MassCops - Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network, A Mass Police Web Portal

Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network

Massachusetts Police News, Information and Discussions on MassCops

Pages: 1

Main Page Capitol Police Chief Denies Racism Charge
(Click here to view the original thread on the MassCops Message Board)

Posted by: kwflatbed

By LAURIE KELLMAN
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON

U. S. Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainer said Wednesday that Rep. Cynthia McKinney turned an officer's failure to recognize her into a criminal matter when she failed to stop at his request, and then struck him.

"He reached out and grabbed her and she turned around and hit him," Gainer said on CNN. "Even the high and the haughty should be able to stop and say, 'I'm a congressman' and then everybody moves on."

For her part, McKinney wasn't backing down from the argument. She charged anew that racism is behind what she said is a pattern of difficulty in clearing Hill security checkpoints.

Gainer said that racism, however, was not a factor.

"I've seen our officers stop white members and black members, Latinos, male and females," he told CNN. "It's not an issue about what your race or gender is. It's an issue about making sure people who come into our building are recognized if they're not going through the magnetometer, and this officer at that moment didn't recognize her."

"It would have been real easy, as most members of Congress do, to say here's who I am or do you know who I am?" Gainer added.

Police also have said that McKinney was failing to wear a pin that lawmakers are asked to display when entering Capitol facilities.

But she said Wednesday: "Face recognition is the issue .... The pin doesn't have my name on it and it doesn't have my picture on it, and so security should not be based on a pin ... People are focused on my hairdo."

The Georgia Democrat, appearing on CBS's "The Early Show" Wednesday, recently dropped her trademark cornrows in favor of a curly brown afro.

"Something that perhaps the average American just doesn't understand is that there is a heightened sense of a lack of appropriateness being there for members who are elected who happen to be of color," McKinney said, "and until this issue is addressed by the American public in a very substantive way, it won't be the last time."

Last Wednesday's incident in a House office building has caused a commotion on Capitol Hill, where security in the era of terrorist threat is tighter than ever and where authorities had to order an evacuation just Monday because of a power outage.

McKinney has garnered little support among fellow Democrats in her feud with the Capitol police. No one in her party chose to join her at a news conference last Friday to discuss the situation, and the event was canceled.

As a federal prosecutor considers whether to press assault or other charges against her, Republicans presented a resolution commending Capitol police for professionalism toward members of Congress and visitors _ even though they "endure physical and verbal assaults in some extreme cases."

"I don't think it's fair to attack the Capitol Police and I think it's time that we show our support for them," said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R- N.C., a sponsor of the measure. Ignoring a police officer's order to stop, or hitting one, "is never OK," McHenry said. Some GOP members have said the McKinney incident serves to underscore Democratic insensitivity to security concerns.

Posted by: kwflatbed

House Will Vote On Praising Capitol Police

LAURIE KELLMAN
Associated Press Writer

House Republicans pushed a resolution Tuesday commending the Capitol police force for professionalism after a confrontation between an officer and Democratic Rep. Cynthia McKinney.

"I don't think it's fair to attack the Capitol Police and I think it's time that we show our support for them," said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., a sponsor of the measure. Ignoring a police officer's order to stop or hitting one "is never OK," McHenry said of the incident, which has exacerbated partisan tensions in the House.

Last week, McKinney had an argument with a uniformed police officer as she sought to enter a House office building. The officer did not recognize her. She refused his order to stop and struck him.

McKinney says she took action in self defense after the officer "inappropriately touched" her.

A spokesman for the congresswoman did not immediately respond Tuesday to a reporter's request for comment on the GOP measure.

The six-term Georgia Democrat says the issue is not about whether to obey a police officer's order, whether she hit him or the fact that she was not wearing the lapel pin that identifies members of Congress.

Her lawyers have said that a series of confrontations between McKinney and U.S. Capitol and White House law enforcement officers who don't recognize her points to a pattern.

"The issue is racial profiling," McKinney, who is black, told CNN Monday.

The resolution being introduced Tuesday came as McKinney awaited a prosecutor's decision on whether to press any criminal charges against her. The Capitol Police on Monday sought an arrest warrant by turning over their investigation of the incident to U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Wainstein.

The measure put forward Tuesday, which is co-sponsored by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., would not specifically mention McKinney or the confrontation, McHenry said.

Instead, sponsors said, it would commend the Capitol Police for their professionalism and recognize the challenge of protecting the vast Capitol campus from terrorism and other threats while keeping it open to tourists.

"Every day they exhibit honor, courtesy and professionalism," Diaz-Balart said in a statement.

McKinney says that has not been her experience. She says Capitol Police officers have a long history of failing to recognize her and asking for identification - a pattern she says is racist and in any case highlights a security problem in one of the most well-guarded buildings in the country.

