Tag Archive for: law enforcement

Tolerating Riots Hurts Cops, Leads to Lawlessness

An inability to squelch riots is a feature of a failing, or at least a flailing, nation. The U.S. has been struggling with this problem for a decade now, and police and urban-dwelling Americans are paying the highest price.

I covered the Baltimore riots in April of 2015, which erupted after Freddie Gray died in police custody, and left a smoldering CVS pharmacy, a few other battered buildings, and a general sense that masked men can get away with a lot more than we once thought. We later learned the city leaders purposefully allowed the rioting. They told police to stand down. As many of these cases are, this one was marked by ambiguity and missing details around the death, lots of anger, and the aforementioned riots that burned down parts of the city and left several injured — including me.

But this story is not about me or my black eye 10 years ago. It is about the trend, from Baltimore and Ferguson to the 2020 BLM riots that swept the nation with little to no consequences, to the anti-ICE riots that sprang up in Los Angeles and elsewhere and persist in Portland, where several were arrested earlier this week. ICE agents now face gunfire, rocks, and public condemnation from Democrats.

After the riots in Ferguson, Missouri, there were reports of nationwide police discouragement and a spike in violent crime in many places. This phenomenon occurred again in the aftermath of the 2020 riots. Police turnover increased as cops were maligned as racist. Meanwhile, violent crime spiked. Over the last decade, anecdotal evidence suggests police officers pulled back from high-crime neighborhoods, many fearful of becoming the next scapegoat for perceived institutional racism.

I discussed this topic and more on the “Outstanding” podcast with Jason Johnson, a former cop who now serves as president of the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund. Sam McCarthy, a writer for the Washington Stand who covers these topics, also joined us on the podcast.

“It devastated police morale,” Johnson said of the 2020 riots, “pretty much everywhere, to the point where there’s the immediate impact of surging crime. Crime surged in 2020 … [and] homicide numbers went up in 2020 pretty much everywhere — some places significantly, 70% in a one-year increase.” He continued, “We actually published a study on this very recently where we retrospectively looked at this data. We looked at the crime numbers, and then we looked at measures of police productivity. So when you think about hardworking police officer,” he prompted, “what do you think about them doing? You think about them making arrests, right? If you’re out there looking for criminals, you’re probably going to find them and you’re probably going to make an arrest or at least stop a stop, a traffic stop or a stop of a suspicious person. Traditionally, that’s how we kind of measured how productive our law enforcement officers are and how much work they’re doing,” Johnson explained. “And what we found was those numbers move in opposite directions. So the measures of police productivity in 2020 went down very sharply … [because] police are on the defensive.”

So, how should we think about this as Christians?

A few years ago, in a moment of uncharacteristic diligence, I memorized Romans 13. Take a look at this section:

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing” (Romans 13:1-6).

A few key takeaways: First, God considers government officials ministers of his wrath. Ministers. Extensions of his will. Second, God accepts punishing wrongdoers as a key and godly function of otherwise pagan governments.

Presumably, ungodly governments are at the very least expected to maintain the rule of law so that society can function and the gospel can be preached until Jesus returns and permanently manifests his more perfect governance. Inherent in this text is the idea that God supports police and doesn’t want to defund them, though reform is always an option. On top of that, God is angry at criminals and sees them as worthy of wrath — not simply victims of society and merely in need of rehabilitation. Lastly, government officials who deal with criminals, including police, are worthy of a certain amount of respect as ministers of God’s will, even if they don’t acknowledge God or walk in His ways. The Romans at the time of Paul’s writing certainly didn’t.

Of course, police must act justly. There are plenty of admonitions in Scripture about treating people, and particularly the downtrodden, with justice. But in the nation’s zeal for justice, many have forgotten the God-designed and vital role of police and the respect they deserve as a result.

“As long as you as long as you earn the respect, you will be respected,” Johnson said of these officers. “All that was taken away, and they said, ‘No, don’t respect these authority figures. They’re not good. And that that is the message that has been pumped out through popular media and throughout social media that so many young people are influenced by.”

Johnson said that because of the media narrative against police, becoming an officer “just didn’t have the same luster it had.”

“That That’s the reason that I was attracted to law enforcement. It seems like a way to do good in so many different ways. And they took that away.

Johnson made the point that young people are not as attracted to becoming officers because of the cultural narrative.

“It’s very simple. … [T]he people who have influence in our culture have to speak out about the positives of law enforcement and as a career as a profession, that it really is a good thing. It’s a good thing to do if you want to create a positive force in your community. And so, I think it’s as simple as that.”

AUTHOR

Casey Harper

Casey Harper is managing editor for broadcast for The Washington Stand and host of the Outstanding podcast.

RELATED ARTICLE: Anti-ICE Violence Escalates to Doxing, Threatening Officers at Home

RELATED VIDEO: Iranian-Linked Website CROWDFUNDING a Hit on President Trump — Over $40 MILLION Raised

EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. All rights reserved. ©2025 Family Research Council.


The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.

Active Shooter Reportedly Ambushes Border Patrol Agents

An active shooter with a rifle and tactical gear reportedly shot at Border Patrol agents arriving at an annex facility in Texas on Monday, injuring one local police officer, according to multiple reports.

Police and border agents shot and killed the gunman, who has not been identified, at a McAllen Texas Border Patrol building, Fox News and CNN reported, citing law enforcement sources. Authorities believe the shooting was an intentional attack on border officials.

No border agents were harmed in the shooting, but a McAllen police officer was reportedly wounded and is in stable condition.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

This is a breaking story and will be updated. 

AUTHOR

Hudson Crozier

DCNF Crime and Extremism Reporter.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Border Patrol Agents Ambushed by Active Shooter in Texas

ICE Just Set a New Record for Most Illegal Aliens Detained at One Time in All of American History: Report

‘He Started to Eat Himself’: Noem Makes Chilling Claim About Illegal Alien Allowed In by Biden

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.


All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

Historic U.S. Child Rescue: 60 Missing, Trafficked Children Saved in Florida Operation

Florida’s “Operation Dragon Eye” was successful in rescuing 60 children who were missing, endangered, or victims of human trafficking, state officials announced Monday.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (R) said in a press briefing: “We are here to announce the most successful completion of the largest child rescue operation, not just in Florida history, but in the United States history.” As he went on to say, “Protecting our kids and keeping Florida the safest state to raise a family is our number one priority. Today is a result of the hard work to deliver on that promise.”

For two intense weeks, the U.S. Marshals Service, in collaboration with Florida state and local authorities, conducted a sweeping operation across Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco counties in the Tampa Bay area. This coordinated effort united 20 federal, state, and local agencies, mobilizing over 100 law enforcement officers, investigators, and support personnel. The children, ranging in age from 9 to 17, were found in a variety of dire circumstances, including situations involving human trafficking, abduction, and endangerment. Upon rescue, each child received immediate medical evaluations and psychological support to address the physical and emotional trauma they had endured.

U.S. Marshal William Berger revealed the operation’s dual mission: to locate and rescue vulnerable children while targeting the criminal networks responsible for their exploitation. “[E]xperience tells us,” he noted, “if the offenders are not apprehended, they will reconnect with these children.” The team arrested eight predators, charging them with heinous crimes including human trafficking, child endangerment, and drug trafficking. Bonds for these offenders ranged from no bond to a staggering $250 million.

Fox News reported that “The operation uncovered the gut-wrenching realities of sex trafficking — including several young girls who were pregnant, one of them carrying the child of her trafficker.” According to authorities, the investigation is ongoing “and additional charges may follow.”

In a statement, Uthmeier, speaking as both state attorney general and a father of three, underscored the mission’s heart. “The real heroes behind this operation are the law enforcement who built and executed this mission,” he said. “As your Attorney General and a father of three young kids, protecting children is my top priority. If you victimize children, you’re going to prison, end of story.”

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Commissioner Mark Glass captured the operation’s profound impact. “Sixty kids saved,” he said. “That number sends the message that Florida will never be a safe place for traffickers. At FDLE, we will continue to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. And to any family still missing their child, we will never stop searching until we make sure they are brought home safely.”

Berger’s final words echoed the operation’s unprecedented scale: “[T]he successful recovery of 60 missing children, complemented with the arrest of eight individuals, including child predators, signifies the most successful missing child recovery effort in the history of the United States Marshals Service; or to my knowledge, any other similar operation held in the United States.”

According to The Child Crime Prevention and Safety Center, roughly 840,000 U.S. children are reported missing annually. And Florida, with its large population and major transportation hubs, has long been a haven for traffickers seeking to exploit vulnerable populations. As such, while “Operation Dragon Eye” marks a significant triumph, authorities warn that human trafficking remains a pervasive threat. In 2024 alone, Florida received over 1,830 trafficking signals, leading to the identification of 1,874 victims, many of them minors lured through manipulation or online platforms, as reported by Fox.

In response, Florida has intensified its efforts. Governor Ron DeSantis (R) recently allocated $4.9 million to expand emergency shelter beds and staff support for trafficking victims, alongside $900,000 in grant funding for the FDLE. As DeSantis previously affirmed, “Florida is being proactive about stopping human trafficking.”

