#2019 Dodge Police Vehicles

[offender42085]

Post 1111

Before and After

Samuel Scott Gray, South Carolina inmate 383041, born 2000, incarceration intake February 2020 at age 19, scheduled for release April 2028

Assault and Battery by a Mob, Burglary

In South Carolina, the crime of assault and battery by mob is defined as any act of violence inflicted by a group of 2 or more persons which results in either: (1) death, (2) serious bodily injury and/or (3) bodily injury to an individual or group of individuals. A “mob” occurs when two or more people assemble, without the authority to do so under law, for the premeditated purpose and intent to commit an act of violence against the person of an individual or the person of a group of individuals.

In April 2019, a man and a teen boy were charged for their connection to a crime spree in Oconee County, which resulted in an officer being injured.

According to an Oconee County Sheriff’s Office news release, a 15-year-old boy stole a relative’s vehicle and then went to pick up a 14-year-old girl.

The two teens then met up with another person who gave them a black Dodge Neon, and informed them the vehicle was stolen.

The juveniles then picked up Samuel Scott Gray.

According to the release, Gray and the teen boy tried to rob another person by force outside of the Bountyland Quick Stop in Bountyland .

Two hours later, Gray and the two teens drove the stolen vehicle into a ravine on Greenfield Road and Vine Road in Westminster.

According to the release, Good Samaritans made contact with the trio and tried to help them remove the vehicle from the ravine.

The Good Samaritans then saw that the suspects appeared to be impaired and said they were going to call police, which resulted in the suspects assaulting them and leaving the scene.

The suspects then crashed the vehicle near the area of Armstrong Road and Bypass 123 in Seneca. Gray reportedly ran from the scene and the teen boy resisted arrest, injuring an officer.

The teen girl stayed inside the vehicle.

Gray and the two teens were arrested. 

The injured officer was taken to Prisma Health Oconee Memorial Hospital, where he was treated and later released.

Gray was charged with two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, possession of a stolen vehicle, attempted armed robbery, first-degree assault and battery and third-degree assault and battery.

The 15-year-old boy was charged with grand larceny, runaway, attempted armed robbery, first-degree assault and battery, possession of a stolen vehicle/receiving stolen property, resisting arrest, two counts of third-degree assault and battery, possession of tobacco and possesion of a controlled substance.

The girl was not charged.

3d

[ausetkmt]

Arrest report shows Jacksonville Sheriff's officers struck man seen in viral arrest video 17 times

he Jacksonville Sheriff's Office released the mugshot and arrest report of the 24-year-old man who was seen being arrested Friday in a viral video that has his family calling for justice. Jacksonville police said Le'Keian Woods fled the scene of a traffic stop and actively resisted officers at the time of his arrest, a JSO incident report states. 

Woods was struck a total of 17 times by responding detectives and officers during his arrest, according to the report. 

Four Jacksonville Sheriff's Officers were involved: Detective Beau P. Daingle, Detective Josue Garriga, Detective T. McCullough and Detective Hunter Sullivan. 

This is the fourth time Garriga has made headlines: He was a member of the group chat investigated by JSO for biased texts -- including messages disparaging Jamee Johnson, the 22-year-old FAMU student killed in fatal police shooting in 2019. Garriga was also the officer who killed Johnson when he pulled him for over for a seatbelt violation, shooting him four times. And when he was working as an officer in Putnam County in 2015, he was one of several officers who fired at 48-year-old Andrew Williams, who later died. 

Woods arrested

 JSO's Gang Unit was conducting surveillance Friday in the area of Toledo Road and Powers Avenue in an unmarked police vehicle, the report states. 

Garriga, was parked in a gas station parking lot. While at the gas station, Garriga said he saw a gray Dodge Durango park at a gas pump, but the driver never pumped any gas, the report states.

A short time later, a gray Dodge Ram arrived at the gas station with three people inside. A man wearing "all black with a jacket and hood pulled over his head" got out of the passenger side of the vehicle. Garriga later identified the man as Le'Keian Woods, the report states.

