“A judge has thrown out charges against a Maryland man who videotaped his traffic stop by a plainclothes state trooper [who drew a gun before identifying himself] and posted the video on YouTube,” the Washington Examiner reports. “Harford County Circuit Judge Emory Plitt ruled Monday that the trooper had no expectation of privacy when he arrested [Anthony] Graber, and the wiretapping law does not apply. Graber still faces traffic charges.” Uh-oh. Meanwhile, the judge’s comment is one for the history books: “Those of us who are public officials and are entrusted with the power of the state are ultimately accountable to the public. When we exercise that power in public fora, we should not expect our actions to be shielded from public observation. ‘Sed quis custodiet ipsos cutodes’ (“Who watches the watchmen?”).”
Does anyone else wonder what would have happened if the motorcyclist had had a pistol on his side? It wouldn't be ridiculous to cary a high quality (good retention) holster on your side while riding. I'm not particularly sure of the carry laws in Maryland, but imagine the same thing from an automobile driver's perspective. That is, a driver who has a handgun in the car.
If someone blocks your escape, pulls a weapon, and charges at you demanding "GET OUTA the CAR!", a reasonable person might defend themselves and their property with lethal force against that imminent threat.
Imagine a first person perspective of a citizen shooting frantically at a cop who thinks he's "doing the right thing"… who know how many people could have been killed at such a crowded intersection.
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