Mary Szoch, director of Family Research Council’s Center for Human Dignity, praised the operation’s monumental success in a statement to The Washington Stand. “Attorney General James Uthmeier should be commended for his commitment to upholding the dignity of every human being,” she said. “The rescue of these 60 trafficked children is a huge accomplishment for the state of Florida.”

Szoch concluded with a call to action: “Every single person’s life matters, and no one should be exploited as if he or she was an object. We should all continue to pray for the well-being of these 60 children, and we should thank God for the work they are doing in Florida to uphold the sanctity of life in all of its stages.”

AUTHOR

Sarah Holliday

Sarah Holliday is a reporter at The Washington Stand.

RELATED ARTICLES:

SCOTUS Greenlights Deportations to ‘Third Countries’ as Federal Judge Ignores Order

Former Democrat Hill Staffer Arrested For Abducting, Assaulting Women On The Loose After Posting Bond

California, Wake Up!

RELATED VIDEO: ‘Operation Dragon Eye’ child recovery operation: An inside look

EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. All rights reserved. ©2025 Family Research Council.


Like what you’re reading? Donate to The Washington Stand! From now until June 30, your gift will be doubled to fuel bold, biblically-based reporting.

The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.

EXCLUSIVE: Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers Still Awaiting Justice 3 Years After Firebombing, Vandalism Spree

The FBI has yet to solve at least five cases it opened into arson attacks targeting pro-life pregnancy centers in 2022, according to an investigation by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The Biden FBI offered cash rewards in 2022 for information on suspects responsible for firebombings around the country, mainly directed at pro-life facilities, after the preemptive May 2 leak of a Supreme Court ruling that overturned the abortion precedent established by Roe v. Wade. Five local FBI field offices told the DCNF that the bureau is still offering the incentive for cases in ColoradoNorth CarolinaWashington stateOregon and New York, indicating suspects were never found or convicted.

The FBI’s Seattle field office told the DCNF that it’s typical for the bureau to update or delete the bulletins asking the public for information if suspects are caught, and if they’re on the website, the FBI is still looking for answers. The FBI’s national press office did not respond to a request for comment.

‘Enforce The Law Equally’

One targeted facility’s CEO, Jim Harden, told the DCNF he got a phone call from an employee around two in the morning on June 7, 2022, that changed his life. The Amherst, New York, building that was home to his organization CompassCare was set ablaze in what was eventually determined to be arson. The FBI released footage showing what it said were two suspects arriving in a car at night and throwing Molotov cocktails at the building.

Harden’s team had been on high alert that summer, having already contacted the FBI over concerns about a heightened risk of violence. Soon after the fire, he moved with his wife and children to flee an onslaught of threats against them as extremists lashed out at CompassCare, a Christian nonprofit providing free medical care to pregnant mothers to steer them away from abortion.

“Our lives are very different now,” he said in an interview with the DCNF. “We had to relocate our family … we had people riding past our house pointing guns at our kids.”

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said in April that there were more than 200 cases of pregnancy resource centers “violently attacked by activists with no action by law enforcement, federal or state” in the past several years. Family Research Council documented almost 50 instances of vandalism and other attacks on pregnancy centers and pro-life organization buildings from May through June 2022.

“I can say we are taking them seriously now and will be for the duration,” Dhillon told the DCNF about such cases. Dillon declined to comment about any specific prosecutions that may be ongoing or forthcoming.

“This Department of Justice is committed to protecting crisis pregnancy centers, pro-life organizations and places of worship from targeted acts of violence and will work to ensure justice is served to criminals who engage in this unlawful behavior,” a DOJ spokesperson said in response to questions about the unsolved cases.

The spree of violence even resulted in arson at a Portland pregnancy center run by a self-professed pro-choice woman in July 2022. As in the five cases involving pro-life groups, the FBI told the DCNF it is still offering a reward for information. The Dobbs opinion leak, which was investigated but never solved, also inspired an assassination attempt on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh near his home.

The Portland facility did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The other pregnancy centers with unsolved cases in Longmont, Colorado and Portland did not respond to multiple requests for comment, while one in Seattle declined to comment.

Harden, the CompassCare CEO, said the pro-abortion Biden administration seemed apathetic about solving the cases, despite the FBI interviewing him about the Amherst bombing. He recalled reaching out and asking urgently for updates, leading to a moment when he said an FBI agent “was screaming” over the phone that the bureau was not required to update him.

“Their job was to enforce the law equally,  and it did not appear as if they were doing so,” Harden said.

‘Mountain Of Evidence’

While announcements about pro-abortion vandalism cases were scarce, the Biden administration boasted in press releases about several prosecutions of pro-life activists under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act for protesting at abortion clinics. On his first week in office, President Donald Trump pardoned nearly two dozen pro-lifers accused of federal crimes.

Former Attorney General Merrick Garland explained the discrepancy in March 2023 by telling Congress that “it is quite easy” to identify and charge pro-lifers protesting in daylight.

“Those who are attacking the pregnancy resources centers, which is a hard thing to do, are doing this at night in the dark,” Garland said.

Harden did not — and does not — buy Garland’s explanation whatsoever.

“There’s a mountain of evidence,” Harden said of the vandals, noting that the authorities can search for license plate numbers, body mechanic imagery and cell phone IP addresses. “It’s just not possible they don’t know who they are. The FBI [is] the most technically advanced law enforcement agency on the planet.”

Some attacks on pro-life centers in 2022 were linked to a leftist group called Jane’s Revenge, with activists posting online threats in response to news about the leaked Dobbs decision. The FBI said the CompassCare vandals left the spray-painted message, “Jane was here.”

Harden told the DCNF his Amherst building was repaired at “miraculous” speed in 52 days thanks in part to volunteer workers, but the damage cost millions of dollars.

The attack inspired Harden to become more outspoken about political issues via media interviews. He also launched a campaign on a pro-life platform to fill Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik’s House seat in a New York special election. Stefanik announced she would remain in her role in April after Trump pulled her nomination to represent the U.S. in the United Nations.

‘Heart Problem’

Paula McSwain, executive director of the Crisis Pregnancy Center in Lincolnton, North Carolina, told the DCNF she received a letter from the FBI in August 2024 saying its investigation into arson at her building in June 2022 was closed. Surveillance footage showed someone at nighttime throwing what the FBI said was a Molotov cocktail.

The Lincolnton case is one of several for which the FBI is still offering a reward for information on any suspects, according to the bureau’s Charlotte field office.

McSwain said she was fortunate enough to get the pregnancy center up and running fairly easily.

“If they wanted to destroy the building, they could have done a better job,” McSwain told the DCNF.

The pro-life leader decided to respond to her ordeal by limiting public outcry.

“That’s what they were seeking, was attention,” McSwain said of the vandals.

Harden and McSwain said that if they could give any message to their attackers, it would be one of forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

“If you throw fire at any building, you’ve got a heart problem and there’s something not right with your life … We don’t seek revenge, we just pray for them,” McSwain said.

“The only reason I can forgive you is because forgiveness has been made available to me, and so I would encourage you to come out of the darkness and into the light,” Harden said his words to the criminals would be.

“Nothing is going to go unpunished if it’s sin,” Harden said.

AUTHOR

Hudson Crozier

DCNF Crime and Extremism Reporter.

RELATED ARTICLES:

DOJ Wins Guilty Plea For One Of Few Pregnancy Center Attackers It Caught While Pro-Lifers Sit In Prison

Prominent Pro-Abortion Group Appears To Be Front For Radical Revolutionary Communists

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.


All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

Legal Group Joining Anti-Tesla Movement Has Violent, Far-Left History

A legal organization with ties to the far-left Antifa movement has joined forces with anti-Tesla activists angry about CEO Elon Musk’s role in the Trump administration.

The Oregon-based Civil Liberties Defense Center (CLDC) has been giving virtual training to groups leading anti-Tesla protests. The CLDC is known to help alleged Antifa agitators fight charges in court, adheres to their anti-police ideology and lost one of its volunteer workers in a shootout with law enforcement in 2019.

“It’s time to be strategic and effective, but it’s not time to be afraid or silenced,” CLDC Executive Director Lauren Regan told a virtual audience in a March 19 “Tesla Takedown” video call. She warned that protesters should be aware of their “geography” to avoid getting arrested.

“There are going to be some areas of the country that are very conservative and are going to be hard on dissidents or activists no matter what the timing, and then there are other places that are going to be less so,” Regan said.

The CLDC did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

A post shared by #TeslaTakedown (@tesla.takedown)

The CDLC came under scrutiny in 2019 after its volunteer worker Charlie Landeros was fatally shot by police at his daughter’s middle school.

Landeros had come to the school in a fit of rage over custody decisions related to his daughter and ex-wife and began firing a handgun at an officer who confronted him before another officer killed him, according to a district attorney’s investigation that found no wrongdoing by police. The district attorney also revealed the FBI had received a tip about Landeros allegedly “posting violent anti-government messages on social media” such as, “time to start killing pigs,” referring to police officers.

The CLDC earned criticism from pro-police advocates for claiming Landeros’s death was not investigated thoroughly. The group casted suspicion by emphasizing that “people of color are disproportionately the victims of police violence.”

