Philly Police Harass, threaten to shoot man legally carrying a gun.

This has got to be the worst case of police abuse of power I have ever seen. in that article is a link to the Youtube audio from his recording device, everyone should listen to at least part 1 and 2.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/on-air/stossel/blog/2011/05/16/philly-police-harass-threaten-shoot-man-legally-carrying-gun

"On a mild February afternoon, Fiorino, 25, decided to walk to an AutoZone on Frankford Avenue in Northeast Philly with the .40-caliber Glock he legally owns holstered in plain view on his left hip. His stroll ended when someone called out from behind: "Yo, Junior, what are you doing?"

Fiorino wheeled and saw Sgt. Michael Dougherty aiming a handgun at him."

Well, Philly PD has a whole bunch of explaining to do. To a Federal judge.

Listen to the audio:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-vUYeJXSrA

They have at least one felon on the police department, that is for sure.

I love how they tried to destroy the evidence, and must have thought they did, because you can then hear them calling a DA and asking what the law is. Well you just drew your firearm on someone and detained him for that law that you don't know, wouldn't it have been good to check that out before hand?

Them calling to find out about the law sounds a whole lot like my Wallingford incident.

Philadelphia should be outraged and embarrassed that they have officers like these on the force.

here is another article with a little more information added at the bottom. I love this line

"It was a setup. He's done this kind of thing before," said Evers, the police spokesman, referring to Fiorino's encounters with authorities. "He did it intentionally, and he audiotaped it."

did what exactly? exercised his constitutional and LICENSED right to carry a gun? Silly him for thinking he could walk down the street without being forced to the ground under threat of being shot or tazered.

http://m.philly.com/phillycom/db_/contentdetail.htm;jsessionid=E19932C05D3DEA8C9997279DC1434DED?contentguid=v8rDTw2r&full=true

WOW!
You would think the Police the people that are meant to enforce the law would be required to know the laws.
I think they should be required to take regular test on the laws. It always seams like the police do as they want then make up charges later.


Where can I find a good recorder.
"When they learned that they were in the wrong, they let him go.
That might have been the end of the thing, too, if it hadn't been for the recordings."


I hope the police departments gets what they deserve and Fiorino gets the respect he deserves.

Sure takes a lot of effort to be able to defend yourself.

customcreationllc said:

Where can I find a good recorder.

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I recommend staples.com or amazon.com. I use a Sony ICDUX71, works really well IMO.

"When they learned that they were in the wrong, they let him go.
That might have been the end of the thing, too, if it hadn't been for the recordings."

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I heard plenty of crap on other forums that shall go nameless about how I am out looking for trouble because I OC, and then more crap because I carry a recorder as well. But if you ask me, it is not looking for trouble, it is simply being cautious after learning from experience what bad cops are like. Look at the accounts of what happened to me in Wallingford and pay extra attention to the police accounts of what happened during their IA investigation. They change their story more than Vanaman does.

I look at this way: I carry a firearm to protect me from bad guys. Unfortunately, I also have to carry a recorder to protect me from bad LEOs. If you police officers don't insist on bad behavior against me or decide to violate my rights, I have nothing to record and I cannot make them look bad.

The concept of OC is quite simple. I want to be left alone to carry how I want to carry. If I am not violating any laws there is no reason for a LEO to make contact with me without my consent.

Sure takes a lot of effort to be able to defend yourself.

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This is true. It starts with carrying a firearm for defense. Then all the money spent on voice recorders and batteries and other stuff. And then when an officer does decide to violate your rights, we start talking about tens of thousands of dollars to take the case before a federal judge where there are no guarantees (like people often seem to think). But right is right and wrong is wrong. Things have to change in this state and in this country.

I agree things need to change. Indiana supreme court recently ruled that we, as private citizens, have no right to resist cops that are UNLAWFULLY entering your house. What kind of BS is that? Those judges must have been democrats......

Here's the link

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...entry-sparks-protest-20110519,0,4882870.story

NickNt said:

I agree things need to change. Indiana supreme court recently ruled that we, as private citizens, have no right to resist cops that are UNLAWFULLY entering your house. What kind of BS is that? Those judges must have been democrats......

Here's the link

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...entry-sparks-protest-20110519,0,4882870.story

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I am not sure that any ruling the Indiana Supreme Court makes has that much of an effect on us here in CT. It certainly isn't good and it certainly needs to be overturned by a higher court. It certainly is shocking to see judges eschew rights in favor of 'officer safety'. Lets hope this makes it to SCOTUS and is stomped on.

However, in practice, do you believe you ever had this right? In CT or elsewhere? If the police enter your home and you shoot them or at them, you will be lucky to make it out alive, warrant/probable cause/whatever or not. If you do live, do you have any confidence that no matter how badly they screwed up that a judge in CT would have ruled that you have the right to shoot police entering your house? Look at the terrible judgement Underhill made in Goldberg's case. 'Your rights? But you had a gun!!!'

I know it is all wrong on principle and that no one should be entering your house, but reality is far different these days unfortunately.

