Don't flip off a cop (Pittsburgh, Warren: showing, travel, job)

[vwscottie]

Did anyone hear the story on the news last night about a citizen who "supposedly" gave a cop the middle finger? I saw the interview with the guy and it really sounds like he didn't, but what if he really did? To be clear, it was a PSP officer.

I've mentioned that I'm just close to a year new to the area, and I really love Pittsburgh. The two major complaints I have are the drivers, and the police. I have witnessed the Pittsburgh Police in action on more than one occasion, in totally non violent situations and it is unbelievable how rude they area. I travel to NYC once a year and it's unbelievable to me how nice the NYPD officers are, and they have ten times the job that Pittsburgh or any cop in Allegheny County does.

I have also read this is not the first incident in Allegheny County for someone being cited for showing or apparently showing their middle finger. One other instance included a young guy from Regent Square.

So who do the cops think they are anymore? With all the tazering you hear about, especially the clip on the news recently from Warren Ohio, to looking at a cop wrong and getting a ticket?

[ysgi]

I saw that. And they guy doesn't 'look' like the type. But who knows and who cares. If he flipped you or me off, what can we do about it?

But if you flip off a cop - even in an unmarked car - you can be cited.

I think the charges should be dropped. They guy says he has arthritis in that hand and cant flip the bird, even if he wants to.


-Eric

[PApisces]

I have always said the Cops are just Bullies with a badge. Think back to your high school days. remember the idiot who was always slapping books out of people's hands or using terroristic threats against people? Well, those people are now COPS!

Ross Twshp Police, from what I recall, are the worst of the bunch.

As far as the tazers are concerned, I think that they ought to be removed from service. They are obviously being abused under the premise that they are not dangerous. To the contrary, they KILL. There was a story here in Dallas a couple years ago where they tazered a meth addict repeatedly and it killed him. The woman who was tazered a dozen times in Ohio for a simple traffic stop should sue and have that idiots badge and he should serve time.

[vwscottie]

Originally Posted by PApisces

Ross Twshp Police, from what I recall, are the worst of the bunch.

We don't go out that way much, but my vote goes to MLPD

[MaryS80]

Unfortunately I think police are rude no matter where you live, power corrupts. Here in Dallas I had one make a smart remark when I stopped and asked for directions when my friends and I got lost in bad area. I got arrested as a teen and one told my stepfather that if I were his kid he'd beat the **** out of me. One of my coworkers was locked out his car, the police came and thought he was breaking in. When he explained he was locked out they gave him hell about how he was dressed and said he looked like a thug and hood rat. Mind you its the style of dress most young guys today wear.

[tommygoat]

Cops are people. There are good and bad. Imagine how many smart mouthed a-holes they encounter everyday. Like people with prejudged 'smart' attitudes who think ALL cops are overgrown bullies or school house jerks. My expereince has been that you get what you give in the respect department.

[PApisces]

Originally Posted by tommygoat

Cops are people. There are good and bad. Imagine how many smart mouthed a-holes they encounter everyday. Like people with prejudged 'smart' attitudes who think ALL cops are overgrown bullies or school house jerks. My expereince has been that you get what you give in the respect department.

Fortunately, your experience is quite limited then. The Dallas PD, for example, is chock-full of corruption. You may have heard about the "fake drug" scandal where cops planted pool chalk on several people and called it cocaine. Not to mention all the news around the whole country with Tasering incidents. Is every cop a bully? Of course not. Are departments properly handling those that are? Obviously not.

[Hopes]

Pittsburgh area police departments don't have a huge problem with corruption. Of course, there are some police officers who are on a power trip, but that isn't representative of all police officers. Tommygoat is right---you generally get what you give. If you're respectful to a police officer, you'll most likely get treated fairly. I've had some absolutely wonderful experiences with our police officers. They've given me breaks when they could have thrown the book at me. For instance, once I was caught driving on a suspended license (long story). The police officer could have made me walk home. Heck, he could have thrown me in jail! But he allowed me to drive my car home. At the magistrate's office, the police officer actually spoke on my behalf and encouraged the magistrate to cut me a break. They permitted me 60 days to resolve my license issues---sort of like a suspended sentence. I went to the DMV, resolved the issues, and as a result of their allowing me an opportunity to rectify my license I didn't even get a fine. I KNOW I was treated MORE than fairly because I was respectful, polite and honest to the police officer from the start.

