6 Jul 2013

No constitutional rights at DUI checkpoints on US Independence Day?

By Madison Ruppert: In this troubling video, ironically filmed on July 4, a 21-year-old man is seen showing local law enforcement that he knows his rights. Unfortunately, they don’t take too kindly to being confronted by someone who actually knows the law.
While one might expect this kind of activity from federal agents, it’s always surprising to see local law enforcement so clearly ignoring our (USA) rights protected by the Constitution.
This was apparently a DUI checkpoint, designed to find drunk drivers.
Amazingly, the individual who filmed his encounter said that he was never asked if he had been drinking.
It all begins when the young man refuses to completely roll down his window, something which is not required under law.
When the young man asks if he’s being detained, it really starts to go south. The man is then forced to pull over and exit his vehicle. Since he refuses to consent to a search, the officers brought a K-9 unit to his vehicle in an attempt to get the justification they sought for the search.
In the video, you can clearly see that the dog is being led by his handler to falsely signal on the vehicle. It’s quite clear it’s a false signal because no illegal substances were found in the car and when the dog “signals,” it isn’t even sniffing the vehicle, just following the hand of the handler.
Later in the clip, one officer remarks, “But he’s perfectly innocent and he knows his rights. He knows what the Constitution says.”
Indeed.
“All of this on a day that we are supposed to be celebrating freedom and liberty,” the individual who uploaded the video remarked.  “At the end of the encounter, the officer did not want to give me his name when I asked him. After I repeatedly asked him, he finally gave it to me.”
All of this apparently occurred while he was not being detained. What a wonderful Independence Day and a solid display of how our freedoms in America can be trampled upon by officers who don’t even know the laws they’re supposed to enforce.
Since its posting just two days ago, the clip has gone viral, receiving over 1.5 million views. Apparently a lot of people around the world are concerned by such actions.
Note: if the video above doesn’t load for you, click here to open the YouTube video in a new window.

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