Lyon says two DART cops on bicycles spotted him in the West End on March 17, St. Patrick's Day. He says they recognized him as the man I had written about in my column, tossed him on the sidewalk, Maced him and took him to jail, laughing the whole time about how they wanted to see their names in the Dallas Observer. After serving several days, he pleaded "no contest" because he didn't have any money, and he wanted to get out of jail.
Of course, DART says something completely different happened, and Lyon's version of the story has the DART cops acting so mind-bogglingly offensive that it's almost unbelievable. However, the last time Lyon was acccosted witnesses to the incident upheld his version of the story, and the DART cops acted pretty egregiously there as well. Maybe he has a grudge (who wouldn't?) and is making up what happened to get back at DART but there were witnesses to this incident as well, and I have a feeling when they tell their stories Lyon's version is going to be the one upheld. And apparently his story is credible enough so that the FBI feels the need to take a look into a violation if his civil rights. The author of the piece, Jim Schutze, offers this comment:
If the FBI finds jurisdiction here, it will be for civil rights violations. And, just between you and me, you really have to violate bad in order to do an FBI civil rights violation on a 49-year-old white guy. I mean, most old white guys, you can hang them up by their heels and write on them with a Magic Marker and still be well within the guidelines.
Like I said, I have a feeling when those witnesses start talking we'll find DART coming off about as well (if not worse) than they did in the last encounter.
4 comments:
DART cops are a disgrace to Dallas. Not that I don't apprecate cops in general, but what do you expect to happen when they operate with so little oversight? They're just people like anybody else, except they carry guns and can arrest you.
Seriously. Exactly how qualified are these guys anyway?
Well, here's their minimum qualifications:
MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:
High school diploma, or G.E.D. plus twelve (12) hours college credit from an accredited college or university.
Successful completion of Basic Peace Officer training requirements of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement as a prerequisite for licensing to practice law enforcement in the State of Texas, carry a service pistol or revolver, and perform law enforcement duties as required.
Written and oral communication skills to effectively communicate with all levels, both inside and outside of DART.
Analytical and creative skills to find solutions to problems.
Proficient using PC and software applications.
Valid Texas Driver's License or receive within 30 days of hire. No Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) conviction within the last 60 consecutive months; not more than one (1) on driving record. No more than three (3)moving violation convictions within last 36 months.
Pass DOT physical (medical) examination which includes a drug screen in order to operate DART revenue vehicles.
Successful completion of selection process including but not limited to polygraph exam, psychological evaluation, and background investigation
As you can see, they are not the most educated or skilled or experienced bunch. I don't say this to be mean, but they're probably guys who want to be real cops and took this job either because they were rejected or they need the experienc.
It's not a requirement, but apparently assholes are given preference.
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