Garriga notified other Gang Unit detectives what he was observing at the gas station, noting the Woods' pants were "weighing heavy" on his right side, and told detectives he believed he was armed with a handgun, the report states. 

Garriga said he saw Woods standing with the man from the Dodge Durango, noting he believed the man had been waiting for Woods in the parking lot. After a few moments, Garriga said Woods got into the back seat of an unidentified man's car, removed cash from his person, and began counting the money. Police say the unidentified man stood by as Woods counted the money. Garriga noted hearing the man say "hold on, we are handling business," the report.

Several lines in the report at redacted after this point. 

After the interaction, the report states the man got back into his vehicle and the Ram began to back out of the parking lot. 

Garriga said he saw the driver of the Ram not wearing a seatbelt. Garriga notified other detectives the Ram was leaving the gas station and began to follow the vehicle. 

The report says detectives Daigle and Sullivan followed the Ram down Toledo Road toward Old Kings Road South. 

Daigle attempted a traffic stop on the Ram near the intersection of Old Kings Road South and Plaza Gate Lane, but the vehicle continued driving "as if the occupants were looking for a place to run from the vehicle," the report says.

The vehicle continued into a dead end of an apartment complex driveway. Daigle and Sullivan attempted to conduct a "high-risk takedown" at the location. As Daigle was giving verbal commands to the occupants inside the Ram, Woods fled the passenger side of the vehicle and ran into the apartment complex, the report says.

Woods is tased, punched, elbowed, and 'unintentionally' kneed 

Sullivan chased after Woods, yelling "get on the ground." Sullivan said Woods was holding onto the front of his waistline throughout the chase, and believed he was armed and resisting. Sullivan said he drew his taser and told Woods he would be tased.

Sullivan discharged the taser, striking Woods, but appeared to have no effect, the report states. Woods was tased a second time in his and he fell onto the roadway on Plaza Gate Lane. When Sullivan reached Woods, he told him multiple times to put his hands behind his back, which he refused to do, the report states.

Sullivan said he noticed blood on Woods face from falling on the pavement. 

Woods continued to resist and attempted to keep his hands underneath him toward the front of his waistband, the report says. Then, Sullivan said he punched Woods in the face. 

Sullivan continued to tell Woods to put his hands behind his back which he refused. The report says Sullivan then laid on Woods' back to hold him down on the ground. Woods then tried to lift himself and Sullivan off the ground "to stand up."

Sullivan punched Woods in the face four more times and once in the ribs as responding officers arrived to assist, according to the report. 

Garriga said as Sullivan was "actively fighting to gain control of Le'Keian's left hand," he struck Woods four times in the upper shoulder. At the same time, there were "unintentional" knee strikes made to Woods' face, the report says.

Woods continued to "physically resist" detectives' efforts to gain control of his hands to place them in handcuffs, according to the report. Detectives said every attempt to grab Woods' right arm would result in him pulling away and tucking it under his body.

Garriga said he then struck Woods four times in the ribs.

At this point, McCullough arrived and assisted responding officers in restraining Woods. McCullough said he struck Woods in his eye three times with his elbow. 

Directly after McCullough struck Woods, Sullivan and Garriga were able to get Woods' arms behind his back and handcuff him, at which point "all force utilized immediately stopped." The report says Woods continued to resist after he was already in handcuffs. 

The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department responded to the scene and took Woods to UF Health for treatment. 

During the time Woods was being taken into custody, Daingle was holding the occupants in the Dodge Ram at gunpoint, the report says.

The driver of the vehicle was identified as Vontez Wright and the back seat passenger was identified as Raymond Wison. Both Wright and Wilson were taken into custody. 

Detectives then conducted a search through the vehicle. Much of what was found in the vehicle was redacted from the arrest report, but it does say narcotics were found and tested.

Wright's driver's license history showed two prior suspensions for fleeing and attempting to elude. Wright was arrested for traffic violations and possession of under 20 grams of marijuana. 

