Carrying in Broad Ripple (Indy), GIMP Encounter

[Kirk Freeman]

Police officers have a nasty, sometimes miserable gig dealing with shall we say the less than the cream of the community. I object to being lumped into that category for merely exercising a civil right.

My experience on 54th Street left a mark.

 

[Metro 40]

.

 

[MACHINEGUN]

My interactions with law enforcement have been rather limited but, on average, they have been very negative. Back shortly after my son was born my wife had some serious post-partum problems and was, at one point accusing me of everything up to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (she's Japanese). She would swiftly recover and be all apologetic, but one day she went a bit too far in her accusations and called the police. Now, I was told by the police that Indiana has a law where if the police are called out on a domestic dispute and find marks or other physical evidence of "violence" on one of the individuals they are required to arrest the other person. My wife has a condition known as dermographia, which means that even very modest forces (example the doctor used to demonstrate it was lightly drawing a pen along her arm) make red marks on the skin. I had attempted, gently, to retrain the worst of her outburst but.... End result was that I was arrested (charges dropped when the full story came out, but not before I spent about 30 hours in the city/county lockup). The sherrif's deputy that arrested me was pretty good actually, calming and reassuring to a terrified individual (yours truly). The folk at the lockup were a different story:

- Shortly after being checked in, they moved me and a group of others from the small holding cell near the entrance (where they ran me through a metal detector and fingerprinted me) to a larger one in the back (where I was told what initial bail would be and given a "no contact" order regarding my wife). While I was back there, I saw the guard who took us back there tell a private investigator (that identity came from overhearing the guard saying that to someone else) who had accompanied us back there for some reason go back to the front. Very shortly thereafter one of the other guards came back with the PI in a "come along" hold. When the PI protested that the first guard told him to go up front, the second asked the first if that was the case and the first looked at the second with a straight face and lied through his teeth: "No." (I had sat there and watched him tell the guy to go up front and then sat there and watched him lie. OTOH, given my situation, I wasn't going to speak up.)

- Some time later I was moved from a lockup upstairs to one downstairs (I guess preliminary to moving me to the jail proper). In the downstairs cell, I was given a thin blanket (which I used as a pillow--I was dressed warmly enough). By that time, I had been awake for close to 48 hours (stress and discomfort) so I finally drifted off to sleep. Well, my boss had posted bail for me and the paperwork had finally worked its way down while I was sleeping. Apparently, the first time they called my name I didn't wake up (like I said, close to 48 hours before I finally slept) and (again, apparently, somebody told me that's what they did) they went calling at a number of different cells before coming back to the one where I was and this time I woke. Well, after a big grilling about what I was doing on the assumption that I was playing some kind of prank on them, as if I'd choose to stay there when I had a chance to get out, the guard responsible for these "out processings" sent me back into another cell--this one with no cushions and no blankets, just the bare steel beds--and told me that everyone else would be gone before he released me. And, as it was, several groups were called out of the cells and processed out before they finally cut me loose.

- On a separate issue, my wife received threats and verbally abusive treatement from a police officer or sherrifs deputy (don't remember which at this late date) at a traffic stop.

Now, I try to remember that these incidents are the exception, not the rule. The guards certainly have to deal with a pretty scummy group on a regular basis, but that does not excuse them forgetting that not everybody in the lockup is actually guilty of anything and, as much as they may think otherwise, they don't always know which is which.

When you add in that there have certainly been cases of "circling the wagons" where the treatment of accusations of impropriety by an officer of the law is treated less as a case to be investigated and judged on its own merits and more on the basis of "us vs. them."

It's a natural human reaction, but one that needs to be guarded against. Neither side is guiltless. However, as the saying goes "with great power goes great responsibility." The police have more power than I do. That's a simple fact. That means they have to take more responsibility in dealing with those kinds of issues.

Please tell me she is an ex-wife now?

 

[mospeada]

Please tell me she is an ex-wife now?

I thought the same thing.

 

[SavageEagle]

Ammo anyone?

If you all don't calm down and step away from the thread for a while I will sick my commando on you!

 

[ryanmercer]

You do realize that the appellation "GIMP" (I prefer your "gimp") comes from one of your fellow officers, right? It is a name one of your own decided to call you, not me.

Rappers use the "Tigger with an N" word all the damn time, that doesn't make it right to use...

 

[ryanmercer]

Ammo anyone?

If you all don't calm down and step away from the thread for a while I will sick my commando on you!

That is AWESOME

 

[Prometheus]

Actually.... I owe you an apology

I see you're even an XD fan!!!

Thank you, and yes XD's are the shiznit! I like all guns (except gLocks*), but XD's are my current thing.

My wifes and my XD's.

*Going to derail this thread for sure with that gem

 

[ryanmercer]

Thank you, and yes XD's are the shiznit! I like all guns (except gLocks*), but XD's are my current thing.