Among other past clients, the CLDC defended Antifa supporter Alissa Azar after Oregon prosecutors accused her of inciting a protest that devolved into a brawl between leftists and right-wing Proud Boys in 2021. The CLDC lost the case when a jury convicted Azar of felony riot and second-degree disorderly conduct, while deadlocking on a charge of illegal use of mace.

The CLDC later complained about Azar’s “dystopian” sentencing to 14 days in prison, saying she was just a “journalist” who was “truthfully reporting on the growing rise of fascist political violence and hate.”

Regan previously told a local newspaper she got her start in criminal defense work on behalf of environmental protesters who were arrested in 1997 for climbing on trees to stop them from getting cut down. She founded the CLDC under the pretense of keeping government authority in check after 9/11, according to the group’s “about” page.

An Antifa-linked “Stop Cop City” movement behind arson and attacks on police in Georgia in 2023 also drew the sympathy of the CLDC. The group declared in 2024 that “Cop City resisters” had been “labeled as ‘terrorists,’ even though none of them engaged in acts that fall within the federal definition.”

Through virtual video talks, the CLDC recently helped anti-Musk activists prepare for a “Global Day of Action” on March 29 that resulted in protests at Tesla facilities across the country and a few reports of assaults and violent threats from Tesla haters. Online organizers of the event with the “Tesla Takedown” movement said they “oppose violence, vandalism and destruction of property.”

TODAY: Man confronts anti-Tesla protester:

“I’m not voting Democrat again … because of the stuff that I’ve seen and the vandalism and all that stuff … I’d rather not vote than vote Democrat at this point. And I’ve voted Democrat for 25 years! So what does that tell you?” pic.twitter.com/L9L8MEI5S2

— Hudson Crozier 🇺🇸 (@Hudson_Crozier) March 29, 2025

“Tesla Takedown” does not appear to be a formal organization. The DCNF used the website’s contact form and did not receive a response.

The CLDC also reportedly gave a “know your rights training for activists” on March 21 in Eugene, Oregon with Indivisible, a left-wing group that participated in the March “Day of Action.” Indivisible did not respond to a request for comment.

An online warning from CLDC on March 26 gave anti-Musk and anti-Trump protesters instructions on how to deal with getting arrested or questioned by authorities.

“Our communities often cannot rely on or trust police, so we need to think, plan, and practice how we can help each other be safer,” the CLDC declared.

“Political movement participants do not cooperate or snitch to the State – which is often your political adversary,” the group said.

AUTHOR

Hudson Crozier

Contributor.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Anti-Musk Group Behind ‘Day Of Action’ Against Tesla Offers Tips On ‘Jail Support,’ Finding ‘Target’s’ Home Address

WATCH: Musk Hater Leaves Swastika-Marked Brick On Tesla In NYC Jewish Community

Trump Cracks Down On Left’s Favorite Way To Discriminate

Dem Rep Who Claims To Want Border Security Regrets Voting For The Laken Riley Act

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.


All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

Anti-Musk Group Behind ‘Day Of Action’ Against Tesla Offers Tips On ‘Jail Support,’ Finding ‘Target’s’ Home Address

A nonprofit organizing nationwide protests against Elon Musk’s Tesla teaches activists how to find a “target’s” home address and lend aid to those who have been arrested, materials shared on the group’s website show.

The nonprofit, Disruption Project, cheered on Black Lives Matter protesters but is now leading the “Tesla Takedown” movement to stop Musk from destroying “democracy” through his government oversight role in the Trump administration. Disruption Project helped coordinate “Global Day of Action” on Saturday that saw more than 200 protests scheduled in the U.S. — a few of which reportedly turned violent.

Disruption Project joined activists online in calling for the event, archived webpages show. Dozens of scheduled protests were registered on Action Network, a website for posting petitions and activism plans. Disruption Project did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

“[Our] research and analysis of the Tesla Takedown Movement has revealed an extremely sophisticated, extremely coordinated effort to engage in aggressive intimidation and political violence to ‘resist’ President Trump and destroy the Tesla company by any means necessary,” Gregory T. Angelo, president of the New Tolerance Campaign, told the DCNF in a statement.

New Tolerance Campaign gathers data on “hard left extremism” and released a “Hate Alert” warning of potential violence at the Saturday gatherings beforehand. There were reports of anti-Musk protesters physically attacking other people and displaying messages such as “Burn a Tesla save democracy” at demonstrations in IdahoNew York and California that were scheduled through the “Day of Action” page.

Disruption Project co-sponsored Saturday’s protests with Troublemakers, a group that calls Musk’s agenda a “coup” but stresses “nonviolent action” as its policy. The “Day of Action” webpage was later changed to “#Tesla Takedown,” removing references to Troublemakers or Disruption Project. Troublemakers did not respond to a request for comment.

Organizers of the event wrote that they “oppose violence, vandalism and destruction of property” and cited “our First Amendment right to peaceful assembly.” However, Disruption Project’s website offers resources for left-wing activists such as “jail support,” “finding a target’s home” and “what to do in an uprising,” or a mass protest that may provoke a police response.

The “jail support” webpages on the site advise protesters to use encrypted programs so that law enforcement can’t view their communications and to form “group legal support for people who may risk arrest.”

“For actions and demonstrations[,] the role of support in a civil disobedience action is crucial to those risking arrest,” one webpage says. “In actions where no one is planning on risking arrest, support roles are also important to think out in advance, both for taking on necessary tasks during legal actions, and to prepare for the contingency of unexpected arrests.”

Another webpage recommends keeping quiet if any detainees are “undocumented” migrants and to “get them out of jail before the police realize, then get them a lawyer.”

The website’s information on “what to do in an uprising” says it draws inspiration from chaotic Black Lives Matter protests in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014 and the leftist “Occupy Wall Street” movement, which together led to hundreds of arrests and millions of dollars in property damage and law enforcement costs.

“First, do what you think is necessary for the struggle, not what everyone else is doing,” reads a document linked on the “uprising” webpage. “Know that you will have to use your own agency, no one else will tell you what to do during an uprising.”

The document claims activists should be prepared for risks because police have repeatedly “overreacted” to mobs of protesters.

“Armed struggle is a legitimate tool throughout the world, and though we are not advocating it here, as folks in Baltimore said, ‘Broken windows are less important than broken spines,’” the document says. “There are no good and bad protestors, we cannot let the power structure divide us.”

Disruption Project also encourages activists to visit a “target’s home address” because “in some cases, going to an office building is insufficient.” It suggests finding addresses through public databases such as White Pages, property records, and voter registrations and “scouting the property” before protesting.

Disruption Project describes itself as “dedicated to supporting uprisings, resistance and mass direct action” on its “about” page. The group says protesters around the world have been known to “nonviolently topple dictatorships and illegitimate governments.”

“Our belief is that when mass numbers of people stand up and take action against the unjust systems of racial capitalism, the heteropatriarchy, white supremacy and settler colonialism, we have the ability to force ruptures and dismantle these systems,” the organization’s “about” page says.

The Trump administration’s FBI has formed a Tesla-focused task force in response to several alleged instances of arson and vandalism around the country.

The FBI’s press office told the DCNF, “Director [Kash] Patel has been unequivocally clear: The FBI will be relentless in its mission to protect the American people.”

“Acts of violence, vandalism, and domestic terrorism — like the recent Tesla attacks — will be pursued with the full force of the law,” the FBI said.

“The FBI does not investigate solely based on protected First Amendment activity,” the agency told the DCNF. “The FBI focuses on individuals who commit or intend to commit violence and criminal activity that constitutes a federal crime or poses a threat to national security.”

Tesla’s press office did not respond to a request for comment.

AUTHOR

Hudson Crozier

Contributor.

RELATED ARTICLES:

How to Prosecute the Tesla Bombers

Tesla attacks and domestic terrorism: Kyle Shideler

Foreign Aid Agencies Awarded $27 Million To Group Helping Leftist Protesters Avoid Jail

DOGE Targets Members of Congress Who Become ‘Strangely Wealthy’

Democrats’ Anti-American Agenda is Doomed

RELATED VIDEO: Antonio Gracias: How both Social Security fraud and Voter Fraud works in 12 minutes

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.


All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

Violent Crime Creating ‘Dystopian Hell’ Despite Biden’s Claim America Is Safer

President Joe Biden’s policies have not contributed to a decrease in violent crime, multiple sources told the Daily Caller, despite the Biden-Harris administration seizing on a recent report that seemed to show major cities were safer in 2024.

One liberal-run city is a “dystopian hell,” remarked a police union representative to the Caller. Additionally, changes in reporting protocols create the “illusion” of safety, according to one law enforcement officer.

report by the Major Cities Chiefs Association captured data on violent crime from 69 cities. New York City was not included because it did not submit violent crime numbers for the first half of this year. An Axios analysis of the data found a 6% overall decrease in violent crime in the first half of 2024 compared to the first six months of 2023. The data appeared to show steep drops in violent crime, including a 41% drop in Columbus, Ohio – the largest decline in the country.

