I’ve been writing about the Martin Treptow case for about a month now.
The case – in which a citizen with a carry permit shot a police officer who was alleged to have been undercover at the time – has been a strange one to watch. Treptow was never charged with any crime; his permit wasn’t suspected (normal, pro-forma, after a citizen shooting – and shooting a cop is anything but pro-forma).
And then there’s the dilatory release of official details on the case. Dilatory to the point of illegal.
Joel Rosenberg has a long, detailed post summing up the case…so far.
You need to read the whole thing.
From Joel’s “conclusion” (because this is nowhere close to over):
Mrs. Treptow told Anoka County 911 that; it’s in the transcript, in black and white. Let’s be clear: within seconds of the shooting, the Treptows have called 911, explained the situation, in detail — and notice how cool-headed both of them appear to behave, despite the fear and shock that comes through even on the transcript. The entire Treptow family — husband, wife, and two small children — quickly proceed to a safe place to wait for the arrival of the police.
“We’ve got kids in the car. I got a five month old and a, a six year old.”
But even though Mrs. Treptow has been very explicit that she and her husband have their two small children with them — and this is just horrible — the Anoka County authorities dispatch numerous armed men to arrest Martin Treptow at gunpoint, without informing those armed men that Mr. and Mrs. Treptow have their two small children in the car.
“We’ve got kids in the car. I got a five month old and a, a six year old.”
There’s a basic rule of gun safety: know your backstop. In this case, the cops’ backstop included two small, frightened children . . . and Anoka Communications, which had known from the beginning —
“We’ve got kids in the car. I got a five month old and a, a six year old.”
— that the cops’ backstop included two small, terrified children . . .
“We’ve got kids in the car. I got a five month old and a, a six year old.”
… didn’t even mention that.
There’s lots I’m still wondering about, in all this. I wonder who that phone call was from toward the end of the Anoka Comm Center tape, the one that was important enough for the incident commander to drop everything to take. I wonder what’s been happening with the investigation of Officer Friendly, and why, a month after this incident, there’s been no arrest made in this case and no report on why. I wonder why the local papers and tv stations haven’t been all over this, and I wonder what there is in the State Patrol stuff that we haven’t seen, and in the investigators’ notes that we’ll never see.
But why all the stonewalling?
No, I don’t wonder why that happened. Not anymore, I don’t.
Go and read the whole thing.
Que Quimby in 3… 2… 1…
Hmmm… I was expecting angryclown to show up and explain what a peachy keen idea it was to send all those cops screeching over to the Holiday to arrest a man at gunpoint and use his kids as a backstop, without telling the cops to calm down, that there were kids in the car, and that Treptow had gone there to rendezvous with them.
Granted, anybody with two functioning neurons would have known that was a bad idea, but, after all, we’re talking about angryclown, after all.
Well, to leap unnecessarily to the Clown’s defense, even he can tell the difference between right and wrong as re the law, in most cases.
I can’t imagine anyone who observes the letter of the law NOT being mortified by what they see in this case.
You are a raving idiot, joelr. Once again you wingnuts, finding no one to disagree with, set up a strawman. “I’m sure some libral…” “I wonder how long until some Democrat…” Well this time you made the mistake of calling your strawman “Angryclown,” joelr, after the smartest, angriest clown in the whole wide world. And Angryclown was just about to swoop in and reveal you as a slow-witted schoolgirl, but your post is almost completely incomprehensible. If you wish, rewrite your comments in standard English and Angryclown will do you the courtesy of pointing out your folly to the world.
So is Angryclown to understand that in the language of gun kooks “backstop” means “people who might be shot accidentally?”
Once again you wingnuts, finding no one to disagree with, set up a strawman. “
Well, knowing JoelR, he’s no idiot, raving or otherwise. And it’s not a “strawman”, since it’s not like you haven’t done more or less exactly the same thing over and over and over again.
smartest, angriest clown in the whole wide world.
Dunno, ‘mano. Emmett Kelly was pretty smart, and pretty angry on the inside.
So is Angryclown to understand that in the language of gun kooks “backstop” means “people who might be shot accidentally?”
Let’s rewrite that: So is Angryclown to understand that in the language of any responsible shooter, “backstop” means “people who might be shot accidentally?” No, it means “knowing where your bullet is going to end up”. The cops involved apparently did not, even though they were explicitly told that there were kids in the car, and that Treptow was cooperating completely (evidence by the fact that he walked free, no charges, not even the faintest legal inconvenience).
There. That makes MUCH more sense.
Mitch asserted: “Well, knowing JoelR, he’s no idiot, raving or otherwise. And it’s not a “strawman”, since it’s not like you haven’t done more or less exactly the same thing over and over and over again. ”
You are long on the assertions, short on the evidence, my Twin-loving friend.
And Emmet Kelly is dead. He no longer dwells anywhere in the whole wide world. He lives up in the sky with Jesus.
On the “backstop” point, I guess that’s just your way of avoiding the reality that when somebody fires a handgun, the bullet might just end up in the brain of an innocent six year-old.
Guns don’t kill people. Guns kill backstops.
Now that Mitch has explained a simple, self-explanatory concept to you, ac, can you just slink away in humiliation or will need to, err, expose yourself again?
You are one of those people who’s not bright enough to get that you’re not very bright, Joel R. Sorry, I don’t have time to try to decipher your subliterate screeds. Please feel free to go argue with somebody more on your intellectual level. A third-grader, perhaps. Maybe a collie.
On the “backstop” point, I guess that’s just your way of avoiding the reality
No, no no! It reinforces the reality – to those of us who take this stuff seriously – that your bullet doesn’t stop at the edge of your current frame of perception. Which was why JoelR brought it up; the Coon Rapids/Anoka County/State Patrol officers that came to arrest Treptow came out with guns drawn, even though he was clearly cooperating with them, and his wife and informed 911 that the kids were in the car.
JoelR was the teacher of my required skills course for my carry permit, and is keenly aware that the “backstop” could have been a kid’s head; I think the two of you have the same point, but you don’t know it yet (or choose to deny it).
And Emmet Kelly is dead. He no longer dwells anywhere in the whole wide world. He lives up in the sky with Jesus.
Where he awaits the signal to come swooping down and devouring clowns that don’t measure up.
Get right with Emmett.
I see, so JoelR was agreeing with Angryclown. I apologize, JoelR. Perhaps you are smarter than a collie.
so JoelR was agreeing with Angryclown
Oh, let’s call a balloon dachshund a balloon dachshund; Angryclown was agreeing with JoelR.
Hee hee.
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