[vwscottie]

Originally Posted by tommygoat

Cops are people. There are good and bad. Imagine how many smart mouthed a-holes they encounter everyday.

Boo hoo, it's there job to be professional and handle all types of the public.

Like people with prejudged 'smart' attitudes who think ALL cops are overgrown bullies or school house jerks. My expereince has been that you get what you give in the respect department.

That's very true; in regards to that comment, it's interesting you don't see the word "respect on the Pittsburgh police cruisers. It's a great advertisement to what you get from them for sure.

[pghquest]

Originally Posted by vwscottie

Did anyone hear the story on the news last night about a citizen who "supposedly" gave a cop the middle finger? I saw the interview with the guy and it really sounds like he didn't, but what if he really did? To be clear, it was a PSP officer.

I've mentioned that I'm just close to a year new to the area, and I really love Pittsburgh. The two major complaints I have are the drivers, and the police. I have witnessed the Pittsburgh Police in action on more than one occasion, in totally non violent situations and it is unbelievable how rude they area. I travel to NYC once a year and it's unbelievable to me how nice the NYPD officers are, and they have ten times the job that Pittsburgh or any cop in Allegheny County does.

I have also read this is not the first incident in Allegheny County for someone being cited for showing or apparently showing their middle finger. One other instance included a young guy from Regent Square.

So who do the cops think they are anymore? With all the tazering you hear about, especially the clip on the news recently from Warren Ohio, to looking at a cop wrong and getting a ticket?

I flipped someone else off, who called the cop.. I got into an argument with the cop about freedom of speech, received a ticket, and then went to court for it, and its perfectly legal. Its protected by first amendment, freedom of speech, provided there was no sexual intent, then it becomes sexual harassment.

Here is a story about a guy who sued another city for arresting him for doing such.. He won $3,000 A Nice Gesture » Courts & Speakers

In 2001, a cop pulled someone over after she stuck out her middle finger (in pa).. only to find out she was drunk.. The dui was thrown out because the police had no authority to chase her..

This isnt the first time its happened locally... Motorist files suit against officer - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Here is someone who got paid for doing it.. Man cited for flipping trooper the bird - A Pennsylvania man was issued a citation for disorderly cond...

Ahh, found the case I was looking for.. the one that got me found not guilty..
. A39004/99
law, and (c) whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks
serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.
Bryner, 652 A.2d at 912 (quoting Miller, 413 U.S. at 24, 93 S.Ct. at
2615). This Court determined that the language used by Bryner was not
obscene under the Miller test. Departing from the decision in Pringle, once
determining that the utterance was not obscene, the Bryner Court did not
go on to examine whether the statement was "fighting words", unprotected
as free speech. The Bryner Court noted that there was no need to consider
whether Bryner's words were "fighting words", since that type of language is
not at issue under section 5503(a)(3). Bryner, 652 A.2d at 912, n.4. This
analysis seems to put an end to the analysis conducted in Pringle.
¶ 10 Following Bryner, the federal district court for the Middle District in
Brockway v. Shepherd, 942 F.Supp. 1012, 1016 (M.D. Pa. 1996),
addressed the question of whether the appellant therein, Louis Brockway,
violated section 5503(a)(3) by making an obscene gesture, the proverbial
"middle finger", after a vehicle stop.5 In ruling on this question, the court
relied on Bryner and the Miller standard adopted in that case. The
Brockway Court observed that there are times when conduct using a base
term for sex may be intended to express disrespect for someone and to
offend that person, yet not amount to offensive communication that appeals
to the prurient interest. The court stated: "It would be a rare person who