My wifes and my XD's.

*Going to derail this thread for sure with that gem

Apparen'y ammo is your thing too

 

[MACHINEGUN]

Anyone have some 9mm luger ammo?

 

[dburkhead]

Please tell me she is an ex-wife now?

No. She isn't. She was having a medical problem. I wouldn't leave her for that any more than if she developed any other medical condition (except, perhaps for STD's, depending on circumstances). It was not her fault and the issue has since been resolved (well, mostly, but that's a longer story and this isn't the place).

 

[4sarge]

No. She isn't. She was having a medical problem. I wouldn't leave her for that any more than if she developed any other medical condition (except, perhaps for STD's, depending on circumstances). It was not her fault and the issue has since been resolved (well, mostly, but that's a longer story and this isn't the place).

Not trying to jack the thread but for being a husband when your wife needed it. Hope that it all works out for you

 

[SavageEagle]

To be clear, it's not Tigger it's Tigga. BIG BIG difference

 

[Bill of Rights]

Not trying to jack the thread but for being a husband when your wife needed it. Hope that it all works out for you

Good man. Reps to you both.

Blessings,
B

 

[MinuteManMike]

Small pocket audio recording device. I forget mine elsewhere every time I really need one. Maybe I should wander through Broad Ripple on the bike open carry and stop in for some excellent coffee.

I think if I were to be a witness to something like Kirk's situation, I would hang back and start recording just so there would be an actual record of what happened. Nice evidence to send to channel 6 news or YouTube.

 

[Mr.Hoppes]

I think if I were to be a witness to something like Kirk's situation, I would hang back and start recording just so there would be an actual record of what happened. Nice evidence to send to channel 6 news or YouTube.

Example of what heppens.This was in NH by the way Not Indiana

For the record I don't agree with these guys tactics, nor do I think it was a random occurance.

Dude Schools A Cop Over A Gun Law - Lightupload.com - Youtube Videos. Watch funny videos online

 

[Soundslikejosh]

Example of what heppens.This was in NH by the way Not Indiana

For the record I don't agree with these guys tactics, nor do I think it was a random occurance.

Dude Schools A Cop Over A Gun Law - Lightupload.com - Youtube Videos. Watch funny videos online

This guy is creating a circus for the purpose of further his agenda. There is a huge difference between intentionally being a dick and protecting your own rights. Maybe I am missing details, but the guy on the phone seems to be a real tool.

Edit: I finished watching the video and it became apparent that "Dave" didn't start the circus, he just joined in on the main event. I am divided, as I see both sides of the issue. Suffice it to say that I don't think he "won" or that anybody was "owned". YMMV

 

[slow1911s]

That's Latin, darlin'....apparently Mr. slow1911s here is an educated man. How I really hate him!

One of my favorites!!! Ha!

Seriously, though....I've never excused the officer's behavior. I've said several times that Rosa...er, Kirk should notify a supervisor. I understand he's an attorney? I would think that a letter to IMPD North District HQ on his law firm's letterhead would be more effective than his efforts here.

I wouldn't bet that this hasn't already happened and then some. Kirk is sharp and knows how to respond effectively and efficiently.

I think talking about here on the forum is a good thing. Kirk did outline exactly how any other law abiding citizen should act in the same situation. That situation could have gone very badly for many of us that don't have the level of legal understanding that Kirk does.

Should it have happened? No. Did it? Yes. Should a complaint be filed? Without question. Can more be done to educate the public and public servants? Absolutely.

The best thing, at this point, is to keep the banter on point. Snippy comments serves no other end than to inflame and enrage - both get ALL of us no where fast.

 

[Mr.Hoppes]

This guy is creating a circus for the purpose of further his agenda. There is a huge difference between intentionally being a dick and protecting your own rights. Maybe I am missing details, but the guy on the phone seems to be a real tool.

Edit: I finished watching the video and it became apparent that "Dave" didn't start the circus, he just joined in on the main event. I am divided, as I see both sides of the issue. Suffice it to say that I don't think he "won" or that anybody was "owned". YMMV

Yep

 

[rhino]

Re: the "GIMPS" thing ...

Not only did a (then) IPD officer coin the term on GlockTalk, but let us also recall that allegedly the original appellation for the merged police forces in Marion County was "Greater Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Service," thus the term GIMPS. Perhaps the entertaining fellow was pulling our leg with the latter, but GIMPS was and continues to be amusing to anyone with a functional sense of humor. Many were disappointed when the name of the organization was announced as Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

It bears repeating that the true butt of the original joke was former mayor Bart Peterson. We made a lot of jokes about Bart. Most of you would have enjoyed them, including the GIMPS thing.

I did a nice photoshop job of an old fashioned "prowler" festooned with GIMPS-themed decorations. I'll try to find it and post a link here.