Officers in the city, however, face a starkly different reality.

Lies, Damned Lies, And Crime Statistics

“Our officers and the citizens they serve are still battling violent crime daily,” Brian Steel, President of the Ninth Capital City Lodge Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) in Ohio, told the Caller. “Recent changes in crime reporting have done little more than create the illusion that all is well.”

Steel provided the Caller with the Columbus Police Department’s Homicide Reporting protocol. Police Chief Elaine Bryant took office in 2021, and the protocol was subsequently updated in 2022.

The department’s “annual homicide clearance rate” is determined based on FBI standards, according to the protocol.

The clearance rate is derived from “the total number of new homicides in a calendar year” and “the total number of homicides that are cleared that calendar year, regardless of the year the homicide occurred,” the document reads.

Steel explained how this transition impacts homicide statistics.

If a detective solved a cold case in 2024, but the homicide was committed in 2020, then that case goes toward the clearance rate for 2024. The policy increases the clearance rate and “makes itself better,” Steel added, but it didn’t used to be that way.

The FBI switched from its century-old method of collecting crime data to the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) in 2021. The left-leaning Marshall Project reported that almost 40% of law enforcement agencies did not submit data in 2021 to NIBRS, including New York City and Los Angeles.

Nebraska’s FOP President Anthony Conner told the Caller about his experience with changes in how crime is reported, although he argued homicide numbers are the best metric “because you can’t hide a dead body.”

He explained how when he first started on the police force over 20 years ago, if there was a shooting at a house, every person inside was documented as a felony assault victim.

“Well, they decided to change that,” Conner told the Caller. He stated that now, if police cannot identify the intended target, the charge is downgraded from a felony assault to a misdemeanor property crime.

Paul Ware, a 30-year law enforcement veteran and retired Portland, Oregon, police officer of 21 years, told the Caller some cities are not reporting all their crimes.

“They’re reporting the lesser crimes,” Ware told the Caller. “And so decreasing crime is, quite frankly, not real, because all they’re doing is reclassifying the crimes that they have on the streets into something other than exactly what it was.”

There is an incentive for cities to report lower levels of crime, California FOP President Roger Hilton explained to the Caller. He pointed to a July investigation published by the San Francisco Chronicle that revealed Oakland “overstated” its drop in crime.

Hilton stated California adopted measures that enable crime, specifically Proposition 47.

“Cops have limited tools to arrest people, and if they do arrest them, they’re out faster, before we can even finish writing the report,” Hilton told the Caller.

Voters approved Proposition 47 in 2014, and it demoted the classification of most nonviolent drug and property felonies to misdemeanors, according to Ballotpedia. This includes theft and fraud amounting up to $950.

Hilton also noted how charges can be downgraded during the sentencing process.

“As it goes through the criminal justice system, sometimes a lot of charges get dropped along the way,” he said, noting how the FBI gets its information from other law enforcement agencies.

“It’s hard for me to say how all of those things are all reported, and I doubt that they’re very consistent,” Hilton told the Caller.

Where Violent Crime Has Decreased, It’s Not Because Of The Biden Administration

The Axios analysis of the MCCA report showed Omaha, Nebraska, experienced a 30% decrease in violent crime.

Conner told the Caller violent crime decreased in Omaha because the police department cracked down on gang violence.

“Omaha has a Republican mayor who has been very supportive of law enforcement,” Conner said. Omaha’s Police Chief was instrumental in restructuring the department to effectively tackle gang violence, he noted.

The County District Attorney actually prosecutes homicides, unlike a lot of DAs around the country who are letting criminals free, according to Conner. 

Conner said due to officer shortages, however, Omaha’s violent crime could start trending the other way. “We are down 126 officers, maybe even more than that now,” he told the Caller, noting the department is roughly 14% short of officers.

The Biden-Harris administration capitalized on the report and said violent crime hit a “record” 50-year low in the first part of 2024 in an August press release. The White House claimed its gun control polices and “American Rescue Plan” contributed to the decrease in violent crime.

Executive Director for Right On Crime and former U.S. Attorney Brett Tolman disagreed, stressing crime is primarily a local issue.

“The policies that he’s talking about, like the background check, expanded background checks and all those things, has had virtually zero to do with any of the rise or the fall in the dropping crime,” Tolman told the Caller. “And I’ve yet to hear them articulate a policy they implemented that would.”

He explained the main deterrent is predictability, or when individuals believe they are going to be caught and punished for violating the law.

“You can lengthen sentence. You can shorten the sentence. You can do things that have no impact on deterring crime, but the predictability is the only factor,” he said.

The Manhattan Institute’s Heather Mac Donald told the Caller funding is essentially meaningless if people do not want to join the police force.

“There’re still departments that are completely unable to recruit and hold on to the officers that they’ve got,” she said. “Frankly, crime and policing are very local matters. There’s not a heck of a lot the federal government can do in terms of crime tactics and strategies.”

She emphasized the Biden admin should change its rhetoric if it actually wanted to help law enforcement.

“The one thing it should avoid doing is demoralizing the cops by calling them racist.”

The End Result Of Progressive Policies: ‘A Dystopian Hell’

One of the cities that reportedly experienced a drop in crime was Oakland, California – but locals tell a different story.

“If you walk around Oakland now, it is like a dystopian hell,” Sam Singer, who represents the Oakland Police Officers Association (OPOA), told the Caller. “And you know, small business are suffering.”

The OPOA sent a letter to the office of Mayor Sheng Tao calling for her to resign by Aug. 8, NBC Bay Area reported. They blamed Tao and the City Council majority for slashing the police force from 712 to 678 officers.

He said the OPOA is doubtful about the reported decrease in crime.

“Anyone who lives or works in Oakland, in the neighborhoods, small businesses, even major businesses, sees violent crime is out of control in the city, and the police force is essentially at half the strength it ought to be.”

Singer claimed “progressive leftists” in the city’s government defunded the police at a time when more police officers were needed.

Across the country, Americans are feeling the effects of rampant crime in major cities. In downtown Seattle, for example, a massive development project was stalled due in part to “open-air drug markets,” among other illegal activities.

VIDEO: Trump On Black People Killed By Police: ‘So Are White People’

President Donald Trump dismissed the notion that black Americans are being killed by police in disproportionate numbers Tuesday, telling CBS News’ Catherine Herridge that police kill white Americans too.

“Let’s talk about George Floyd,” Herridge began. “You said George Floyd’s death was a terrible thing. Why are African Americans still dying at the hands of law enforcement in this country?”

“And so are white people,” Trump responded. “So are white people. What a terrible question to ask. So are white people — more white people, by the way, more white people.”

Herridge also asked Trump about his disdain for movements against Confederate monuments and symbols, which he argued are freedom of speech issues.

“All I say is freedom of speech. It’s very simple. My attitude is freedom of speech. Very strong views on the Confederate flag. With me, it’s freedom of speech. Very simple. Like it, don’t like it, it’s freedom of speech.”

Trump’s comments come as the newest example of his harsh stance on anti-monument protesters. He devoted much of his messaging on the 4th of July to condemning protesters across the country who seek to dismantle American history.

“I am here as your president to proclaim before the country and before the world: This monument will never be desecrated; these heroes will never be defaced; their legacy will never ever be destroyed; their achievements will not be forgotten, and Mount Rushmore will stand forever as an eternal tribute to our forefathers and our freedom,” Trump said in front of Mount Rushmore on July 3.

“This movement is openly attacking the legacies of every person on Mount Rushmore,” Trump said of protesters. “Today we will set history and history’s record straight.”

COLUMN BY

ANDERS HAGSTROM

White House correspondent.

RELATED VIDEO: Full Townhall Interview with President Donald J. Trump.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Republican Attorneys General Warn Of ‘Cancel Culture’ Targeting Mt Rushmore Ahead Of 4th Of July Weekend

‘We Need To Reevaluate’: 2 Prominent Black NY Community Leaders Call For Return Of NYPD Anti-Crime Unit

‘Morale Is In The Toilet’: Police Union Officials Wouldn’t Want Their Own Sons In Law Enforcement

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

Black Lives Matter Demands have Virtually Nothing to do with the Police by Daniel Bier

On August 1, the “Movement for Black Lives” (an umbrella organization for about 50 groups associated with the Black Lives Matter movement) released a list of demands going into the general election campaign. The New York Times reports,

The list of six platform demands is aimed at furthering their goals as the presidential campaign heads into the homestretch. … As part of the effort, the groups are demanding, among other things, reparations for what they say are past and continuing harms to African-Americans, an end to the death penalty, legislation to acknowledge the effects of slavery, as well as investments in education initiatives, mental health services and jobs programs.

If that sounds like a sprawling and unfocused wish list, that’s not the half of it.

The “six” demands actually contain 38 bullet points, most containing several different policies, including such pressing concerns as: forgiving student loans; restoring Glass-Steagall’s ban on affiliations between investment and commercial banks; ending the privatization of natural resources; ending charter schools; “reparations” for “food apartheid”; more universal-y universal health care; a “progressive restructuring of the tax code”; “radical and sustainable redistribution of wealth”; net neutrality; banning super PACs; public financing of elections; blocking the Trans Pacific Partnership; and, who could forget, “divestment from industrial multinational use of fossil fuels and investment in community-based sustainable energy solutions.”

