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| Alabama Deputy Chris Blevins |
We're not making this up.
Chris Blevins, of the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, entered the garage underneath our house on October 23, 2013, and knocked me to a concrete floor three times and directed pepper spray into my face--all without showing a warrant, stating he had a warrant, or stating his purpose for being on our property. This all resulted from my alleged civil contempt, having nothing to with a crime.
The same Chris Blevins is featured in a "Code of Ethics" video, which was posted on April 8 at the department's Facebook page. The video can be viewed at the end of this post.
We already have shown that Blevins' actions inside our home run contrary to both state and federal law. We also have shown that the resisting-arrest complaint he brought against me is not supported by law or fact.
But now we have Chris Blevins, in living color, touting his commitment to ethical police work. We're guessing that the Shelby County department produced the video in response to the devastating publicity law enforcement has been receiving for a string of misconduct cases, beginning last summer with the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
That an Alabama sheriff's office would choose Chris Blevins to appear in a video about ethics . . . well, it would be comical if the issues involved weren't so serious. The inclusion of Blevins in the video also hints that law enforcement, at least in Alabama, still does not "get it" about the anger many citizens now feel toward rogue police officers. That anger has been on clear display in Baltimore over the past two days.
The Alabama video features several members of the Shelby County department reading sections of the Code of Ethics they supposedly live by. Blevins is the third "performer" in the video, and with a look of utmost seriousness on his face, he touts his commitment to protect:
. . . the weak against oppression or intimidation, and the peaceful against violence or disorder. And respect the constitutional rights of all to liberty, equality, and justice.
You can see Blevins' name, right there above his right shirt pocket. After making his solemn statement, Blevins knocks on a door. Given my experience with him, I expect him to knock down the door and wreak havoc on the inhabitants--all without the benefit of a warrant or a statement about his purpose for being there. That seems to be his way of expressing respect for "liberty, equality, and justice."
To those who followed my arrest and incarceration--not to mention the recent shooting of Walter Scott in South Carolina and other incidents of "cops gone wild"--this might seem like a belated April Fool's post or something pulled from The Onion.
But it's for real, and you can check out Chris Blevins' straight-faced performance at the link below. Some of his colleagues in the video almost have smiles on their faces, as if they know the video is a crock, from beginning to end. But not Blevins--he appears to be deadly serious.
I doubt Blevins is capable of grasping the irony in his statement above. In my case, the public record shows I've been peaceful for all 58 years of my life--until Blevins unlawfully entered my home and interjected "violence and disorder," the very things he's supposed to protect me against.
How nutty is this video? You can check it out at the link below:
Code of Ethics video for Shelby County Sheriff's Office
Wow! If they had to choose Chris Blevins as their best example of an ethical police officer can yo imaging how terrible his colleagues must be!
ReplyDeleteI guess irony is not a concept understood in Alabama!
Did Blevins have that snarl on his face the night you encounter him in your garage?
ReplyDeleteProbably so. I was too busy trying to protect my own face to pay too much attention to his face. But that's him; no doubt about that.
ReplyDeleteEthics is not necessarily what is right, moral or even socially acceptable. It's the specific behaviors that the code says you can or cannot get away with. The last time I looked, the comments in the ARPC pretty much said that an Alabama Lawyer was free to engage in sexual relations with anyone he chose regardless of his marital status or that of his mistress because sex in of itself has no bearing on one's fitness to practice law unless other issues like sexual addictions or crimes of more serious moral turpitude were involved like rape. However, Alabama is one of those states where the rapist may be granted visitation or even custody of the child plus child support. Let's suppose the DA manages to convict a struggling male solo practitioner of raping a highly paid female partner at a big law firm. Under the ARCP, he could be suspended from the practice of law, but under the Code of Alabama, he could also receive probation, custody of the child & child support because his victim is working 70 to 80 hours a week & she has no time to raise the child. However, she does have the money to pay her rapist & under the current regime, you will see more of these sorts of rationales.
ReplyDeleteLooks like Deputy Blevins pumps a lot of ster . . . I mean iron.
ReplyDeleteA lot of Shelby County deputies have that "steroidy" look. My guess is that steroid abuse is rampant among law-enforcement officers.
ReplyDeleteI love the part in the video where the female officer says she never will let personal friendships influence her decisions--unless, I guess, Rob Riley wants somebody arrested.
ReplyDeleteDude at the beginning of video says his duty is to "serve mankind." Hah! His main duty probably is serving subpoenas.
ReplyDeleteCan't get justice in your Christian Courts? Islam is the fastest growing religion in America & Iran is building the Islamic Bomb. Sharia Law is coming.
ReplyDeleteI notice Blevins has a mark or abrasion on his forearm. Is that where you bit him?
ReplyDeleteHah! Good one, @2:48
ReplyDeleteIf you would like to ask Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego if he plans to investigate the actions of Chris Blevins and others in my arrest, his email is JohnS@ShelbySO.com. The phone is (205) 669-4181. (The chief's last name rhymes, more or less, with San Diego.)
ReplyDeleteI know how u feel i.got beat and me in cuffs laying on the ground and 5 other cops watching
ReplyDelete