McKinney has drawn little support from her House colleagues, particularly Democrats who are launching an election-year campaign that revolves around the party's commitment to national security.

Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, said all lawmakers, staffers and visitors in the building have a responsiblity to obey Capitol Police officers. "I think we all should cooperate fully," he said.

Republicans have pounced on the opportunity to poke holes in Democratic security credentials. A spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., pointed out that a Democratic lawmaker hitting an officer does not support the minority party's claim of commitment to security.

His counterpart, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi called that argument "pathetic." Pelosi, of California, said she would not make a big deal of what she termed "a mistake" by an officer.

Her lawyer, James Myart Jr., issued a statement on Friday saying several members of Congress would join McKinney at a press conference on Friday at Howard University.

None did. D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton issued a statement of concern about the incident and urged the parties to come to an agreement. A spokesman for Rep. Mel Watt, D-N.C., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said he has no comment.

McHenry, who at 30 is the youngest member of Congress, said he is routinely stopped by Capitol Police and asked for identification.

"When I'm not wearing my pin, I am always stopped," McHenry said in a telephone interview. "I accept that as a due course of security."

Posted by: GD

QUOTE]
"His counterpart, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi called that argument "pathetic." Pelosi, of California, said she would not make a big deal of what she termed "a mistake" by an officer."

What an aSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!

Posted by: dcs2244

What's 'pathetic' is the racial profiling excuse...the congresslemming is just plain wrong. I'm loath to second guess a fellow LEO, but I would've locked her up had she hit me. There is "no touching" in police work (of cops, that is...).

Posted by: Bravo2-7

Congresswoman McKinney has a long history of not wearing her official identification and has made numerous attempts at trying to provoke incidents with capitol police officers. There was one incident were she had some internet site videotape the incident. The Capitol Police officer was extremely professional in this incident, and she made it out to be harassment. Just another politician who thinks she is above the rules that everyone else has to follow.

Posted by: sylvester

[quote=Bravo2-7]Congresswoman McKinney has a long history of not wearing her official identification and has made numerous attempts at trying to provoke incidents with capitol police officers. - She is also the liberal moron that tried to say that President Bush knew about 9-11 before it happened and approved of it ... she is a disgrace. As soon as I heard that a police officer was struck 2-3 times by a congressman, I KNEW that it had to be a demorat. Now, even though she hit a white police officer, she and her liberal friends are trying to make her out to be the victim of a racially motivated crime. Real men vote Republican. WHY was she not immediately arrested ??

Posted by: mtc

Congresswoman McKinney is a disgraceful racially charged black woman hell bent and intent on being a discrimination problem.

Anyone think it's an oversight that she fails to wear her identifiers when going through security checkpoints ??

Nah - I didn't think so either. She's looking for trouble and where she cant find it, she causes it.

Posted by: kwflatbed

Not the first time that this has happened with her.

The Capital Police handle her with kid gloves because of the racial issues.

Posted by: Wolfman

Posted by: GD

"

Born in Atlanta, Georgia on March 17, Cynthia A. McKinney is the daughter of one of Atlanta's first Black law enforcement officers and former Georgia State Representative Billy McKinney and retired nurse, Leola McKinney."

This is the sad part, her father was on one of the first black law enforcment officers!!

Posted by: kwflatbed

REP. DELAY ON FOXNEWS: 'Cynthia McKinney is a racist. She has a long history of racism. Everything is racism with her. This is incredible arrogance, and -- that sometimes hits these members of congress, but especially Cynthia McKinney'...

AUDIO...

Posted by: mtc

A spade is a spade. Nice to see someone with the stones to point it out.

Posted by: KozmoKramer

Posted by: K9Vinny

He should have tazed her. Just goes to show the pressure that politics play in a police department. I'm sure he would have liked to have arrested her, but the politics within the department must be so extreme that the officers are ordered to put their safety second. Remember, this is the same department that lost two of their own a couple years ago to a derranged gunman in a very similar scenario at the metal detectors. If she thinks she was inappropriately touched, wait until she gets charged, arrested, and strip searched by the U.S. Marshal's at her booking.

Posted by: mtc

I doubt they are even going to charge her..... the political intimidation factor in full swing here.

Posted by: bbelichick

Did anyone see the Jimmy Kimmel show last night, he played clips of her from about 5 different talk Shows, in all of them she used the same LAME quote "It's much ado about a hair doo."

My GOD is she an idiot. I have no doubt that she planned this for a publicity stunt. I only hope the charges they filed are upheld (why shouldn't they be) and she has to go to trial.