Wilson was questioned and released at the scene after being interviewed.

Woods' charges

Woods is being held at Duval County Jail on charges of armed drug trafficking, possession of a controlled substance, and resisting an officer with violence. 

Attorney Dexter Van Harris represented Woods in court Sunday morning. Van Harris told First Coast News the judge found no probable cause on two of the six charges he is facing, and his bond on the other four totals about $170,000.

Woods' next court date is scheduled for Oct. 24, 2023. 

Calls for justice

Sunday afternoon dozens of people rallied on the steps of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office headquarters after a video of Woods' arrest went viral.

During the rally, Woods' mother, Natassia Woods, spoke to the crowd describing how hard it's been to get an update on her son's condition. She told First Coast News her son's attorney, Harry Daniels, told her that Woods was going to and from the hospital to be treated for a concussion. 

“I’m at a point now that I just want answers for my son," Woods told the crowd. "I want justice for my son. No one should be beaten like that.”

As Woods' mother spoke, she was surrounded by dozens of people with signs that read 'Justice for Ken.'

“We were definitely outraged," said Mary Dennis, who attended the rally. "When I saw the video, I just couldn��t believe that it took that many people to take one person down.”

The Jacksonville Community Action Committee, who organized the rally, called for three things in light of Woods' arrest going viral on social media.

One, for the officers responsible to be held accountable. Two, for JSO to get rid of its Gang Unit. Three, create a public safety committee made up of community members to review public safety polices. 

“Why can’t the city have an institution that can hear the voices of the community in a controlled way that can affect policy in a positive way," said Michael Sampson with the Jacksonville Community Action Committee.

In a statement released Monday, Wood's family and their attorneys said they will speak about the incident during a news conference Wednesday in front of JSO headquarters at 2 p.m. 

(https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/arrest-report-shows-jacksonville-sheriffs-officers-struck-man-seen-in-viral-arrest-video-17-times/ar-AA1hAHC4)

[violetmuses]

Burn || Pete Koslow (Drabble 1)

TITLE: Burn || Pete Koslow (Drabble 1)

FANDOM: “The Informer” (2019 Film)

CHARACTER: Pete Koslow

PAIRING: OC Kristina Boyd + Pete Koslow

MAIN STORYLINE: In an alternate universe, Pete escapes prison with quite the reputation as one of the world’s most ruthless mob bosses. After Pete learns the whereabouts of his ex-girlfriend Kristina Boyd, tension mounts, leaving many hanging in the balance of an all-time maddening romance.

MAIN WARNINGS: Violence, strong language, adult content, dark themes, etc.

Author’s Note: One of my favorite ideas is finally coming to life! Feedback appreciated.

J Krew: @nerdysuperchick @a-reader-and-a-writer @babblydrabbly @lacontroller1991 @shadowkittybucky @loverhymeswith @fairchildflag @justin-hammers @weallhaveadestiny @xoxabs88xox

====

2019

“Dynamite is loyal to the one who lights the fuse.” - Dean F. Wilson

“Well, I’ll be damned. Thought you’d be dead in the slammer by now, Ko.” Former Police Officer Michael Hernadez crossed both arms while standing in the middle of one old-time alley. He was now sporting this black jacket despite wearing a sleeveless hoodie that layered directly underneath.

“Well, I’m not.” It was not long before Koslow shook his head and stepped forward to reveal his phone from one back pocket. Horns honked. Drivers bellowed in return, attempting to dodge traffic all throughout the starless evening.

“What you need? Without the badge holding me down, I’ve got all kinds of favors in the city, but nobody’s a true friend.” Hernandez went on, laughing between words as delicious scents mingled to his nostrils and music thundered in the distance from ongoing vehicles.

“I need answers, Mike.” Koslow handed over his cell phone, letting Hernandez examine the otherwise scanned photograph quickly. Only moments later, Silence fell despite nearby commotion of the city as these two men stood.