Out of well over a hundred demands, only a handful are related to policing — including one demanding a ban (!) on police body cameras.

If you ever worry about your movement drifting off message, this is the apotheosis of that problem.

Demand Everything, Get Nothing

There are a number of demands about other aspects of criminal justice, but even where they are laudable, they are often unrealistic (abolishing all juvenile detention centers), counterproductive (abolishing money bail), marginal (ending the “privatization of police, prisons, jails, probation, parole, food, phone” and “all other criminal justice related services”), tangential (abolishing the death penalty), or just strange (a new constitutional amendment that guarantees “freedom from unwarranted search, seizure or arrest”).

Some demands were important, on message, and somewhat feasible. They call for decriminalizing drugs and prostitution, expunging drug and prostitution records, demilitarizing police, and establishing civilian oversight agencies for police.

But the trouble is that these urgent and critical reforms are buried under an avalanche of irrelevant policies, vague platitudes, and demands for free stuff — lots of free stuff: free daycare, free Internet, free health care, free elder care, free “high quality food,” a guaranteed minimum income, free college, ad infinitum.

For the most part, the demands read like recycled Bernie Sanders campaign literature — a hodgepodge of left-wing gripes about everything from climate change and Uber to banking and trade policy.

“Freedom Fighters and Political Prisoners”

The platform also calls for the release of “political prisoners” and the removal of “legitimate freedom fighters” from the FBI’s list of terrorist fugitives. Who are these persecuted heroes? The document refers to several former members of the Black Liberation Army, including:

  • Assata Shakur (aka Joanne Chesimard), convicted of murdering a New Jersey state trooper in 1973, who escaped prison in 1979 and fled to Cuba, where she still lives;
  • Kamau Sadiki (aka Freddie Hilton), captured in 2001 and sentenced to life in prison for the 1971 ambush murder of an Atlanta police officer;
  • Herman Bell and Jalil Muntaqim (aka Anthony Bottom), currently serving life sentences for killing two cops in New York in 1971, who also pled guilty to manslaughter charges in the killing of another cop in San Francisco;
  • Jamil Abdullah al-Amin (aka H. Rap Brown), former chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and one-time Minister of Justice for the Black Panther Party, currently serving life in prison for the 2000 murder of a Georgia sheriff’s deputy.

The platform doesn’t try to exonerate any of these figures, but simply declares them “freedom fighters,” and further insists that law enforcement “cease all current investigations and cold cases into former activists.”

These demands, perhaps more than anything else in the platform, do Black Lives Matter a grave disservice, especially in the wake of the Dallas sniper attack. Praising cop killers will not alleviate fears that Black Lives Matter supports killing cops.

When in an Emergency, Act Urgently 

Contrast the “Movement for Black Lives” demands with the agenda of “Campaign Zero,” another group founded by Black Lives Matter activists to reduce police killings. Last August, they presented a list of ten specific, sensible police reforms. As Radley Balko commented then:

Critics and police organizations have portrayed Black Lives Matter as radical, anti-police, and anti-white. But the policies Campaign Zero is pushing are none of those things. Instead, they’re practical, well-thought out, and in most cases, achievable. Most will also directly benefit everyone — not just black people.

In most cases, the policies Campaign Zero is suggesting are already in place in one or more police departments across the country… It makes it more difficult for police groups to portray those proposals as “anti-cop.” But it also makes it easier to pitch those ideas to policymakers and the public. They’ve already been field-tested. As a set, these policies are more a list of “best practices” than revolutionary reform.

A few of the proposals will be a tougher sell, but even those are far short of world-shaking. There are no calls to disarm the police. No calls to abolish law enforcement agencies. No demands that police unions be prohibited. This isn’t a fervid manifesto. It’s a serious effort to solve a problem.

So what does Campaign Zero want? Here’s their list:

  1. End Broken-Windows Policing
  2. Community Oversight
  3. Limit Use of Force
  4. Independent Investigations and Prosecutions
  5. Community Representation
  6. Body Cams/Film the Police
  7. End Policing for Profit
  8. Training
  9. Demilitarization
  10. Fair Police Union Contracts

(Read more about these here and here.)

Each of these policies has additional components, of course, and some will be harder to achieve than others. But all of them fit together as a coherent agenda, pointing towards a specific goal: reducing the number of violent police encounters.

By limiting unnecessary stops, ensuring transparency and accountability, and reining in use of force and military tactics, Campaign Zero hopes to improve community-police relations and stop violent encounters before they start. Their reforms are realistic and focused on the most crucial points: union contracts, use-of-force policies, public transparency, police training, independent oversight, and policies that treat citizens like cash registers and incentivize a lot of low-level harassment.

“Its practicality is undoubtedly born of urgency,” Balko writes. “There’s no time for wild-eyed ideology when people are dying.”

And that’s really the issue here: people are dying — over 1,300 last year alone — most “justifiable,” but surely not all necessary. If this is a crisis worth stopping traffic over, it deserves to be treated as an emergency, not as a façade for a refurbished Occupy Wall Street manifesto. It is incumbent on everyone to take it seriously and address it seriously. Campaign Zero does, and if you’re looking to understand what Black Lives Matter is all about, check out their proposals — and leave the Glass-Steagall debate for a different time.

Daniel Bier

Daniel Bier

Daniel Bier is the editor of FEE.org. He writes on issues relating to science, civil liberties, and economic freedom.

RELATED ARTICLE: Jewish groups shocked after Black Lives Matter releases manifesto accusing Israel of ‘genocide’

Death Toll Rises in Chattanooga Islamic Terror Attack

Saturday brought more somber news of a fifth victim of the Islamic terror massacre perpetrated by 24 year old Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez. He was killed by Chattanooga police in the rampage at a Naval/Marine Recruiting Center on Thursday, July 17, 2015.  The Wall Street Journal reported:

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Smith was a reservist serving on active duty in Chattanooga. Officials said he died early Saturday morning. Mr. Smith, 26 years old, joined the Navy because he was inspired by the service of his late grandfather, said his step-grandmother, Darlene Proxmire. Mr. Smith was a married father of three girls and grew up in Paulding, Ohio, she said.

The other victims were four Marines:

Along with Mr. Smith, four Marines were killed in the attacks. U.S. official and family members on Friday confirmed the identities of the deceased Marines: Thomas Sullivan, of Springfield, Mass.; Skip Wells, from Marietta, Ga.; David Wyatt, of Hixson, Tenn.; and Carson Holmquist, of Grantsburg, Wis.

More emerges on the shooter-Abdulazeez and his family

The shooter, Abdulazeez, was a Kuwait-born naturalized U.S. citizen. He was a 2012 graduate the University of Tennessee –Chattanooga with a degree in electrical engineering who lived with his parents in nearby Hixson, Tennessee. He had just started a position with a local cable and wire firm.  The parents may have been among several hundred thousand Palestinians expelled from Kuwait following the First Gulf War in 1991, many of whom fled to Jordan. These Palestinians, unlike those who fled Israel during the 1948-1949 War, were not covered by the UNWAR refugee program. Rather they were eligible for refugee and asylum status under the UNHCR program.  The New York Times reported:

Born in Kuwait in 1990, Mr. Abdulazeez became an American citizen in 2003 through the naturalization of his mother, federal officials said; his father was also naturalized. Because he was a minor, he did not have to apply separately for citizenship. A divorce complaint filed by his mother in 2009 and then withdrawn, said the parents were from “the State of Palestine.”

Counterterrorism officials had not been investigating Mr. Abdulazeez before Thursday’s shootings. His father had been investigated about seven years ago for giving money to an organization that apparently had ties to Hamas. … The investigation did not result in charges. But the father was placed on a watch list for a while. A similar investigation was conducted in the 1990s and it, too, did not lead to charges.

Representative Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas, the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, said the watch list had for a time prevented the elder Mr. Abdulazeez from flying. “I believe there was a preliminary investigation, but there was no derogatory information, and he was taken off the list,” he said.

The shooter appears to have been heavily armed in the rampage, equipped with an assault weapon and two other long guns. It is reported that he purchased on-line some of the weapons for the rampage including an AK-47, AR 15, Saiga 12. He had also purchased two 7mm and 22 caliber side arms. He had a history of interest in guns, trained in using them at a local range and firing BBs at targets in the backyard of family’s home in Hixson. He also had a history of alcohol and drug related problems.  Following his graduation from UT-Chattanooga he received an offer of employment at a nuclear plant operated by Cleveland-based First Energy. Abdulazeez had been an intern at a TVA nuclear facility during his undergraduate career. A mandatory First Energy employment drug test in 2013 resulted in the loss of his job.  Notwithstanding, Islamic prohibitions against alcohol and drugs, Abdulazeez sought counseling for the problem in 2012 and 2013. Nevertheless the problem persisted as attested by his being arrest   in April 2015 on a DUI charge by Chattanooga police. A New York Times article noted the circumstances:

The only run-in Mr. Abdulazeez had with the law in the Chattanooga area appears to have been an April 20 arrest on a charge of driving while intoxicated; he posted a $2,000 bond.

