…who’ve wondered “whatever happened to Landen Beard…”
Well, we don’t have any indication whatsoever that he was the BATF agent who flashed a gun at someone in rush-hour traffic yesterday, shutting down traffic in I94 while cops chased him down…
…and then released him. Because the law apparently allows “undercover” plainclothes cops to threaten people with lethal force when they’re one cup of coffee short for the morning.
“Police powers” have gone way, way too far.
Even if one completely takes the police side of this, one would hope that one of “Mr. Beard’s” superiors might explain to him that when you brandish lethal force, you have just authorized and incited a lethal response that could injure or kill him or his colleagues.
Don’t they teach “tactics” in police academy anymore? Apparently not.
If any of us were to flash a gun at someone without just cause we’d be facing assault charges. Should be the same for the agent.
Scott: You’re the kind of radical who probably believes cops and legislators ought to live under the same legal boundaries as the knaves and serfs.
“Because the law apparently allows “undercover” plainclothes cops to threaten people with lethal force when they’re one cup of coffee short for the morning.”
Count me among those who support severe penalties for this person for doing the above.
Before doing so though, please enlighten me beyond what’s shown in the attached MPR story or the other MSM stories, for that matter. I don’t doubt their veracity; it’s all they have at the moment. Hopefully more will be forthcoming. I hope others would also ask for more than this before making determinations or condemnations.
There’s some some deep dark “gotcha” emotion in all of our hearts when the trigger finger is pointed at the BATFE. However, we do ourselves and cause a disservice when treating as Gospel a bare bones story from a source we’d normally discount out of hand and making strong allegations solely based on it.
FYI:
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=609.66&year=2013&keyword_type=all&keyword=reckless+firearm
I followed the Landen Link. Great to re-read comments by one of Minnesota’s greatest concealed carry writers, JoelR. And sad to realize that he’s gone, Treptow was dragooned into a plea and Beard is probably still tinning his way out of tickets.
Nate, I’m with you on missing Joel, fortunately Andrew is with us.
Well, if it is him, I say that he not only needs a reprimand, but perhaps a forced three month tour with the Mexican militia fighting against the drug cartels.
Just to be clear; I sincerely doubt Beard is the BATF guy. I’m just noting the simlarity in the MO; get road rage, wave a gun, plead “cop”, walk away.
I’m not sure if the info is accurate but I’ve heard Beard may be or has been the Police Liaison to a Robbinsdale School. If so I’ve go to wonder if his temperament is better with kids than the motoring public?
I mentioned Beard by name in the comments section of the Strib story yesterday and included Mitch’s Treptow summary from Dec. of ’07 (they actually allowed the link). The comment had 12 likes at one point before the newspaper shut down further comments and cleared the existing ones.
I can understand cutting cops a little slack for some mistakes…criminally being a complete prick isn’t one of them.
IMO, cops should get no more slack, than the common citizen. If anything, given the other privileges and protections that cops get, they should get less slack.
Good point, Loren! It’s funny how if a real estate agent sells their own house without revealing that they are an agent to prospective buyers, they can lose their license and be subject to a large fine from the Commerce Department, not to mention the lawsuits from buyers, yet cops misbehaving usually get passes.