A tragic death occurred in Georgia.  A bunch of cowboy cops were investigating an alleged $50.00 crack deal.  They followed the person whom they thought was their target suspect.  They were driving a black Cadillac Escalade.  They were “undercover” and in “plain” clothes.  They were wearing ski masks.  They followed the man to an ATM where he proceeded to draw out money.  They jumped out of their Escalade pointing their guns towards him.  The man believed he was being robbed.  He fled, slightly brushing his vehicle against one of the “officers” in the process.  One of the “officers” shot him in the stomach.  He drove about 1000 ft down the road and crashed.  He died in the hospital as his family stood by his side.  His dying words were that he thought he was being robbed.  He was not a drug dealer, but a church pastor.

The cop who shot him, was not even qualified in the use of any handgun, and not technically certified as a police officer.  It was also subsequently revealed that only months earlier, the same cop had shot another person who was not even accused of committing a crime.  Did his superiors suspend him?  No, they gave him a ski mask and a gun, and put him in a position to shoot someone over an alleged $50.00 crack deal.   And the “authorities”, in their boundless integrity, tried to initially claim that the pastor was a drug suspect, though this was later retracted.

For more information take a look at the article by Rodney Balko.

At what point will we have had enough.  This is not a left wing issue.  This should be an issue for all political parties.  People know that I am a member of the NRA.  I am a gun guy.  I treasure the 2nd amendment.  I treasure the U.S.  I treasure our history, and the ideals of our founding fathers.  There is an increasing tendency for those in the NRA, or otherwise involved in the protection of our 2nd amendment rights – and freedom in general – to offer unwavering support for law enforcement and “law and order.”  Well, have you had enough now?  This should piss everyone off.  There is nothing more harmful to our freedom than a bunch of untrained cowboy cops given a black Escalade and ski masks, and given a license to terrorize and kill people.  And over someone allegedly attempting to put $50.00 worth of harmful chemicals into their bodies?  Who and the hell cares.  Do you care enough to spend your own personal money on such activity?  Does that protect you and your family?  Does that help establish “law and order”?

How much do you want to bet, that in your community, there is a group of similar cowboy cops, who identify themselves as some “drug task force,” where they get to put on ski masks, ride around in an SUV, and pretend that they are some elite force on a mission from God?  The next time some political hack in your area says that he or she is going to put more cops on the street, ask yourself: do we really need more cops?

Here’s an idea: less laws, less taxes, less government workers, more freedom.

– John H. Bryan, West Virginia Attorney.