According to a police affidavit, officers spotted him weaving through downtown Chattanooga after 2 a.m., in a gray 2001 Toyota Camry, and when they pulled him over, they smelled alcohol and marijuana, and he failed a sobriety test. They said his eyes were bloodshot, his speech was slurred, he was “unsteady on his feet,” and he had “irritated nostrils” and white powder under his nose, which Mr. Abdulazeez said came from snorting, crushed caffeine pills. He was scheduled to appear in court on July 30.

Those trips to Jordan

Abdulazeez, who held a US passport, made several trips to Jordan beginning in 2003 to visit a maternal uncle and family. He also made a side trip to Kuwait during a 2008 trip to Jordan. His father accompanied him on a trip in 2010 to Jordan after his no fly status had been lifted.  He made a 2013 trip to Jordan that returned home via Canada.   In April 2014, he purchased a one way ticket to Jordan, finally returning home via Doha, Qatar. What he did and where he went on that trip has yet to be determined, by law enforcement, FBI and foreign intelligence sources.  At issue is whether he made contact with the Al Nusra front or Muslim Brotherhood affiliate, the Islamic Action Front, or possibly ISIS via social media and whether he made a possible trip to either Iraq or Syria.  A WSJ report commented on the final trip to Jordan by Abdulazeez:

Mr. Abdulazeez wasn’t a familiar figure among jihadists in Jordan, according to Mohammad Shaabi, known as Abu Sayyaf, who sympathizes with the al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra. He said it is still possible Mr. Abdulazeez could have contacted extremists through means such as social media.

A few ISIS sympathizers on Twitter referred to Mr. Abdulazeez after the shooting as “a soldier of the Islamic State” and “an individual lion.”

Evidence of Family Problems – Bankruptcy and a Divorce Filing

The Abdulazeez family went through a spate of difficulties.  The father Youssuf filed for bankruptcy in 2002 which was completed by 2005. More troubling was a divorce filing by his wife Rasmieh I. Abdulazeez in 2009.  The Times reported:

Mrs. Abdulazeez said that her husband, Youssef S. Abdulazeez, had “repeatedly beaten” her and had “on occasion” abused the children by “striking and berating them without provocation or justification.”

The complaint also accused Mr. Abdulazeez of sexual and verbal abuse, and of declaring his intentions “to take a second wife, as permitted under certain circumstances under [Sharia] Islamic law.”

Evidence of Anti-Israel, US Animus and Salafism in final text message

Abdulazeez had evidenced concerns about IDF actions during the 2014 summer rocket war by Hamas.  According to a Reuters report, friends noted that following the 2014 trip he became increasingly concerned about Middle East conflicts. It was after the final trip that he went on-line and purchased weapons and went to practice using them at a gun range.  Friends said:

Abdulazeez’s friends, who asked not to be identified for fear of a backlash, said he was upset about the 2014 Israeli bombing campaign in Gaza and the civil war in Syria.

“He felt Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia were not doing enough to help, and that they were heavily influenced by the United States,” said the friend who received the text message.

Another friend said, “He had always talked about it, but I’d say his level of understanding and awareness really rose after he came back.”

A text message containing a Hadith sent the night before the attack may have indicated his adoption of fundamentalist Islam:

“Whosoever shows enmity to a friend of mine, and then I have declared war against him”.

An Islamic expert explained:

For jihadists and ultraconservative Salafist Sunni Muslims, the Hadith “is usually understood within the context of al-wala wa-l-bara (or) love for Islam and hatred for its enemies,” said David Cook, an associate professor who specializes in Islam in the department of religion at Rice University in Texas.

Pew Trust Islamic Extremism chart

Conclusion

The nationwide outpouring of mourning and grief at the wanton killing of five US service personnel in this Islamic inspired jihad at the Chattanooga Naval/Marine Recruiting Center was palpable.   The immediate national reaction to the tragic attack by troubled Abdullazeez was reflected in an offer by Governor Rick Scott in Florida to provide security by moving military recruitment centers in Florida to local National Guard armories.  There were also calls for lifting state laws barring US military uniformed personnel from carrying side arms.

There was still the conundrum of how federal and state law enforcement and homeland security agencies can prevent another Islamic inspired homeland jihad and acknowledge the threat.  Ultimately, it will require a new more responsive and clear eyed Administration. An Administration that appreciates what a recent Pew Trust poll has found: a surge to 53% of Americans concerned over domestic Islamic extremism.  Concern over ISIS is even higher at 73% of those polled by the Pew Trust.

The Chattanooga Recruitment Center massacre has another poignant side effect. It took six years for the Pentagon to award Purple Hearts to the service victims of both the  June 2009 Little Rock Army Recruitment Center attack and the November 2009 Fort Hood Massacre perpetrated by domestic Jihadis. We hope that Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and incoming Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, Marine General Joseph Dunford, Jr. will waste no time in making suitable posthumous awards to the grieving families and loved ones recognizing these valiant service personnel who died in combat against domestic Islamic terrorism in our midst.

EDITORS NOTE: This column originally appeared in the New English Review. The featured image is courtesy of the Miami-Herald.

President Obama’s Subtle Support for Anti-Police Street Demonstrations

“The hardest thing to explain is the glaring evidence which everybody has decided not to see” – Ayn Rand

Only the Arctic cold spell gripping the nation, the State of the Union Address (Obama didn’t want demonstrators to detract), and the facts presented in the Justice Department Report as a result of FBI Agents’ investigating of the Ferguson shooting, temporarily halted the nationally controlled anti-Police street demonstrations after over 6 months. The Justice Department report, submitted by FBI Agents tasked with the investigation, concluded that the white Police Officer’s shooting of Michael Brown was justified and in self-defense; the report failed to mention Eric Holder’s continued unjustified inflammatory racial bias. Although Holder’s Justice Department finally agreed with the Ferguson Grand Jury’s decision, the rioters in Ferguson this past Friday, stated they still did not have any knowledge of the Justice Department Report.

Fifteen minutes after the Ferguson Grand Jury decision acquitted a white Police Officer in Ferguson, MO for shooting a black criminal in self-defense, the nation witnessed Obama on a nationally televised address making inappropriate and subtle comments that fueled the violent street demonstration that erupted followed his comments on TV. Yet President Obama refuses to do a televised address to the nation to present the facts that the shooting was in self-defense, that would have calmed down the radical and Communist demonstrators to “cease and desist” and that the raised hands gesture never happened. The demonstrations continue, even this over this past week, resulting in two white Police Officers ambushed in an assassination attempt, because of the false narrative by President Obama, Attorney General Holder, Al Sharpton, Louis Farrakhan, NYC Mayor De Blasio, and the left of center liberal media establishment who continue to cover up the truth.

For them to correct the false narrative they previously publicized repeatedly on national news networks, and tamper down incendiary racial bias being promoted in street demonstrations against Police Officers——that the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Gardener were in fact justified, and were not motivated by white Police Officers with a racial animus toward black youth, would reveal their true racial animus over the last 6 months.

Obama, who is in a unique position to defuse the racial lies promulgated nationally for the last 6 months, that there is an epidemic of white Police Officers killing black youth by saying they are untrue, is still being supported so Obama’s radical supporters, anarchists, progressives, Socialists, Marxists, and Communists being bused in by Soros to keep anti-Police street demonstrations alive. Since the white Police Officer has been cleared by the Ferguson Grand Jury and Holder’s Justice Department, Obama, in order to maintain some degree of credibility, Obama is now telling his supporters in speeches around the nation, that the white Police Officer who was accused of an unjustified shooting, then cleared by Holder’s Justice Department, is subtly indicating that the white Police Officer somehow got away with the shooting of an innocent black youth, because he had a skillful defense team, insinuating that the white Police Officer was really still guilty. Obama’s refusal to inform street demonstrators that there was no racial animus in the Ferguson shooting continues to intentionally racially divide the nation, with the intent of Socializing/federalizing local and state police departments.

Facts do count, and the facts are that in Ferguson, MO, Michael Brown, viciously beat an elderly black man, committed a strong armed robbery of a petite black female shopkeeper, beat & tried to disarm a much smaller white Police Officer who was sitting in his patrol car, and then charged that same Police Officer a second time, that in his being shot in self-defense by the white Police Office. Obama honored that habitual black felon by dispatching a large White House delegation to his funeral in Ferguson, but Obama refused to send a large White House delegation to the funeral of Prime Minister Margret Thatcher like all other NATO and Commonwealth Allies had done.

President Obama has still not informed his followers that there was no racial component that led to the death of the two blacks felons, Michael Brown in Ferguson, and Eric Gardener in Staten Island, NY, who both had long criminal records. That they were both resisting lawful arrests by Police Officers in the streets, and ultimately their resistance to a lawful arrest led to a deadly force confrontation with Police Officers doing their jobs. Unfortunately, the press will continue to report the resistance of felons to lawful arrests by Police Officers in the streets, with resultant deadly force being used against the resisting party.

President Obama, AG Holder, and minority leaders have not been instructing fatherless minority youth involved in criminal activities, not to resist a lawful arrest orders by Police Officers in the street.

