Rude Cops In Missouri

Here is a report from September 18, 2013 about an incident which took place in O'Fallon, MO which is about 25 miles from Ferguson:

On September 18, 2013 at approximately 8:00 AM in front of Walgreens on Mexico Loop Road, my 20-year-old daughter was stopped and detained while walking 3-4 blocks home. The officers stated there was a call that she looked suspicious and asked for her ID. She informed them that she had a high risk pregnancy due to epilepsy, she was 24 weeks along, and that she was returning home after having morning sickness at a friend’s house. While looking for her ID, she pointed out that it was 76 degrees outside, she was sick and just wanted to get home to lie down. She also stated and showed the officers that our home was visible from where they stood at which time the only truly rude, offensive and unprofessional officer asked her if she was carrying, to which she replied, “Yes, sir. I am 24 weeks pregnant,” not realizing he meant a firearm. He became blatantly nasty, accusatory, and aggressive with her verbally, which caused my daughter to begin crying. His partner actually apologized for the entire ordeal while the rude officer ran her license.

By this time, there were four police vehicles in front of the local Walgreens. They insisted she get in their car and asked her what my name was and if I had any felonies, at which point she asked, “What did I do? I can’t believe this; I was just walking. Are you arresting me?” The rude officer replied, “If you continue with this attitude I can make this much worse for you.” Of course she was upset, scared, a bit angered and hormonal, but she agreed to get in his vehicle. They drove her to our home and while she went in the basement entrance, four officers proceeded to pound on all of the doors, dislocating one storm window and waking my 74-year-old father who has leukemia and pre-Alzheimer’s. My father then came to wake me, during which time he unintentionally left the door cracked and three of the officers entered our home. As I came into the kitchen, the rude officer would not stop yelling at my daughter who had just reached the top of the stairs, crying and sweating with a beet-red face from the heat and humidity. As I was trying to get the entire story from a nicer officer, my daughter began vomiting and ran to the bathroom. A sergeant and his partner immediately followed her down the hallway as if she were trying to escape. I pushed in front of them, putting my ear to the bathroom door and told them, “She’s obviously sick. What else can I do for you?” They both remained in the hallway; during this time the rude officer just decided to leave.

http://www.copblock.org/38273/pregnant-woman-detained-while-walking-3-blocks-home-ofallon-mo/

Just walking down the road and looking "suspicious" is now apparently a crime in Missouri. And not doing exactly what police tell you to do is also now apparently a potentially capital offense.

I suspect that Michael Brown may have encountered a similarly rude police officer, that someone said something to the officer which ticked him off, and that things escalated from there ... just like what is described in the above report.

When police bully people or treat them like garbage, some people are going to push back. And when the policy of "response to resistance" escalates to the application of a choke hold, to tasing, and/or to gun play, what started as a trivial incident leads to someone getting killed.

For what?

Whatever happened to "protect and serve"?