To be completely honest, if a cop entered my house unlawfully and i shot him to DEFEND myself I would like to think that i wouldn't go to jail, but I know better. The second anyone hears of you shooting a cop, unless you have video or audio evidence that shows that NEEDED to defend yourself, or unless you are a cop yourself, chances are they will bury you. I don't have faith in our justice system, when it comes to that, I wish i did, but i don't. What sucks is that if the shoe was on the other foot, and i was entering a cops house and they shot me, i'd bet anything that they wouldn't even question it, they would sweep it under the rug.

Rich B said:

I am not sure that any ruling the Indiana Supreme Court makes has that much of an effect on us here in CT. It certainly isn't good and it certainly needs to be overturned by a higher court. It certainly is shocking to see judges eschew rights in favor of 'officer safety'. Lets hope this makes it to SCOTUS and is stomped on.

However, in practice, do you believe you ever had this right? In CT or elsewhere? If the police enter your home and you shoot them or at them, you will be lucky to make it out alive, warrant/probable cause/whatever or not. If you do live, do you have any confidence that no matter how badly they screwed up that a judge in CT would have ruled that you have the right to shoot police entering your house? Look at the terrible judgement Underhill made in Goldberg's case. 'Your rights? But you had a gun!!!'

I know it is all wrong on principle and that no one should be entering your house, but reality is far different these days unfortunately.

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wI recommend staples.com or amazon.com. I use a Sony ICDUX71, works really well IMO.

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For all you Iphone users there is an App called speak easy that is free and works really well even when on your belt. it records even when the phone is locked and time and date stamps everything. the only downfall is it takes a few seconds to load up but as long as your recording continuously it shouldn't be an issue the files are saved on the internal drive and can be exported to your PC

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...lice-say-wont-look-way-open-carry-gun-owners/

It gets even more interesting, and obnoxious.

I spoke with a buddy who lives in PA about this incident shortly after it actually occurred, and before the posted audiotape video went viral. He wasn't surprised by the conduct of the police, and said that criminal behavior by the cops was fairly routine for Philly.

It takes cases like these going through Federal courts to bring such ongoing circuses to a well deserved end.

Shawn Mitola said:

For all you Iphone users there is an App called speak easy that is free and works really well even when on your belt. it records even when the phone is locked and time and date stamps everything. the only downfall is it takes a few seconds to load up but as long as your recording continuously it shouldn't be an issue the files are saved on the internal drive and can be exported to your PC

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I do recommend a dedicated recorder if possible. A good recorder can be left on all day so nothing is missed. It is the only way I captured the New Haven recording.

thanks rich for tip. i went out and buy one. (recorder).

Looks like this incident hasn't changed a thing in Philly. They basically just came out and said they're still going to 'inconvenience' ie; harass OC'ers. According to Philly PD Lt. Raymond Evers, a spokesman for the city police, told FoxNews.com that gun owners who open carry, which is legal in the city, may be asked to lay on the ground until officers feel safe while they check permits. That is unbelievable!! Also, Evers said Fiorino appears to be inviting trouble from the law by "surreptitiously" recording his encounters with police. Sooooo, now we're "trouble makers" for protecting our rights???

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...ok-way-open-carry-gun-owners/?test=latestnews

USAR-VET said:

Sooooo, now we're "trouble makers" for protecting our rights???

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Well, hell, we even have '2A supporters' and 'OC supporters' who say that... That kind of ignorance and arrogance is nothing new.

However, I have a feeling the Philly OCers have a good organization out there that will be taking action against this threat of a police state. This was the case in Virgina (VCDL), Wisconsin (Wisconsin Carry), Michigan (Michigan Open Carry), California and that is only the ones right on the top of my mind. I am sure at least a dozen others are ongoing. Now we just need to get the same thing going in CT so each of us doesn't have to defend ourselves when the authorities decide to declare war on our rights.

Rich B said:

Well, hell, we even have '2A supporters' and 'OC supporters' who say that... That kind of ignorance and arrogance is nothing new.

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Yep, so true Rich. Makes ya just want to :banghead:.

got into a discussion with a co-worker last night and his views were so unbelievable I wish I had recorded them. He stated that the Philly were well within their right to do what they did because thats what we pay them to do "Enforce the laws" and that the police should have smashed the tape recorder and arrested the victim.

I asked him how he would feel if every time he drove his car he was stopped and asked to see his valid driver's license and he shrugged his shoulders and said "that's their job"

I was slack jawed at the end of the conversation he exclaimed to me that I was living in a dream world because I expected law abiding citizens to not be unlawfully harassed by police...

Up until tonight I considered this co-worker to be a fairly intelligent and reasonable person but these statements blew me out of my shoes.

Shawn Mitola said:

got into a discussion with a co-worker last night and his views were so unbelievable I wish I had recorded them. He stated that the Philly were well within their right to do what they did because thats what we pay them to do "Enforce the laws" and that the police should have smashed the tape recorder and arrested the victim.

I asked him how he would feel if every time he drove his car he was stopped and asked to see his valid driver's license and he shrugged his shoulders and said "that's their job"

I was slack jawed at the end of the conversation he exclaimed to me that I was living in a dream world because I expected law abiding citizens to not be unlawfully harassed by police...

Up until tonight I considered this co-worker to be a fairly intelligent and reasonable person but these statements blew me out of my shoes.

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He wouldn't be from Venezuela would he??