The anti-Police demonstrations have been supported since August 2014 by Radical leftists, progressives, the Communist Party USA, the Occupy Wall Street Organization, many of George Soros funded Socialist front groups like Missourians Organizing For Reform, the New Black Panther Party (who have been involved in terrorist training in Castro’ Cuba), the Weatherman Underground, and the New York Communities For Change (an ACORN renamed group) have been stoking the racial bias. They will continue to look for other Police shootings to get the radicals to continue demonstrating. The shooting of two white Police Officers in Ferguson this past week by a black felon and street demonstrator, is the direct result of the lies that were told over the last 6 months about Brown’s shooting.

The above listed organizations and individuals have been whipping demonstrators into a frenzy, and encouraging the premeditated and nationally coordinated street demonstrators, against Police Officers and the U.S. Justice System. There is a long term ulterior motive by the Obama administration, and that is to federalize state and local police forces. The Obama administration is responsible for encouraging the employment of Communist style propaganda techniques to broad brush white Police Officers as racist who are intent on harassing and killing blacks. They have been demanding that all Police Officers be retrained, and when that has occurred, they employed the Justice Department to enforce rules, that eventually take control of the police department leadership, with the threat of penalties if the police force is not retrained and hobbled by federal regulations.

The anti-Police Officer rhetoric turned deadly in Ferguson when 4 black youth beat a white man to death with hammers, then a black crowd of demonstrators in Ferguson beat a white women on the following day, and the following day an elderly white man trying to enter his car with an oxygen tank required to help him breath with, was beaten with his oxygen tank, and was run over with his own car (the left of center liberal media establishment covered up those atrocities by black demonstrators in wolf packs against innocent white victims in Ferguson). The emotionally charged protests against Police Officers in New York City also turned violent when black demonstrators in the street repeatedly chanted “What do you want? “Dead cops” and the demonstrators severally beat two white NYPD Detectives.

In the most recent national polls, 53% of Americans believe that the nation is embroiled in the worst racial strife that has existed in the Republic 60 years. It is a fact that 14% of the nation is made up of blacks, yet blacks commit 47% of all crimes in the United States. According to FBI statistics, blacks are 6 times more likely, as non-blacks, to kill Police Officers. Until the flagrant criminal activities perpetrated by black criminals ceases, Police Officers will have to enter minority communities to protect innocent black victims seeking police protection, and the tension between Police Officers and black criminal elements in black communities, will continue, The relatives of black criminals, black radical leaders, and elected black politicians will continue to blame white Police Officers for conflicts, when they are usually only responding to cries for help from innocent black victims in black communities; the story that Police Officers are only trying to do their job to “protect and defend” is seldom included in press releases.

On January 6,2015, two white New York City Police Officers who had responded to a robbery attempt, were ambushed and assassinated by a black convict with a long criminal record, who was also a radical black nationalist follower of Islam. The black convict with a long criminal record, had become inflamed by the ongoing street demonstrations in Ferguson, traveled to New York City, with the intent of assassinating members of New York’s “Thin Blue Line”, subsequently, Officer Rafael Ramos, NYPD and Officer Wenjian Liu, NYPD were gunned down by him. Obama has yet to make one single comment on national television about the tragedy of the assassination like the comments he made 15 minutes after the Grand Jury decision in Ferguson, MO, and Obama did not send a large White House delegation to the funerals of the two assassinated New York City Police Officers, like he sent to the funeral of Michael Brown in Ferguson.

By appointing Al Sharpton as the Presidential Adviser on “Race Relations,” and meeting with Sharpton in the White House over 80 times; while Sharpton was repeatedly degraded and lying about Police Officers, Obama kept the anti-Police Officer street demonstrations and racial strife alive. Malik Zulu Shabazz, the former leader of the New Black Panther Party, said the radical group will “build up an army” in 2015 to combat Police Officers, and he predicted coming events “that are gonna seem tragic to white America, may even shock our own consciences” including the killing of Police Officers. The above orchestrated threats against Police Officers further adds to the monumental damage the Obama administration has created in the fabric of the Republic, damage that will require Patriotic Americans to unravel once Obama is no longer in office.

Pam Key from Breitbart.com reports:

On this week’s episode of the official broadcast of the New Black Panthers Party’s “Black Power Radio,” the former national chairman of the New Black Panther Party and current national president of Black Lawyers for Justice,  Malik Zulu Shabazz said 2015 is the time to “build up that army” and go “to the gun range.”

“And Mister Malcolm X, he consistently teaches us self defense,” Shabazz said. “The most honorable Elijah Muhammad continuously teaches us self defense. The honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey teaches us self defense, and  we know, our leader and our teacher the honorable Khalid Abdul Muhammad teaches us self defense. What am I saying? Right now it’s time to build up that army. Right now it’s time for us to build up those corps, those troops. It’s time to get strong. It’s time for lifting weights and working out and  going to the gun range and all of that.”

There is no sinister national epidemic of white police officers harassing and killing black youth. There is a national epidemic of innocent blacks being murdered, once every 4 hours, by black criminals (2245 blacks killed by blacks annually).

Police Officers are the last line of defense between criminal elements bent on taking advantage of law abiding black and white citizens. In 2014, there were 15 ambush assassination attempts nationally against Police Officers, and nine successful assassinations of Police Officers in New York, Missouri, California, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Florida, etc. In 2014, 114 Police Officer were killed in the line of duty.

We honor the dedicated members of the “Thin Blue Line” who have been assassinated by criminals whipped up into a frenzy by public comments of the aforementioned elected officials and minority leaders, that the fiery rhetoric of the left of center liberal media establishment continues to distort. We encourage all Americans to disregard the lies being promulgated by the Obama administration about white Police Officers and their attempt to trash the profession of law Enforcement, so they can try to federalize local and state police departments; “Support Your Local Law Enforcement Officers.”

VIDEOS: The Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation Summit

Dawn Hawkins discusses the need and plan for strong, united efforts among the many involved in these issues through the Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation.

2014 CESE Summit Video: Dawn Hawkins, “The Coalition: Uniting to Advocate for Change” from Center On Sexual Exploitation on Vimeo.

Mrs. Hawkins is the Executive Director of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (endsexualexploitation.org) where she has developed a national strategy uniting conservative, women’s rights, child advocacy and religious groups, including a bipartisan political leadership, to work together raising awareness of the pandemic of harm from pornography. Through her leadership, NCSE has grown a network reaching hundreds of thousands of people all over the world. Mrs. Hawkins has appeared on many local and national television programs, regularly authors articles and speaks around the country addressing the harms of pornography and what can be done to curb the growing pornification of our culture.

The Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation (CESE) is focused on bringing a diverse spectrum of people together to solve and end the complex social issue of sexual exploitation. Members of the coalition create a unified front when faced with these seemingly insurmountable issues. As of September 2014, there are 280 national, state and local organizations in the Coalition.

CESE combines child advocacy, Internet safety, pro-family, prevention, education, women’s rights and feminist activists, recovery groups, law enforcement, anti-trafficking groups, state policy, and technology groups together, as well as health and science experts and religious leaders.

To learn more and view all of the videos of the 2014 End Sexual Exploitation Summit click here.

The 2015 End Sexual Exploitation Summit will be held in Orlando, Florida from September 10th to September 12th, 2015 at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld.

An open ‘Thank You’ to Police Officers

For much too long in America, police officers have been taken for granted, disrespected, misunderstood, abused, ignored, scorned and ridiculed. I am not saying that every single police officer throughout our nation is a perfect little angel. But I am willing to wager that the majority of the men and woman in blue are fantastic, well intentioned guardians of our communities. So I believe it is high time that “We the People” consider that the overwhelming majority of police officers are honorable sovereign Americans who willingly risk their lives to protect you and I.

It is a sad reflection on the current state of affairs, that a police officer who defended himself from a bullying brute has to give up his livelihood and probably get out of town. Yet the thugs who increased the Ferguson unemployment rate by destroying and robbing from businesses are roaming free. I for one have both witnessed and experienced the helpful kindness of police officers throughout the years. I will never forget the time I locked my car keys in my automobile. Upon returning from an appointment in Grosse Pointe Park. MI I saw my keys sitting right on the drivers seat. While standing there pondering my course of action, a police officer on patrol stopped and asked if I was okay.

After explaining my predicament, he kindly told me to “hang tight for a few minutes” and drove away. To my pleasant surprise, it was not long before the patrolman returned. Within a short span of time he easily unlocked my auto with a device he retrieved from the police station. I was most appreciative of the friendly member of the thin blue line who went out of his way to help this (at the time) forgetful driver. It is becoming more irritating to witness the seemingly ongoing efforts by the dragon media and street cretins who seem to work in tandem, to discredit and discourage local police officers. Could it be that some folks in power would love to establish a national police force as well?

