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Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Crime Police Beat: Blue on Blue

Posted by Charles Mudede on Wed, Oct 7, 2009 at 6:50 AM

On Wed/Oct 2/2009, Officer Thomas Janes composed this remarkable report:

We were patrolling the area of 21 ave and Spruce when we saw suspect [black, 130 pounds, medium build] walking through the neighborhood wearing all blue. From my training and experience, I know that Sureno Gang wear and associate with the color blue. The suspect was wearing a blue hood sweatshirt, blue t-shirt, baggy denim jeans, a blue belt, and blue shoes. My concern was this: Why was he walking through Black Gangster Disciple area wearing all blue?

I exited that patrol car and walked to talk to the suspect. But when I faced the suspect, I observed the handle of a pistol in his right pants pocket. The pistol was chrome in color. I escorted the suspect to the hood of my patrol car in a calm manner. As he stood next to the patrol vehicle, his right front pocket struck the side of the car—there was a loud clang that sounded like metal striking metal. I then reached into his pants pocket and recovered a .32 caliber revolver. It was loaded with one round in the cylinder. The cylinder was in the position to fire when trigger was pulled. I placed the suspect into handcuffs.

The suspect had this tattoo on his back: "Only God Can Judge Me." A person who truly believes this, who believes that only God can judge him—meaning, only death can judge him—is a person who hates life.

Comments (9) RSS

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Cops enforce gang turf? Wha?

Posted by shabadoo on October 7, 2009 at 7:34 AM

Charles, can you correct your last sentence to make it clear that it's not part of the police report? New paragraph or something.

Posted by Banna

on October 7, 2009 at 8:12 AM

Interesting that the only suspicious act this guy did was to be walking around wearing blue clothing. I wonder if this would have been reported if there was no pistol, and if the man argued that he was breaking no laws-and then got tasered/ arrested.
Because at the time the PO decided to talk to the guy, he was doing nothing visibly illegal.
So where does this fall on the Walking while Black spectrum? Reasonable suspicion and good community policing? Or profiling leading to a fortuitous outcome for the PO?

Posted by BakerB on October 7, 2009 at 8:25 AM

The cops most likely saved this guy's life by taking him in, and probably saved the lives of some others who may have gone down trying to defend "their" neighborhood.

I'm not sure how I feel about this.

Posted by E. J. Olmos on October 7, 2009 at 8:47 AM

Jesus--I thought it was going to be that the dude was another police officer.

Posted by echis on October 7, 2009 at 9:17 AM

one bullet?

Posted by jns on October 7, 2009 at 9:50 AM

@6- That's how it sounds. Sounds like the guy was out to start trouble someone else would finish.

Posted by dwight moody on October 7, 2009 at 10:10 AM

So the gun was silver, not blue? I guess this wasn't gang related at all.

Posted by Gus on October 7, 2009 at 10:18 AM

A person who believes that only God can judge him has apparently been blind to the existence of the criminal justice system. Which is esp. baffling considering how many friends and neighbors this kid has probably seen arrested, convicted, and sentenced. A jury of your fellow citizens can judge you, Einstein. Knock that shit off!

Posted by CP on October 7, 2009 at 5:34 PM