I’d like to introduce you to Brett Darrow, a mild mannered community college student in St. Louis, Missouri and victim of abuse of police powers. We’ve done stories before about douches like Andrew Meyer who are out looking to make a scene, but this is different. Brett appears to be the honest target and victim of police who want to abuse their power.
It all started in 2006 when Brett received a speeding ticket which he thought was unfair. Since he had no evidence, he decided to install a video camera in his car just in case something like this happened again. Little did he now the saga of police drama it would help him document. Since that day Mr. Darrow has recorded a number of obvious instances of abuse of police power, and he is unfortunately paying the price for his efforts.
In December 2006, he caught on record the first, and least severe, instance of abuse. Having been stopped at a drunk driving road block the officer asks for his license and registration, and Mr. Darrow complies. However when the officer asks where he is headed, a question which is inappropriate to ask in the first place, Mr. Darrow politely declines to answer. The officer detains him illegally, and briefly confiscates his vehicle. When asked why he is being detained he is told:
You better stop runnin your mouth or the other officer will find a reason to lock you up tonight.”
Other than possible damage to his car (the confiscating officer couldn’t drive stick), the night passes without much more abuse, due to Mr. Darrow indicating the conversation was being recorded. But this was only the beginning of Mr. Darrow’s troubles. Earlier this month, on September 10th, Mr. Darrow had another run in with the police. This time in a commuter parking lot where he had arranged to meet his girlfriend to collect some keys he had accidentally left behind. A cop comes over to see what he is doing, and when Mr. Darrow asks what he has done wrong, the cop gets angry culminating in a threat to make up charges:
Do you want to go to jail for some ****ing reason I come up with? …I bet I could say you resisted arrest or something. You want to come up with something? I come up with nine things. Do you wanna try something?
Everything recorded on video, Mr. Darrow submits his evidence to the St. Louis Police Department and the officer is placed on unpaid suspension. By this point, however, things have become more serious, and Mr. Darrow appears to have gained the ire of the whole police department, leading to a death threat being made against him on a police forum. In addition to this death threat, police have been staking out his home, waiting for him on his street. His neighbors have confirmed police near the house at all hours of the day and night.
This level of police abuse is unacceptable and unbelievable. The 12 Angry Men join other members of the media in decrying the abuse he has suffered and applauding his bravery in the face of power.
Epilogue: There is some recent good news in this story. Earlier this week, the officer who abused his power in the commuter parking lot has been fired. Here’s hoping that casting a little more light on this story will make things even brighter for Mr. Darrow.
-Angry Midwesterner
September 28, 2007 at 6:07 pm
More fodder for the dialog.
http://www.copswritingcops.com/home.html
September 29, 2007 at 1:30 am
I’ve been abused by police in Baltimore on several occasions, including having my vehicle impounded and forced to walk two miles home with a broken back after being humiliated and laughed at due to my injuries. I’m not surprised to read this whatsoever.
September 29, 2007 at 3:27 pm
I have seen cops abuse their power…
You can’t judge cops as a hole for the actions of some idiots though. They risk their lives to protect other people and for not enough money.
September 29, 2007 at 6:07 pm
Angry Immigrant, I just came from reading some of http://www.copswritingcops.com/home.html! Unbelievably assinine!
Should we install recorders in our vehicles? Not just for what cops do, either…
ettsproject, You’re right as a whole( at first, I thought you were disparaging them;-), but it’s common knowledge in my area that a certain few plant drugs on people, for instance. Supposedly, they (cops) are under investigation, but that’s been for at least 2 years…one of them participates in the DARE program at our schools and lost his wife for having an affair with a student. (Keep them off drugs and on their back…well, that’s enough on that…?)
Anyway, the ol’ fox watching the henhouse scenario.
October 17, 2007 at 6:43 pm
[…] Meyer and that guy with a totally unpronounceable last name from UCLA, plus another one with a case from St. Louis. Now we’ve got Carol Gotbaum. Here’s the NY Times story and Judith Warner’s blog, […]
January 17, 2008 at 12:49 pm
cops dont earn enough money. thats why 2/3 of them are dirty cops and they get to take other peoples drugs and money.
March 29, 2008 at 10:43 pm
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October 26, 2008 at 2:27 am
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June 29, 2009 at 1:31 pm
I have been stalked by police for over nine years. I would like to hear from anyone else who has had similar experience, and hear how you were able to address the situation. Thank You.
October 8, 2009 at 12:15 am
GREAT BLOG !! We Need MORE of this kind of thing !!!
Did Brett have an attorney, what township was this in Saint Louis County, City, St Ann?
Interested party would like to hear from anyone who has had their civil rights violated in any municipality in the Saint Louis, Saint Ann is of special interest to me.
Or if you feel you have been treated unlawfully in any municipality by a Clerk in a City Hall etc.
Any witnesses of abuse of power by judges?
I think we should start buying pay it “forward” cameras for people brave enough to do this!
I need a GOOD attorney, does anyone know who is winning this type of case?
Blog to follow
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December 21, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Angry off-duty cop waves his gun around after his Hummer is pelted with snowballs
BY Helen Kennedy
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Sunday, December 20th 2009, 7:01 PM
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2009/12/20/2009-12-20_angry_offduty_cop_threatens_crowd_with_a_gun_after_his_hummer_is_pelted_with_sno.html
How the hell does a cop/detective afford a hummer?
December 21, 2009 at 7:35 pm
“Anybody think you would only get 28 months for robbing and framing someone?
— the Bard
10:26 pm November 10th, 2009 ”
ST LOUIS NEWS:
Corrupt former St. Louis cop gets prison time
By Robert Patrick
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Email thisShare this Print this Digg Yahoo! Del.icio.us Facebook Reddit Drudge Google Fark Stumble It! A corrupt former St. Louis police officer who stole drug money, planted evidence and made a false arrest was sentenced Tuesday to 28 months in federal prison.
Bobby Lee Garrett, 49, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Aug. 28 to six felonies: theft of government property, two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of making false statements and one count of misapplication of government funds.
http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/st-louis-crime-beat/2009/11/10/corrupt-former-st-louis-cop-gets-prison-time/all-comments/#comments
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April 29, 2014 at 9:38 am
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