The riots of Ferguson, Missouri along with the dishonorable actions over the years of the NAACP, Al Sharpton, Bill Ayers, the step baby daddy of Michael Brown and others fully exposes the deviant mission of that anti law and order ilk. As with progressives in general, the goal of those stalwarts of statism is to disrupt and destroy the normal and blessed flow of American life. If you don’t believe me, how do you explain why liberals and progressives in general only support policies that hinder families, erase economic prosperity, minimize the importance of morality and always advocate abortion, along with hatred of the local police? The number one cause of death for American born black males is murder, by other blacks, NOT POLICE OFFICERS!!

In fact, in far too many black American dwellings, most black boys are cursed by their so called mothers, long before they reach the age of accountability. They are told “”they are no good”, “they ain’t nothing” then folks wonder why they turn out that way. The power of life and death is in the tongue, it is high time that black mother start speaking better words over their children. That’s if they wish to see more positive results. According to a recent article in CNS NEWS, the enablers of insanity known as liberals, progressives or democrats indirectly and in some cases directly promote crime and hatred for positive authority, essentially saying “black kids, it is okay, you don’t have a daddy, go rob a store.” It is as plain as daylight, that liberals, progressives, socialist democrats or whatever, don’t have America’s best interest at heart. Their denigration of local cops is part of the mission of “Transforming America.” They fully understand that a house divided against itself shall not stand.

That is why those of us who appreciate our local police officers had better be willing to defend the thin blue line and other positive elements of our communities and nation as a whole. We must shun the persuasions of those secretly racist liberals who seek to use young black males, (and some black females) as useful idiots of destruction. Before it is too late we must promote and teach what is righteous and wholesome to our nation’s young sovereigns. Let us no longer fear to promote and encourage the traditional family, where Dad is the head of the household. To do that would help establish structure and a healthy view of authority. Just that alone will go a long way toward reestablishing respect for the local police, private property, and even self respect.

Are all police officers great? No! But in every vocation, there are a few bad apples. But that is no excuse or reason to impugn an entire group. After all, isn’t that the type of discrimination, that blacks, particularly black men have battled against (real or imagined) for decades? So by God’s grace, let us as Americans work together to heal, not harm our Republic. Last but not least, respect the local police officers in your city, town, or hamlet. The police officer you see one day, may be the one who might have to come to you aid in the future.

To local police officers throughout America, thanks for all you do.

Law Enforcement in America: Pretty Uniforms, Ugly Demeanor

Most of my adult life I lived and worked in the ever changing world of law enforcement. I feel I put in my time and have the right to provide my analysis on law enforcement in America, and their effectiveness in fighting Islamic based terrorism and their lack of support of the American Patriots who love our country and Constitution.

I will break the various categories of U.S. law enforcement down into four groups:

Group 1: Local and County law enforcement officers
Group 2: State law enforcement officers
Group 3: The dozens of 1811 federal law enforcement officers excluding the FBI.
Group 4: The FBI
Group 5: U.S. Military

Our country has always needed law enforcement officers at all levels of government to enforce the laws of our land in accordance with the U.S. Constitution. For the most part they have been effective … up until the sad day on 11 September 2001.

On 911 I was an active (1811) U.S. Federal Agent. I fell into Group 3. It is my honor to say I did not fall into Group 4. On 911 I saw our country change, and not for the better. This is the day I saw the early stages of a wide separation of the Group 1 officers and the FBI (Group 4).

Group 1: Group 1 officers have always been the backbone of our country. Over our young history they have always been the ones with their eyes on the ground and an inner loving and respect for America. They handled law enforcement matters for the most part with a firm, heavy hand when needed, but knew when to back off when required. Their training normally consisted of ‘on the job training’. They were the American citizens best friend, the true defenders of our U.S. Constitution, and a menace to lawbreakers.. They were not always right, but their intentions normally were. They are often the lowest paid and hardest worked. These officers have a Police Chief, Sheriff, but more often than not there were only a couple of officers assigned to a small town area. In other words their management oversight was low. They worked together as one unit protecting America.

Groups 2 and 3: These officers were normally trained to a higher level and their pay was higher. These two groups had more oversight than group 1 officers. Their organizations were often led by people who were career managers and not law enforcement officers. Politics and pleasing politicians were an every day occurrence. Before 911 these officers worked hard days and nights and did their best to stay out of the media and politicians line of view. These officers put the U.S. Constitution ahead of politics, but often their higher management became politician ‘pleasers’ instead of supporting their street level officers.

Group 4: The FBI. Since it’s founding in 1935 it has always been managed by non elected politicians. The first duty of FBI management has always been to fight for the attention from the media, and to do their best to please their masters (Senior U.S. Government politicians all the way up to the White House). FBI Agent were taught directly from the academy that they were America’s super investigators. They had the money allocated to them that was always in excess of what they truly needed. The egos of most FBI Agents is way higher than their true value to America. Many great street level Agents, but they are taught to be glory hounds. The FBI routinely take over local, county, and state investigations when there is even a hint of nationwide media attention. 1811 Federal Agents who fall into Group 3 attend the same academy and receive the same training, but with the help of the media and politicians (through continuous butt kissing) they are portrayed as a more clever investigator. In actuality they are not. They just have more government money to look pretty. The FBI often get involved in military cases and overseas investigations, although they have no authority to do so.

Group 5: The U.S. military. This group of several hundred thousand are not supposed to be involved in U.S. law enforcement activities. Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 Prior to 911 they seldom were. The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was intended to prevent U.S. military from enforcing U.S. civilian law. The role of the military was to defend our country from outside forces. For 200 plus years they have been very honorable.

AFTER 11 September 2001: Prior to 911, the dividing lines between each of the five groups has always been well laid out. Each of the groups knew their roles and duties in enforcing civilian law in America. I noticed a major change after 911. All of the groups have seen an increase in department funding, primarily due to counter-terrorism money granted by the federal government.

Their lines now overlap one another. Even small police departments have been provided money they never knew existed. They now have the money to buy military style uniforms, military style weapons, and many now have the egos of FBI Agents (both undeserved). Their goals are no longer to protect the citizens in their communities, they now have the media, politicians, and federal money dispatchers to please. Group 1 now want to look like highly trained combat military soldiers. Their departments have new patrol cars, expensive SWAT gear, RV’s for HQ operations, and they are now 10 times more likely to be seen giving news conferences on trivial matters.

Nice equipment, authoritative combat gear, tanks, drones, and other costly equipment does not make any of the groups any better in handling Islamic based terrorism events if they do not have the proper training. Current none of the groups (1 -5) are being properly trained to defend our country against Islamic based terrorist groups. Few are ever taught Arabic or can even use the term Islam in their investigations.

Our former leaders never intended for our local, county, state, and federal law enforcement officers to be U.S. military personnel. The lines were drawn over 200 years ago and for a reason. Our forefathers have always known that the closer law enforcement are to senior government officials their mindset changes. We do not need our local law enforcement who police a community of 500 to have the type of equipment our U.S. military have. Why? Because the higher you get to the top of the federal government, the more corrupt people become.

As the non commissioned officers are the backbone of our military (ask any commissioned officer), the backbone of defending America from within as the first-line defenders are the local and county law enforcement officers. The more political and ego driven they become, the less prepared they are to fight Islamic based terrorism.

Another lesson: We could help resolve our country’s high debt ceiling if we were to abolish the FBI. This agency costs billions a year to fund, and the vast majority of cases could be handled by Groups 1, 2, 3, and 5.

Florida Reps. Sandy Adams and Allen West demand Investigation of SWAT-ting hate crimes

By Dr. Rich Swier – Florida Representatives Sandy Adams, District 24, and Allen West, District 22, sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder regarding the growing threat of “SWAT-ting” and its costly ramifications.  Eighty-seven members of Congress signed the letter.

Rep. Adams and West note, “Lately, there have been a string of threats directed at conservative bloggers where individuals call emergency dispatchers under the guise of another person’s name with fraudulent claims of a violent crime taking place. These claims then cause local law enforcement to rapidly respond to the home of innocent Americans, and in some instances they have done so with guns drawn.”

“Even more egregious, SWAT-ting is quickly becoming a scare tactic used against political bloggers in an effort to stifle their First Amendment rights,” notes Rep. Adams and West.

The majority of SWAT-ting cases utilize voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) connections between the suspect’s computer and a distant telephone network, then dialing 911. This technology allows the caller to falsify their identifying information, making it almost impossible for emergency dispatchers to identify or track the origin of the call.

Rep. Adams is a former law enforcement officer, and finds “SWAT-ting is of great concern to me”.

“This practice is incredibly dangerous and it is only a matter of time before somebody gets seriously injured. It not only puts the victims in harm’s way, but it endangers the entire community,” note Reps. Adams and West. In the letter Rep. Adams and West urges Attorney General Eric Holder to “investigate these cases to determine whether any federal laws have been breached, and to prosecute those crimes accordingly. Nobody should have their lives put at risk for exercising their First Amendment rights.”

The letter notes, “Just last month, a popular blogger in the state of Georgia, Erick Erickson became the victim of the latest SWAT-ting. During the Erickson’s family dinner, sheriffs deputies were dispatched to Erickson’s home after receiving a 911 call…”

The letter warns, “While none of the SWAT-ting victims have incurred physical harm from these hate filled ploys, we are gravely concerned that future victims may not find themselves so lucky.”