Hugo-award-nominated science fiction author Dr. Peter Watts is in serious legal trouble after he was beaten, pepper-sprayed and imprisoned by American border guards at a Canada U.S. border crossing December 8.
Peter, a Canadian citizen, was on his way back to Canada after helping a friend move house to Nebraska over the weekend. He was stopped at the border crossing at Port Huron, Michigan by U.S. border police for a search of his rental vehicle. When Peter got out of the car and questioned the nature of the search, the gang of border guards subjected him to a beating, restrained him and pepper sprayed him.
At the end of it, local police laid a felony charge of assault against a federal officer against Peter.
On Wednesday, he posted bond and was taken across the border to Canada in shirtsleeves (he was released by Port Huron officials with his car and possessions locked in impound, into a winter storm that evening).
He’s home safe. For now. But he has to go back to Michigan to face the charge brought against him.
The charge is spurious. But it’s also very serious. It could mean two years in prison in the United States, and a ban on travel in that country for the rest of Peter’s life. Peter is mounting a vigorous defense, but it’s going to be expensive – he’s effectively going up against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and he needs the best legal help that he can get.
RTFA for details, an interview with Peter, comments by friends and peers.
Thanks, Cinaedh
JCD said “They speed recklessly in black unmarked SUV’s and the cops cannot do anything about it. They are seldom at the border itself. They pull over buses and look for Mexicans and drugs among other things.”
This sounds a lot like the solid white or solid black SUV’s that patrol I-40 east of Memphis and I-65 south of Nashville and sometimes I-35 between San Antonio and Austin, TX. Truckers give them the nickname “Cocaine Cowboys”. And its not meant as a compliment.
You guys who automatically bow to anyone in a uniform are pathetic.
I respect police — A LOT — but I don’t think they are infallible.
Grows some spines, sheeple!
>> farbauti said,
>> The US is truly turning into Gestapo land
>> Nobody in his/her right mind should travel there anymore.
If the US scares you that much, perhaps you’re the kind of person who should stay close to home.
I’ve traveled a lot of places and, I assure you, there are far worse places than America when it comes to the cops and border patrol.
Fishy !
gquaglia said:
#1 and #2, absolutely right. Cops are professionals and do not beat the shit out of someone for no reason.
Errr… you’re joking, right?
“non grata chez nuestros primos”
What kind of talk is that?
22 JCD : “Quit clogging up the blog with misinformation and random accusations.”
Geez, John – without misinformation and random accusations, there wouldn’t be ANYthing on this blog. Besides, shouldn’t you give that advice to Curry on NA?
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Question (one of many about this case) : Why did the EFF get involved in a police brutality case?
# 26 sargasso : Very funny. True story – a couple of months ago I was openly “smuggling” medicine into Burma. The border guards charged me about the equivalent of US$100 to turn a blind eye. (No beating was offered.) Days later, leaving the country, the border guards (one of whom was the guy I paid on the way in) demanded a higher payment to leave. They took my digital camera and GPS unit. (Again, no beating.) The funny thing was, after they ‘robbed’ me and told me to go, they bowed to me in the ritual Buddhist show of respect!
An ex RCMP/law professor taught us to fear one group – border patrol. They have unlimited powers and use them without hesitation.
#22, JCD
#13 — YOU ARE LOSING IT. They are called Border Patrol and they are all over the place along the US Canada border.
And where on earth is the word POLICE in that? The Border Patrol officers are called AGENTS.
This happened at a border entry point. They would have been Customs. Regardless, both divisions have the power of arrest and would have no need to call in local Police to press charges.
As pointed out, there is more to the story than the article is letting on. While I certainly don’t condone any police brutality, I also don’t condone unsupported allegations against any law enforcement agency just because they are in law enforcement.
Pedro: There is no language called Afghan. The country has two official languages: Pashto and Dari. Most official business is conducted in Dari but Pashtun speakers account for about a third of the population. Dari used to be called Farsi and the Iranians insist it is and has always been Persian. There are a bunch of other languages but the two most common would probably be Urdu (from Pakistan next door to the east) and Uzbek (from Uzbekistan to the west).
By the way, I don’t know if this statistic is still accurate but, a few years ago, they claimed the USA had the second largest population of Spanish-speakers in the world. According to Wikipedia it still is: http://tiny.cc/AMSdu
Bryan #42 : “that’s attempted murder.”
The situation as described is awful but let’s not get carried away. he did say he didn’t have his coat, etc. but he did not say he was dumped somewhere in the hinterlands and had battle the blizzard to make his way back to civilization. He would have been handed over to the RCMP. He probably spent the night toasty warm in a border station until transportation could be worked out. He didn’t say anything about his wallet being taken from him so likely he had an ATM or credit card. And, in any case, if the car was impounded,then the other passengers were likely waiting on the other side telling their version to the Mounties. If this is as described, I assume the video cameras will back him up as well as the other passengers in the car. In which case, I hope they get their asses handed to them for dinner. But, I can’t help wondering what really set them off.
Surely the evil Boooossshhhh is to blame.
Let’s here it from you libs.
It was Bush/Cheney. Oh, wait… well, so much for that hope and change!
Maybe one of the agents was angry at him for turning his son into a limp-wristed nerd with all those scribbles about space and aliens and treating non-white, non-bible thumpers as equals.
It is Freedom guys! That is what they tell us these 2 illegal wars are for. We are fighting for Freedoms, but we are losing our Freedoms over here. How simple so the dumb down public need it to be! I forgot, American Idol and Sports, I almost forgot. Wake up sheeple, it’s only just begun.