My arrest story

[Mortiroloboy]

he didn't use his gun, luckily for all concerned he showed the necessary restraint, which comes through rigorous training, what he didn't show from what the OP tells us, is professionalism. The Met have always had a bit of a reputation, even amongst fellow provincial officers, of being a law unto themselves. But they do have a uniquely difficult job policing London.

For us we can only take what we see at face value, only the OP and the officers will really know what happened that day, we as mere bystanders can only comment on what we have been told, and form opinions based on that.

 

[Over The Hill]

(1) Being naive and being nice is not a crime. The whole thing about this is that some of you are trying to dissect entirely innocent behaviour in the light of the fact that he was arrested. You know that saying 'nothing to hide, nothing to fear' that the more gung-ho like to quote? Well, he had nothing at all to hide, but it would seem, plenty to fear. (2) There is no reason why we should have to start altering our everyday, perfectly legal and proper, behaviour because someone might interpret it the wrong way. That would be the kind of 'internalised control' that is more than a couple of steps further down the road to totalitarianism than my idea of a democratic society with accountable government...

(1) Being stupid may be!
(2) Now you are being naive! My parents now do not say "nigger in the woodpile" when I am sure they meant no harm by it. They do not say "gay" either as they used to for happy. If I am in London in a shop or train station I do not leave my bag unattended even if it does not have a bomb in it.

It is not that your action is or is not innocent, it is if it can be seen to be a threat to others. Hanging around an armed policeman asking questions and having a picture on your camera like a suicide bomber can be seen as a threat.
I think that PZY may be sympathising with terrorists by banging on about this so much on the web. Is his intention to get all the soft liberals on board to get the plod to ease off in the name of civil liberty?

Personally I would rather 1000 innocent idiots get arrested if it stops one idiot with a bomb getting through.
Our freedom comes at a price sometimes. Sometimes it is like this sometimes it is bourne by our armed forces who are being killed every day.
I agree cops attitude was bad but I urge you all not to encourage any relaxation of policy.

 

[Disgruntled Goat]

he didn't use his gun, luckily for all concerned he showed the necessary restraint, which comes through rigorous training,

That's why no innocent people ever get shot by the police in London

 

[Disgruntled Goat]

(1) Being stupid may be!
(2) Now you are being naive! My parents now do not say "nigger in the woodpile" when I am sure they meant no harm by it. They do not say "gay" either as they used to for happy. If I am in London in a shop or train station I do not leave my bag unattended even if it does not have a bomb in it.

It is not that your action is or is not innocent, it is if it can be seen to be a threat to others. Hanging around an armed policeman asking questions and having a picture on your camera like a suicide bomber can be seen as a threat.
I think that PZY may be sympathising with terrorists by banging on about this so much on the web. Is his intention to get all the soft liberals on board to get the plod to ease off in the name of civil liberty?

Personally I would rather 1000 innocent idiots get arrested if it stops one idiot with a bomb getting through.
Our freedom comes at a price sometimes. Sometimes it is like this sometimes it is bourne by our armed forces who are being killed every day.
I agree cops attitude was bad but I urge you all not to encourage any relaxation of policy.

I sincerely hope someone arrests you at gun-point, strips you, terrorises you, humiliates you and locks you up for 42 days without charge.

 

[Riding in Circles]

As an ex member of the armed forces I can say I have served with a lot of great people of all nationalities and faiths. This incident disgusts me, with this Nazi policeman with his poncy gun, he should be taken off armed duty, he thinks he is Rambo and as for special branch, what a bunch of fools, intimidating a kid just because he is asian, but saying that, at least they did not hold you down and shoot you to death like those murdering gits did with that Brazilian kid, the police in the capital are a total farce these days. Being caucasian, I have never been subject to stop and search, I was with a black friend a while back and we were stopped and he was searched, I asked if they wanted to search me and they just gave me a quizzical look. My friend said it happens all the time.

This country is seriously messed up.

 

[gavintc]

Perhaps I am a complete cynic but I wonder if the OP intended this outcome to allow him to develop an argument of police brutality.

 

[Disgruntled Goat]

Perhaps I am a complete cynic but I wonder if the OP intended this outcome to allow him to develop an argument of police brutality.

No you are not a cynic. You are insane.

 

[Riding in Circles]

he didn't use his gun, luckily for all concerned he showed the necessary restraint, which comes through rigorous training,

I think what he actually showed was that he was a racist thug with a gun and a uniform, he would have done well in the SS.

 

[gavintc]

No you are not a cynic. You are insane.

People have agendas to play out. His web site is extremely well presented and I just suggest that this outcome is part of the process. If you are naive and take people at face value, especially those on an internet forum, you are open to be duped.

 

[Disgruntled Goat]

People have agendas to play out. His web site is extremely well presented and I just suggest that this outcome is part of the process. If you are naive and take people at face value, especially those on an internet forum, you are open to be duped.

I pity you.

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

People have agendas to play out. His web site is extremely well presented and I just suggest that this outcome is part of the process. If you are naive and take people at face value, especially those on an internet forum, you are open to be duped.

I did wonder at the outset if it was all made up, but even to my cynical mind, it had the note of sincerity about it.

 

[Smeggers]

Sorry if this has come up before, but if there was a specific threat to Horseguards Parade would the policemans action be justifiable?

 

[Arch]

People have agendas to play out. His web site is extremely well presented and I just suggest that this outcome is part of the process. If you are naive and take people at face value, especially those on an internet forum, you are open to be duped.

I think anyone with a bit of web experience can make a well presented site these days, it doesn't reflect on the quality of the content. Plenty of big company/organisation sites are rubbish.

I'm not sure it's all that 'well presented', it's just a load of text. I could probably do the same.

 

[gavintc]

I think anyone with a bit of web experience can make a well presented site these days, it doesn't reflect on the quality of the content. Plenty of big company/organisation sites are rubbish.

I'm not sure it's all that 'well presented', it's just a load of text. I could probably do the same.

The truth is I decided to play a bit of 'devils advocate' on this one. I am still not completely convinced that it played out as we have been told. My alarms were raised when the story was presented on a web format, but the author was asking what he should do. The next step was deliberately played down, inviting a more robust response from the reader. He has spent some time preparing the story, but allegedly not preparing the next step.

We are only going to ever be presented one side of this story, but aspects of it seemed deliberately set up; big camera, photos of guns, combat trousers, asking about police timings and all in a very sensitive area.

My irony is that, whether the story is generated/enhanced or not, I actually support the background to his complaint. I think the Bush/Blair/Brown 'War on Terror' is alienating elements of our society and allowing the police to use profiling techniques to arrest and harass elements in our society.

Perhaps my job - working in HR; has made me rather too inured to the stories I am told and I invariably look for the opposite angle, to try to read into the story, ask why I am I being told this, not what I am being told.

 

[Zoiders]

No you are not a cynic. You are insane.

No he isnt, I suspected the same

If the incident was indeed real then we only have one side of the story

It all seems to fit too nicely with a set agenda, a come on to ilicit a desired result from not only the police but people here on the forum as well

And just like good little doggies you all rolled over and fawned all over him without questioning his motives