OFF THE WIRE
by
In the video above “Juicebox Donnie” (on YouTube)
was out enjoying a ride on his motorcycle when he crossed paths with a
driver who, according to him, was driving erratically. Donnie was able
to proceed past this motorist, and while doing so, gave him the finger.
Shortly thereafter 5 Dodge County Sheriff’s stopped him on the side of
the road because the previous motorist call the police and said he had a
gun.
Shortly after providing his information to one officer another of the
remaining officers, off camera, starts to interrogate Donnie about his
interaction with the motorist. Donnie once again explains that the other
driver was being reckless and that he didn’t want to endanger his life
being in traffic with that driver. The officer states that he doesn’t
believe Donnie’s story – that there’s more to it – and that giving
someone the middle finger is a violation of the disorderly conduct law.
Which has to be false because even the Supreme Court has ruled that
giving the finger to police is protected speech (or so they claim).
The officers then proceed to search Donnie, his bike and his camera’s
SD card, which is why the video ends. After finding no evidence of
anything more than butthurt the officers had to let him go. Thankfully
Donnie didn’t reach for his waistband or have a cell phone in his hand
or he might have ended up dead. I have no idea what that other person
was thinking when they called the police and lied to them about Donnie.
It most certainly could have gotten him killed, luckily though, Donnie
remained calm, cool and collect while he let his GoPro roll.
On a small scale he’s also lucky the Dodge County Sheriff’s didn’t
ticket him for giving the finger, remember this is the same sheriff’s
office that ticketed me this past Summer for “destruction of property” when
I chalked outside their offices – see video below. So they most
certainly are sensitive cops and don’t like to have their feelings hurt.
Even still, I don’t mind writing about them because it gives me just
one more oppertunity to thank them for being a huge part of why
CopBlock.org exisit in the first place.
Here’s to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department, thank you for inspiring me to the ideas that “Badges Don’t Grant Extra Rights.”