Posted by: kwflatbed

Capitol chief faults Congresswoman for escalating incident

WASHINGTON- U. S. Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainer said Wednesday that Rep. Cynthia McKinney turned an officer's failure to recognize her into a criminal matter when she failed to stop at his request, and then struck him ... Full Story

Related articles:
Capitol police request arrest warrant for Ga. congresswoman

Posted by: Irish Wampanoag

Oh Jes I can see it now Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson will march on Capitol Hill for the next year or so until the officer is fired and the chief is replaced.

Posted by: kwflatbed

Survey: Lawmaker Scuffle: Racism?

Do you think the scuffle between Georgia U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney and a Capitol Police officer was caused by the officer racially profiling the lawmaker?

Choice Votes Percentage of 4176 Votes

Yes317

8%

No3859

92%

Posted by: kwflatbed

McKinney case heading to grand jury

Federal prosecutors could have a decision by next week.

CNN) -- No more he-grabbed-she-slapped -- whether U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney should be charged over a confrontation with Capitol Police last week will be decided by a grand jury, perhaps as soon as next week, said federal law enforcement sources familiar with the case.

Prosecutors have decided to present the case, and the grand jury will begin hearing testimony Thursday, the two sources said.

Senior congressional sources said that two House staff members -- Troy Phillips, an aide to Rep. Sam Farr, D-California, and Lisa Subrize, executive assistant to Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, R-Michigan -- have been subpoenaed to testify.

The Justice Department and the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, which is handling the case, refused to comment.

James Myart, an attorney representing McKinney, said the news was mere conjecture, but added that he wouldn't be surprised if his client were indicted.

"Grand juries do what grand juries do," Myart said. "However, I would think that they would recognize that there simply is not enough evidence here to even bring an indictment."

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus, which has declined to comment because the facts of the case are unclear, met Wednesday evening to discuss the incident. McKinney was in attendance.

Also Wednesday, McKinney deflected questions about the confrontation, while the Capitol Police chief said the lawmaker should have known better. (Watch McKinney deflect questions -- 10:46)

The Georgia Democrat didn't stop at an officer's request last week, then turned around and hit him after he grabbed her when she passed a security checkpoint, said Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainer.

"Any time an officer does not know who the person is coming in the building, I direct them to stop that person. And even if you're stopped, you're not supposed to hit a police officer. It's very simple," he said. "Even the high and the haughty should be able to stop and say, 'I'm a congressman,' and then everybody moves on."

But Myart said that Gainer and other officers went to McKinney's office after the dispute and apologized for the officer's conduct. Myart also questioned why McKinney wasn't arrested on the spot for assaulting an officer, if that is in fact what happened.

Asked Wednesday to describe the incident, McKinney, who has claimed the incident is about racial profiling, said, "Let me first say this has become much ado about a hairdo."

Citing potential criminal charges against McKinney, another of her attorneys, Mike Raffauf, said his client would not discuss specifics of the case.

McKinney has acknowledged she was not wearing the lapel pin given to lawmakers when the officer stopped her. The lawmaker said the identification pin is irrelevant.

"It doesn't have a face or a photo ID on it, and quite frankly it can be duplicated," she said.

McKinney and her attorneys insist that Capitol Police officers should be trained to recognize all 535 members of Congress on sight.

But while Myart has said McKinney was "assaulted" and that her reaction to the officer was appropriate, Gainer argued that McKinney has turned an officer's failure to recognize her into a criminal matter.

Gainer said race was not an issue and that he has seen officers stop and question white, black and Latino members of Congress. He added that officers are given photos of new members of Congress, but with 30,000 employees in the Capitol complex and more than 9 million visitors a year, officers have"to make sure we know who is coming in the building."

Republicans have seized the opportunity to take shots at the legislator. Rep. Tom Delay, R-Texas, called McKinney a "racist" on Fox News Channel and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, downplayed the Georgia lawmaker's allegation of racial profiling.

"This is not about personalities. It's not about somebody's ego. It's not about racial profiling," Hastert said. "It's trying to make this place safer and working with the people that try to make it safer."

Also, two Republican members introduced a resolution Tuesday commending the Capitol Police for their "continued courage and professionalism." (Full story)

McKinney, 51, represents Georgia's 4th Congressional District, a majority-black, Democratic district on the east side of metro Atlanta.

First elected in 1992, she was defeated in a 2002 Democratic primary but made a comeback in 2004, winning her old seat after the candidate who had beaten her two years earlier decided to run for the U.S. Senate.

The hullabaloo over McKinney's altercation with the police officer comes three weeks before candidates in Georgia begin qualifying for the July 18 primary. The qualifying period is April 24-28.

McKinney has complained before of not being recognized as a member of Congress, both on Capitol Hill and at the White House. In 1998, she demanded and received an apology from the Clinton administration after White House guards stopped her.

CNN's Deirdre Walsh and Terry Frieden contributed to this report.

Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

Posted by: bbelichick

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwflatbed

But while Myart has said McKinney was "assaulted" and that her reaction to the officer was appropriate,

Not in Mass! I don't know about DC, but if I grab someone that I want to talk to and they hit me...buh-bye!

Posted by: Wiggum_1

Well I'm glad that Cheif Gainer has the balls to stand by his officers, especially in such a highly political place. Its disgusing how she's carrying on like this when it's so obvious that she's in the wrong. Thankfully there are some of her felow party members that also see how BS this is, and decided not to show up for that cancelled news confrence.
Pick up Ronald Kessler's book "Inside Congress", it descibes what really goes on in the capitol and has a couple of really good chapters on the Capitol Police.

Posted by: Mikey682

Wasn't the racist incident where an agitated black female hit a white cop?

Posted by: mtc

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikey682

Wasn't the racist incident where an agitated black female hit a white cop?

No flies on you, are there!

Posted by: lofu

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbelichick

Not in Mass! I don't know about DC, but if I grab someone that I want to talk to and they hit me...buh-bye!

I asked this question several times in the academy and never really got a straight answer. What is the chrage in this situation? AB/PO? THey aren't really resisting arrest at this point, correct? If no one else is around can you charge disorderly? Maybe stupid questions but I could never get a straight answer.

Posted by: kwflatbed

McKinney apologizes for scuffle with officer

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Rep. Cynthia McKinney apologized on the House floor Thursday for a confrontation with a Capitol Police officer last week.

"There should not have been any physical contact in this incident," McKinney said.

"I am sorry that this misunderstanding happened at all, and I regret its escalation and I apologize," she said surrounded by colleagues on the House floor...

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/04/06/mckinney/index.html

Posted by: USMCTrooper

The news this morning reported she had ZERO support from Congressional leaders and senior members. Nancy Pelosi refused to even talk to her. That was basically her motivation for "apologizing".

When Democrats won't back each other you KNOW its F*ck'd up bad!

Posted by: bbelichick

Quote:

Originally Posted by lofu

A&B PO and Disorderly sound fine. Most people that punch a cop aren;t going to then calmly turn around and be placed under arrest, either...so here comes the Resisting Arrest as well.

Posted by: Thimios315

Right on BBelichick! Plus don't forget the case law on an "Anticipatory Breach of the Peace".......you can definetly arrest someone for disorderly with no one around at the time - as long as you can articulate that if people were present, a breach of the peace would've existed.

Posted by: lofu

Thank you. That's what I thought but I could never really get a straight answer. Lets be honest though, its not the charges that are going to make the POS regret his decision to strike a cop.

Posted by: Delta784

Anyone see the editorial cartoon in today's Herald?

Posted by: kwflatbed

F.O.P. President Urges Capitol Officer To Seek Legal Action

Story by WSBTV.com

WASHINGTON -- The top police union official in the U.S. was in Washington today, urging the police officer who was involved in a run-in with Rep. Cynthia McKinney D-Ga. to take legal action against the congresswoman.

McKinney is accused of striking a Capitol Police officer, after the officer failed to recognize her and stopped her at a security checkpoint.

Channel 2 Action News learned exclusively that the president of the largest police union in the U.S. met with the unidentified officer this morning to talk over possible legal action.

"We're going to make sure the officer won't be harassed. We want the officer to be able talk to experts, who can look at his legal recourses, if he needed to," says Chuck Canterbury, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police.

The F.O.P. has more than 320,000 members.

Union officials are also looking into the run-in between one of the congresswoman's employees and Channel 2 Action News reporter Scott MacFarlane.

They're looking into the background of the man who claimed on-camera to be a police officer.

The union says he should be prosecuted for impersonating a police officer.

Rep. McKinney's office says the man is her driver, not a police officer.

"We rail against people who use police authority when they don't have it," says Canterbury.

"It's dangerous for police officers. It's dangerous for the public. Imitating police is not a good thing," he added.

Rep. McKinney's case remains in the hands of the U.S. attorney in Washington.

A grand jury is hearing testimony.

Copyright 2006 by wsbtv.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops

About MassCops, the home for Massachusetts law enforcement.

The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network opened in 1998 and is now a part of the New England Police Network The site is a pro-police discussion forum intended for sworn police officers and civilian law enforcement officials as well as those interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement here in Massachusetts.

The goal of The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network is to provide an informal network of law enforcement officials here in Massachusetts for educational and informational purposes.

The forum covers many topics such as Police Related News Articles, Agency & Profession Discussions, Police Training as well as Law Enforcement Career Information.

The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network and The New England Police Network (NEPN) and it's network sites are privately owned websites/domains and are not affiliated with or endorsed by any government association or agency.

MassCops (masscops.com) and (masscop.com) are privately owned are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Massachusetts Coalition of Police (masscop.org)

3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 49 50 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108