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Frustrated Sheriff Arrests Motorcyclist For Wearing A Helmet Camera

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From Jalopnik.com

While on a Memorial Day Weekend highway cruise, sportbike rider Chris Moore was arrested. He was not speeding. He does not appear to have been breaking any law. Thanks to Moore's helmet cam video, the Sheriff's department has opened internal affairs investigation on the arrest.
Moore was on a cruise with something between 50 and 100 other sportbike riders. Last year, these riders illegally shut down the freeway and this year they continued to taunt authorities watching the cruise, including one Deputy Sheriff James Westbrook. Westbrook pulled over Moore saying that he was going to take Moore's helmet-mounted camera and use it as evidence for the crimes committed by other bikers.

Moore: Was I doing something wrong? What am I being pulled over for?

Westbrook: The whole group of you guys.

Moore: No. I was not, individually. How can you pull me over?

Westbrook: The reason you're being pulled over is because I'm going to take your camera, and we're going to use it as evidence of in the crimes that have been committed by other bikers.

Moore protested.

I have not committed any crimes, and you cannot take my personal property from me, sir.

Westbrook gives this some thought, steps away, and returns to arrest Moore for having a concealed license plate. Moore contends that this is a trumped up charge, but he still spent eight hours in jail for it.

Were it not for his helmet video recording the whole event, that might have been the end of the story, but the video was picked up by WFAA-TV, who brought pressure on the department to review what appears to be an illegal seizure of property (the camera) without a warrant. Watch the video (Moore is pulled over at 3:28 and arrested at 6:31) and it looks clear that Moore was simply guilty by association.

Is it a surprise that Moore was arrested? Of course not. He rides the motorcycle of choice of speeders and hooligans, and he was travelling with a group of reckless riders with a history of breaking the law. Thanks to the proliferation of cheap video cameras, however, he might get justice.
 
Arrested due to the license plate? It wasn't in the correct spot/angle but "concealed" suggests hidden, which it wasn't.

He was arrested because the cop was pissed off and on a power trip. As long as cops are given paid vacation for infractions/violations, this type of behavior will continue.

That being said, every rider knows 1-10% of police officers are punks and if you aren't 100% respectful and courteous they will abuse their power. I get irritated when pulled over for what I consider no reason as much as the next guy, but the cop has a badge and a gun and if you've got nothing (except you pay his salary which doesn't seem to factor in strangely enough..).
 
I hate to say it but I agree that if they are continually just put on paid time off while "suspended" then what is the down side? For serious violations, such as this when're the 4th Amendment is trashed by a cop with an ego, that cop needs to be fired and the motorcyclist needs to be compensated for his jail time/experience. This is a civil rights suits in the making.
 
Been there before. If it wasn't for two cops that actually ride with us..off duty of course...we all would have gone to jail for something similar.. Most of the charges were for no mirrors, plates, and no proof of insurance. The freaking cops called a huge flatbed tow truck to get all our bikes.
 
Come on Bro, everyone knows all you bikers are trouble makers. He was just using preemptive action because we all know it's a matter of time before you commit a crime. You need to be arrested beforehand...
 
Just wow. :redface:

Anyone know, at ~ 7:45 into this recording, where the other two officers go running off to? Very strange.
 
Just wow. :redface:

Anyone know, at ~ 7:45 into this recording, where the other two officers go running off to? Very strange.

HERE!!!

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I'm making jokes but that dude probably didn't help the cause by being so impolite.
 
so you get arrested in texas for a hard to see plate?

I dont understand. and the 2 cops run off to where?
 
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It's an interesting video. The reality is that virtually everyone driving has something wrong with their vehicle that would make it possible to get a ticket (if you have a frame around your license plate in New York you can get a ticket). Notice the cop did not ticket him for anything he did not see. I don't know why he was arrested rather than just getting a citation. I'm sure the group was riding in a manner that was generating a lot of cell phone complaints from other drivers (judging by the large LE response). This guy was just the unlucky fish in a school of fish that got netted. I'm curious how this will turn out.
 
The ONLY reason he was arrested instead of ticketed and let go, was so they could get their hands on the video.

sent from my crappy cell phone.
 
If you watch the dash cam video a few posts above this I think you'll be of the opinion that he got what was coming to him. These kids are acting like jerks.
 
wow hand the guy drugs and he drives off, then circles back and picks the girl up LOL

thats STEEL BALLS.

but the thing that really gets me. is he held the cop back so his buddies could get away.

took one for the team as it were.
 
Whoa, how did I end up with the guy above's avatar?

Anyways I was trying to post a picture of "question my a-Thor-I-Ty"
 
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I've ridden sportbikes many years, but, this is one of the reasons cops will be assholes. It works both ways. I really wished the cop would've tapped that back of that bike.
 
I've ridden bikes for years as well ranging from track days to mountains. It's my opinion that streetbikes in a group usually leads to dumb $hit going down. This happened to me so much I started riding track only. Too many inexperienced idiots that want to wheelie.
That being said I've been pulled over 2 times and I always pull the key out and hold it up for the cop to see. Both times I was asked what I was doing and I reply, "bikes are fast and I know you have a lot to process during a stop to remain safe. Just trying to help you out." Puts them at ease. No ticket both times. Then again I was only doing a bit over and not riding stupid.
 
Cops are human and they make mistakes. That said, I don't think abuse of power is a mistake. Shooting a man with a toy gun in a dark ally is a mistake. Purposely abusing power to control others for personal gain is not. I think it should be a single offense rule. Blatantly abuse your power and be charged with it and you're done! This would solve a lot of these issues.
 
Cops are human and they make mistakes. That said, I don't think abuse of power is a mistake. Shooting a man with a toy gun in a dark ally is a mistake. Purposely abusing power to control others for personal gain is not. I think it should be a single offense rule. Blatantly abuse your power and be charged with it and you're done! This would solve a lot of these issues.

I'm going to disagree with your statement. The person with a toy gun is making a mistake. A police officer only has seconds (or fractions of a second)to observe a threat, orient themselves, decide, and then act. It's called the OODA loop. If he shoots someone with a toy gun in a dark ally it's tragic but not a mistake. The police officer has to live with that decision for the rest of his or her life. A decision that only took half a second to make.
 
Everyone in that video is a total douche (Sheriff, and motorcyclist). I will give an exception of the officer who placed the helmet on the cruiser in just such a way that we got to see the rest of the interaction. That Cop is awesome.
 
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