06 September 2006

Thug Police in the 'Burbs

This really makes me mad.
Eagan Police called Choua Thor and accused her of driving off from a gas station without paying. The officer insisted he had the goods. According to Thor, the officer "told me it's not in my court anymore because they got me on video ... he said the whole thing was on video."
Gasoline drive-off's need to have their feet pulled off, but let's keep reading.
On Aug. 3, the gas station clerk called police and filled out a report on the drive-off. (The) the clerk said he couldn't positively identify the suspect, but did write down a license plate. At a supervisor's urging, an investigator took a second look, leading them to the car's owner, Thor. "(The police) gave me two hours to find ... the receipt," Thor said.

Thor did find the receipt. Police said the drive-off was at 11:45 a.m. Her receipt says 11:41 a.m., proving she wasn't the one who didn't pay up. After Thor brought her receipt to police, she asked to see that video. That's when the officer confessed the video never existed.
So they were going to prosecute Thor based on what? The lousy recall of a convenience store clerk? The failure of a police investigator to investigate? The panicky frustration of the store owner?
"That was a technique the officer used, and whether you agree with it or not, it apparently worked in this case," explained Lt. Jeff Johnson, with the Eagan Police Department.
What do you mean it worked? Had Thor not kept a gas receipt for almost a month, would she be in the slammer now? What the hell kind of Barney Fife crap is that?
Thor said the whole experience has made her more skeptical of police.
The whole experience has made me more skeptical of Eagan police.

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