BluesStringer
Les Brers
It seems to happen less frequently down here in Alabama, but it's sadly not unheard of. An unarmed man is shot in Dothan, AL for trying to turn in a stray kitten without "proper" ID to (I guess) a state run animal shelter. There was zero reason to arrest the man. They could've just told him to take the kitten and leave, but no, the cops had to escalate to the point of some unspecified amount of struggle after first tazing the man, and then shooting him in the gut, sustaining a wound that caused his death about eight or nine hours later.
If I'm not mistaken, the same member (Oldgrunt) who posted a "A Tribute to Police" lives in the same town where this happened. Expect no riots or protests for this man to disturb anyone's peace down there. He was white. This will likely be the last thing you will ever hear about it, except maybe when I or other awake and aware posters here deign to say out loud that we don't trust the cops, we will add this to the stories like Kelly Thomas, Keith Vidal, Eric Garner, Jose Guerena and the many other dead bodies piled up for minor or no crimes at all at the hands of the police state that all you tribute-givers support by voting for the R's or D's who have spent the last century building it.
Anyway.......
Link Removed
On December 30, 2014, Robert tried to turn over a stray cat to an animal shelter located in a small Alabama town. For some unknown reason, before the shelter would take in the stray cat, he was required to produce an acceptable piece of identification to shelter employees.
Robert was a self-described ‘sovereign citizen,’ a believer in common law but not the laws of the federal government. He did not have a driver’s license nor did he have any other governmental identification. But that is of no import as he was simply trying to bring a stray cat into an animal shelter.
Robert had a prior criminal record. Again, this was of no import as he was simply trying to bring a stray cat into an animal shelter.
Robert was unarmed and yet, he was shot to death by armed police called to the animal shelter after he was unable to produce any identification. He apparently became upset when the shelter employees would not accept his ‘sovereign citizen’ paperwork as identification. There is nothing to indicate that Robert caused any disturbance, became violent or had threatened any of the shelter employees. His ‘crime’ was bringing in a stray cat to an animal shelter without the ‘proper’ identification. This act caused the shelter employees to call the police who dispatched two officers of the Dothan Police Department to the shelter.
Still upset that the shelter simply would not take the cat off his hands, the presence of the police did little to ease the tension of the situation.
According to Sergeant Maurice Eggleston:
Since the shooting, much attention has been paid to Robert’s political views and checkered criminal record. Again, in case anyone is confused about how I see this shooting, his criminal history is of no import as he was simply trying to bring a stray cat into an animal shelter.
What remains unanswered is why this even happened. Before the police were called or arrived, why didn’t the shelter just take in the stray cat that was being dropped off by a good deed doer?
Why didn’t the officers just send Robert on his way after they made sure that no one was in danger?
If they really had to make an arrest, how is it that two officers with Tasers couldn’t subdue a man with a cat? Why in the world did they resort to deadly force?
Regardless of who Robert Lawrence was, he deserved better. Whatever his past bad deeds, at the moment in time he was killed, he was just a Good Samaritan bringing a stray cat into an animal shelter, and now he’s dead.
As a side note, a friend made mention that Robert was white. I responded, “Don’t you know, unarmed is the new black.” In this case, it would appear so.
Let the badgefluffing begin.........
.
If I'm not mistaken, the same member (Oldgrunt) who posted a "A Tribute to Police" lives in the same town where this happened. Expect no riots or protests for this man to disturb anyone's peace down there. He was white. This will likely be the last thing you will ever hear about it, except maybe when I or other awake and aware posters here deign to say out loud that we don't trust the cops, we will add this to the stories like Kelly Thomas, Keith Vidal, Eric Garner, Jose Guerena and the many other dead bodies piled up for minor or no crimes at all at the hands of the police state that all you tribute-givers support by voting for the R's or D's who have spent the last century building it.
Anyway.......
Author: Link Removed
January 3, 2015 2:49 am
It seems like I’m writing about one bad cop after another lately. Truth be told, I have written several articles about good cops in the past month as well. Sadly, my father, a cop of 4 decades, would have sat me down and explained that if good cops don’t step up and clean house, the untrained, careless, grossly negligent or just plain bad cops will taint the entire department. Good cops clean house.
This story is about a couple of untrained or grossly negligent cops and a man trying to do the right thing.
Robert Lawrence wanted to do a good deed. Unfortunately, it cost Robert his life when he was shot and killed by police at an animal shelter.
January 3, 2015 2:49 am
It seems like I’m writing about one bad cop after another lately. Truth be told, I have written several articles about good cops in the past month as well. Sadly, my father, a cop of 4 decades, would have sat me down and explained that if good cops don’t step up and clean house, the untrained, careless, grossly negligent or just plain bad cops will taint the entire department. Good cops clean house.
This story is about a couple of untrained or grossly negligent cops and a man trying to do the right thing.
Robert Lawrence wanted to do a good deed. Unfortunately, it cost Robert his life when he was shot and killed by police at an animal shelter.
On December 30, 2014, Robert tried to turn over a stray cat to an animal shelter located in a small Alabama town. For some unknown reason, before the shelter would take in the stray cat, he was required to produce an acceptable piece of identification to shelter employees.
Robert was a self-described ‘sovereign citizen,’ a believer in common law but not the laws of the federal government. He did not have a driver’s license nor did he have any other governmental identification. But that is of no import as he was simply trying to bring a stray cat into an animal shelter.
Robert had a prior criminal record. Again, this was of no import as he was simply trying to bring a stray cat into an animal shelter.
Robert was unarmed and yet, he was shot to death by armed police called to the animal shelter after he was unable to produce any identification. He apparently became upset when the shelter employees would not accept his ‘sovereign citizen’ paperwork as identification. There is nothing to indicate that Robert caused any disturbance, became violent or had threatened any of the shelter employees. His ‘crime’ was bringing in a stray cat to an animal shelter without the ‘proper’ identification. This act caused the shelter employees to call the police who dispatched two officers of the Dothan Police Department to the shelter.
Still upset that the shelter simply would not take the cat off his hands, the presence of the police did little to ease the tension of the situation.
According to Sergeant Maurice Eggleston:
“After repeatedly being told to calm down, Lawrence was advised he was being placed under arrest. A physical altercation ensued, to which Lawrence was shot in the abdomen (by an officer).”
Link Removedby the department, there was some indication that one of the officers had used a Taser on Robert before he was shot in the stomach. Neither of the police officers reported being injured during this alleged incident and Robert was never reported to have made an attempt to grab either of the officers’ guns.
Since the shooting, much attention has been paid to Robert’s political views and checkered criminal record. Again, in case anyone is confused about how I see this shooting, his criminal history is of no import as he was simply trying to bring a stray cat into an animal shelter.
What remains unanswered is why this even happened. Before the police were called or arrived, why didn’t the shelter just take in the stray cat that was being dropped off by a good deed doer?
Why didn’t the officers just send Robert on his way after they made sure that no one was in danger?
If they really had to make an arrest, how is it that two officers with Tasers couldn’t subdue a man with a cat? Why in the world did they resort to deadly force?
Regardless of who Robert Lawrence was, he deserved better. Whatever his past bad deeds, at the moment in time he was killed, he was just a Good Samaritan bringing a stray cat into an animal shelter, and now he’s dead.
As a side note, a friend made mention that Robert was white. I responded, “Don’t you know, unarmed is the new black.” In this case, it would appear so.
Let the badgefluffing begin.........
.
