Gun-Carrying Reporter Not Charged

[miklcolt45]

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbc.../71113023/1086

Outcome of the discussion of this reporter arrested for carrying 'on' school property.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[me]

So he got arrested for nothing and is now not being charged, go figure.

[rabywk]

I love the headline..... It makes it sound like he got away with something. He was not breaking any law, but the news spin makes it sound like he got lucky.

[BlackBear]

I thought the article was well-written. Not really any bias, not bashing of either side (though they could have stated a little earlier that he did have a permit.) The headline is somewhat misleading, but honestly, what do you want them to say? He got arrested, this is fact. Then they have two choices: 1) Charge him. 2) Not charge him. The choice made (rightly so) by the DA was not to charge him. Thus the headline saying he wasn't charged.

Good to see they didn't charge him with anything (though undoubtedly the video helped.) I'm all for Law Enforcement - I respect it, understand we need it, and know they have a tough job - I'm even going to take the ALERT test tomorrow to see about becoming one!

But seriously, arresting a man for refusing to cross the street????

[peacefuljeffrey]

I think I was one of two here who "broke this story" and posted about it (in a now-merged thread).

I was wondering if/when we'd hear more about what happened. The story is also being carried by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, which is typically an anti-gun, left-wing rag.

The comments left on the link in the thread starter mention that the headline there says the reporter "escaped charges," and people discussed the inappropriateness of that characterization. If charges are not appropriate and cannot be justified because the law was NOT BROKEN, then the subject has not "escaped" charges! A point was made about how you could say that we are always "escaping charges." Did you drive 2 mph under the speed limit? You "escaped" being charged with speeding. Did you pack your pocket knife into your checked bags rather than try to sneak it past security at the airport? You "escaped" being charged with attempting to bring a weapon onboard an airliner.

I'd like to see the cop censured for his "mistake." If the reporter was shown on video to not have been on the grounds of the school, and therefore not trespassing, the cops should be smart enough to know that, and what's more, he should be ethical enough to not try to fudge it.

[peacefuljeffrey]

The headline is somewhat misleading, but honestly, what do you want them to say? He got arrested, this is fact. Then they have two choices: 1) Charge him. 2) Not charge him. The choice made (rightly so) by the DA was not to charge him. Thus the headline saying he wasn't charged.

But the headline doesn't say he wasn't charged. It says he "escaped charges." Like he managed to slip free on a technicality or something, or cut a deal. That's not the same as acknowledging that no crime had been committed, and therefore there is nothing to charge him with!

But seriously, arresting a man for refusing to cross the street????

I read recently that the back-story is that this reporter has reported some unflattering things about the school district there. It's very possible that they were lookin' out for this guy, were bugged that he showed up near the school (he was, after all, there to report about violence in the schools!), and wanted to intimidate him away.

If that's truly the case, then this is a much more serious issue than it appears to be on face value. If the school administration is attempting to bully reporters out of seeking information for the public, and sics its police officers on them using spurious charges, we have a major corruption problem to deal with.

[crankshop1000]

Not to brag.... but, the outcome was just as I said it would be in the original post. Fruit of the poison tree.

[taggart]

I love the headline..... It makes it sound like he got away with something. He was not breaking any law, but the news spin makes it sound like he got lucky.

Yeah, "ESCAPES CHARGES". What is THAT? Uh-oh! He's escaped! He's on the loose! Lock up your daughters! Very skewed, IMHO. The headline, anyway.

Crankshop1000, your avatar is scaring the hell out of me! LOL

[BlackBear]

But the headline doesn't say he wasn't charged. It says he "escaped charges."

Ah, mea culpa.

I read the headline of the thread and ass-u-med that it was the headline of the article itself. After some selective clicking, I have changed my stance.

Yup, the headline sucked.

[Supertac45]

Should never have been charged.

[P7fanatic]

Jeffrey Weinsier of WPLG-TV, an ABC network affiliate, was arrested in late October after police said he carried a weapon onto the grounds of Miami Central High School and refused to cross the street when asked by an officer.
The encounter was caught by a cameraman on videotape, which the state attorney’s office used to decide that no charges would be filed against Weinsier, Assistant State Attorney Maggie Gerson wrote in a memo released Tuesday.
Weinsier, who was investigating a story on school violence, was not on school grounds when approached by police and ordered to leave, Gerson said. “Since the defendant was not trespassing, anything that was found on the defendant after he was arrested will be suppressed as a matter of law,” Gerson wrote.


Sounds like false arrest by the police listed in the story, according to the Assistant State Attorney's findings.
Did the police think that their word was going to override what was caught on camera?

[Gun Bunny]

Jeffrey Weinsier of WPLG-TV, an ABC network affiliate, was arrested in late October after police said he carried a weapon onto the grounds of Miami Central High School and refused to cross the street when asked by an officer.

They also could have said "the police alleged"!

[Anubis]

At least we know of one unit of "the press" that's not anti-2A.

[Dusty Miller]

Add me to the list of those who are wondering if this cop is going to be disciplined over this or if he is going to "escape".

[Arisin Wind]

How many times have we heard ignorance of the law is no excuse? I guess that doesn't apply to the police.