gun at the officers who were following him.

Gorman actually ended up getting away, but his licence plate was reported to police, and he was quickly brought in for questioning.

When Gorman was taken in for questioning, he refused to take a Breathalyzer but was then forced to do so by Internal Affairs Division investigators.

According to the charges against him, Gorman had a blood alcohol content of 0.07 over 5 hours after the shooting, and admitted to the arresting officers that he had fired the shots earlier that day.

Gorman’s career has been filled with disciplinary problems and has 22 misconduct complaints filed against him.

Oddly enough, Gorman actually still has his job and has continued to work in the offices of the police station since his arrest.

However, if he is convicted he will face up to 15 years in prison. He will be due in court on December 1st.