Cop shoots fire chief in courtroom

[snoopdan 5,000+ posts]

Residents fed up with speed traps in tiny town that has seven officers
JERICHO, Ark. - It was just too much, having to return to court twice on the same day to contest yet another traffic ticket, and Fire Chief Don Payne didn't hesitate to tell the judge what he thought of the police and their speed traps.

The response from cops? They shot him. Right there in court.

Payne ended up in the hospital, but his shooting last week brought to a boil simmering tensions between residents of this tiny former cotton city and their police force. Drivers quickly learn to slow to a crawl along the gravel roads and the two-lane highway that run through Jericho, but they say sometimes that isn't enough to fend off the city ticketing machine.

"You can't even get them to answer a call because normally they're writing tickets," said Thomas Martin, chief investigator for the Crittenden County Sheriff's Office. "They're not providing a service to the citizens."

Now the police chief has disbanded his force "until things calm down," a judge has voided all outstanding police-issued citations and sheriff's deputies are asking where all the money from the tickets went. With 174 residents, the city can keep seven police officers on its rolls but missed payments on police and fire department vehicles and saw its last business close its doors a few weeks ago.

"You can't even buy a loaf of bread, but we've got seven police officers," said former resident Larry Harris, who left town because he said the police harassment became unbearable.

It was anger over traffic tickets that brought Payne to city hall last week, said his lawyer, Randy Fishman. After failing to get a traffic ticket dismissed on Aug. 27, police gave Payne or his son another ticket that day. Payne, 39, returned to court to vent his anger to Judge Tonya Alexander, Fishman said.

It's unclear exactly what happened next, but Martin said an argument between Payne and the seven police officers who attended the hearing apparently escalated to a scuffle, ending when an officer shot Payne from behind.

more : http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32680338/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts//

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crazy.gif.c13912c32de98515d3142759a824dae7.gif and I thought I had it bad out here in Kentucky //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/eek.gif.771b7a90cf45cabdc554ff1121c21c4a.gif

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[Buck 5,000+ posts]

That's ridiculous.

 

[puyallupn8ive 10+ year member]

WOW, that's crazy

 

[atlninja82 10+ year member]

wow....

 

[stereo_luver 10+ year member]

"shot him from behind"......cowards!!!!!

Reminds me of the old days in Montgomery, AL.

Back in about 1976 I was stopped for riding my dirt bike on the street. First cop asks me for my license and goes back to his car to run it. A second cop pulls up and asks me for my ID. I told him the first cop had it. He asked me again for my ID. I told him the exact same thing again, the first cop has it. He puts me in the back of his car and arrests me for witholding my identification from an officer of the law. Takes me to jail. I bail out. Go to court and plead NOT GULITY. The judge asks me if I gave the second officer my ID when asked? I said no. The first officer had my ID. He asks me again if I had given my ID to the officer that asked me for it, the second officer. I said NO. Judge said I was guilty of witholding my identification from an officer of the law and I just basically lied in court. I asked for an attorney since I couldn't pay for one myself. Judge told I watched too much TV and they don't do that sort of thing. 30 days in jail and $500 fine. After I did my 30 days (fine paid by my dad) I was given back my ID and sent home.

This kind of sh*t used to happen all the time in Montgomery, Alabama. I moved from there as soon as I could get out of school. Never looked back.

 

[snoopdan 5,000+ posts]

basically they were issuing tickets to anyone for anything just to keep all 7 of them employed. This is a prime example of the local goverment putting the screws to the people in order to finance itself.

 

[Buck 5,000+ posts]

Why in the hell would there be 7 cops there? It makes no sense. And with the only being 174 people, I bet there isn't hardly any crime at all.

 

[M Cook 10+ year member]

Why in the hell would there be 7 cops there? It makes no sense. And with the only being 174 people, I bet there isn't hardly any crime at all.

Yea, should only be two. Andy and Barney.

 

[99grandprixGT 5,000+ posts]

Why in the hell would there be 7 cops there? It makes no sense. And with the only being 174 people, I bet there isn't hardly any crime at all.

mabye cuz they only have 174 people?

 

[lambo37 10+ year member]

Makes me want to killl that mottherfacker, police are horrible seriously wtf

 

[Varinabassing 10+ year member]

Wow lol dont get on their bad side they just shoot your *** then give you a ticket for bleeding on the road ha

 

[mcsoul 10+ year member]

 

[PIITB Wut Wut 10+ year member]

dem copz iz gangsta.... we need more civilian shootings... going after a fire cheif is pretty sweet tho.

 

[jco1385 5,000+ posts]

i'd be all dukes of hazzard and shit and just run from them. jumpin over bridges and fish tailin thru trails n shit. cant fux wit me sombishes

 

[DUMPED 10+ year member]

HILLBILLY town FTW //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif:laugh: