Wow. I had earlier speculated that he might have a file with some other complaints, but a restraining order too. Whaddyaknow.
I assume your lawyer is going to chat with the HPD Auto Theft guys to let them know they were tools of his harassment campaign against you?
I hope he is out of your hair for good. Best wishes.
elb
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Return to “Some advice please”
- Tue Sep 25, 2007 7:13 pm
- Forum: LEO Contacts & Bloopers
- Topic: Some advice please
- Replies: 59
- Views: 11867
- Mon Sep 24, 2007 11:38 pm
- Forum: LEO Contacts & Bloopers
- Topic: Some advice please
- Replies: 59
- Views: 11867
- Sun Sep 23, 2007 1:33 am
- Forum: LEO Contacts & Bloopers
- Topic: Some advice please
- Replies: 59
- Views: 11867
Were it me in your shoes...and taking your report as gospel...
I would not "blow it off." If this guy has decided to get in your face, and used his official capacity to do so by running a license check and criminal history on you, then he is not going to go away. He is being a thug, he probably enjoys it, and he won't stop.
An analogy:
Most cops I have talked to have told me that the first one to call for help in a situation becomes the default "victim," which makes the other guy the "problem," at least until some pretty strong evidence otherwise emerges. This is why they tell me if I have any confrontation with anyone, even if it amounts to him running away with no actual "action," I should do my darndest to be the first on to call 911. If I scare him off with no harm done and don't report it, but he runs around the corner and calls 911 and tells the operator about the "crazy man with a gun," guess who's in trouble now? He's ditched his weapon, and there I am beboppin' down the street with my gun.
The analogy to your situation is that the first one to complain/take official action about anything will be the "victim," and the other will be the bad guy, and it will be doubly bad for you if he goes first because he is a cop. For example, if he strolls over to your driveway one night and notices your inspection sticker is overdue, and bags you for it the next morning at the end of the block in front of your neighbors, anything you do from that point on will be regarded as "retaliation." Or if he uses the famous "license plate light broken/obscured" just to pull you over for the traffic stop, complete with disarming drill. Or if he calls the city Code Enforcement about your "business" in your garage, even if you can show it is not a business, etc. Your dog tried to bite him. Whatever.
So were it me, I would be first one out of the box. I would put off the next gun purchase or impact tool purchase or whatever and get with a lawyer, and see how best to establish a complaint about this guy, including how to document your encounters, if tape recording is a good idea, and all that. Figure out how to document that you lived there for 10 years with your A/C and your tools and nobody ever complained before - just him. Affidavits from your other neighbors maybe. No record of police calls or code enforcement calls to your house. Keep your receipts for the new A/C to be able to show you responded to his "concerns." Etc. But do complain and get on record as the "victim."
Is it escalating the situation? Yeah. But again, from your description, it sounds like he's going to do that anyway. I think if you get on the record first as complaining about his behavior, even if it is not "sustained" by DPS (or whoever you complain to), its easier down the road to show that he's being the obnoxious one. And maybe he will be smart enough to at least go bother someone else. Who knows, he may have a string of complaints in his file at DPS, and this may be the straw for the camel's back.
It probably won't be a slam dunk. Cops get complained about pretty regularly, and most of the complaints don't pan out. But like I said, if he uses his position to ratchet things up with an official action, then you will forever be back on your heels trying to play catch up.
Up to you. But if he is harassing you as described, blowing it off does nothing to discourage him. I am generally a big supporter of law enforcement, but I think bully cops are worse than criminals and need to be weeded out. Unfortunately this doesn't seem to happen enough, until something really bad happens down the road.
Good luck, this sounds like a tough one.
elb
I would not "blow it off." If this guy has decided to get in your face, and used his official capacity to do so by running a license check and criminal history on you, then he is not going to go away. He is being a thug, he probably enjoys it, and he won't stop.
An analogy:
Most cops I have talked to have told me that the first one to call for help in a situation becomes the default "victim," which makes the other guy the "problem," at least until some pretty strong evidence otherwise emerges. This is why they tell me if I have any confrontation with anyone, even if it amounts to him running away with no actual "action," I should do my darndest to be the first on to call 911. If I scare him off with no harm done and don't report it, but he runs around the corner and calls 911 and tells the operator about the "crazy man with a gun," guess who's in trouble now? He's ditched his weapon, and there I am beboppin' down the street with my gun.
The analogy to your situation is that the first one to complain/take official action about anything will be the "victim," and the other will be the bad guy, and it will be doubly bad for you if he goes first because he is a cop. For example, if he strolls over to your driveway one night and notices your inspection sticker is overdue, and bags you for it the next morning at the end of the block in front of your neighbors, anything you do from that point on will be regarded as "retaliation." Or if he uses the famous "license plate light broken/obscured" just to pull you over for the traffic stop, complete with disarming drill. Or if he calls the city Code Enforcement about your "business" in your garage, even if you can show it is not a business, etc. Your dog tried to bite him. Whatever.
So were it me, I would be first one out of the box. I would put off the next gun purchase or impact tool purchase or whatever and get with a lawyer, and see how best to establish a complaint about this guy, including how to document your encounters, if tape recording is a good idea, and all that. Figure out how to document that you lived there for 10 years with your A/C and your tools and nobody ever complained before - just him. Affidavits from your other neighbors maybe. No record of police calls or code enforcement calls to your house. Keep your receipts for the new A/C to be able to show you responded to his "concerns." Etc. But do complain and get on record as the "victim."
Is it escalating the situation? Yeah. But again, from your description, it sounds like he's going to do that anyway. I think if you get on the record first as complaining about his behavior, even if it is not "sustained" by DPS (or whoever you complain to), its easier down the road to show that he's being the obnoxious one. And maybe he will be smart enough to at least go bother someone else. Who knows, he may have a string of complaints in his file at DPS, and this may be the straw for the camel's back.
It probably won't be a slam dunk. Cops get complained about pretty regularly, and most of the complaints don't pan out. But like I said, if he uses his position to ratchet things up with an official action, then you will forever be back on your heels trying to play catch up.
Up to you. But if he is harassing you as described, blowing it off does nothing to discourage him. I am generally a big supporter of law enforcement, but I think bully cops are worse than criminals and need to be weeded out. Unfortunately this doesn't seem to happen enough, until something really bad happens down the road.
Good luck, this sounds like a tough one.
elb