“Oh, shit. Are you serious, Bro?” Hernandez laughed once more, bridging shock and irony as he lifted Koslow’s phone himself.

“Wouldn’t travel all this way if I was joking. Where is she?” Koslow probed, gritting his teeth without stepping forward again.

“Even if I knew, I’m not telling you shit. You haven’t seen Kris in years and stepping through her door won’t change anything.” Hernandez spoke up, putting his foot down soon after. “Aren’t you married now, too?”

“Sounded a little protective there. I’ve been gone for a minute, but is there something going on between you two?” Koslow finally stepped, closing space between him and Hernandez. A brick wall seemed to cage them both.

“Doesn’t matter. Kris seeing anyone else in the world is so much better than you, Ko.” Hernandez already lifted both hands, but asserted his own frustration regardless of the tension.

“Jealousy’s a bitch. Always hated that about you, Mike. Tell me what I need to know in the next five seconds, or you’ll bleed out before paramedics even notice.” Koslow lowered his voice, rasping vengeance.

“You armed, Gringo?” Hernandez asked, leveling his tone at last.

“Is the fucking sky blue?” Koslow stepped back, revealing the concealed gun hidden by the side pocket of his own dark slacks.

“Tried killing me last time and it didn’t work. If I make one simple phone call, you’ll never breathe fresh air again and go right back to prison where bastards like you belong.” Hernandez no longer laughed between words, stoic in tone once more.

Just when Koslow planned to speak again, his cell phone buzzed in Hernandez’s hand. Hernandez then tossed over the same device and in return, Koslow palmed the phone right back, picking up its call soon after.

“Kos.” Pete replied, shouldering his phone.

“Looking for me?” One woman answered the other line, hissing through one slight New Jersey accent.

[96thdayofrage]

Authorities say on July 28, 2019, the 14-year-old African-American boy was walking down a street located in his New Boston, Texas, neighborhood, when a black Dodge Ram pickup with three white men drove up and parked to the side of the road.

Patton, the man who was driving the truck, hopped out and started spouting racially offensive comments at the teen and lifted his shirt to show his swastika tattoos across his chest. The boy told police Patton then began swinging at him, missing with the first punch and the second busting the 14-year-old’s lip.

The two other men got out of the vehicle to help “get the suspect away from the juvenile,” the police report says.

The affidavit shares that the boy’s father reported the assault to the authorities and shared that his child had never met the man before the incident.

Patton, by striking the boy, broke Texas Penal Code- PENAL § 22.04 that prohibits causing “injury to a child, elderly individual, or disabled individual.”

Causing injury to a child is punishable by anything from two to 10 years in prison. Because Patton injected race into his assault, a first-degree felony hate crime charge could have doubled his sentencing. Patton could have faced up to five to 99 years of life behind bars. He did not.

He also pleaded to non-related criminal offenses of having marijuana and cellphone in jail.

[koreaunderground]

(eff.org)(2021/03/08) The FBI Should Stop Attacking Encryption and Tell Congress About All the Encrypted Phones It’s Already Hacking Into

[eff.org][1]

  [1]: <https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/03/fbi-should-stop-attacking-encryption-and-tell-congress-about-all-encrypted-phones>

# The FBI Should Stop Attacking Encryption and Tell Congress About All the Encrypted Phones It’s Already Hacking Into

Joe Mullin

10-13 minutes

Federal law enforcement has been [asking for a backdoor][2] to read Americans’ encrypted communications for years now. FBI Director Christopher Wray did it again last week [in testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee][3]. As usual, the FBI’s complaints involved end-to-end encryption employed by popular messaging platforms, as well as the at-rest encryption of digital devices, which Wray described as offering [“user-only access.”][4]

  [2]: <https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/07/doj-and-fbi-show-no-signs-correcting-past-untruths-their-new-attacks-encryption>   [3]: <https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/SJC%20Oversight%20Hearing%20-%20FBI%20Director%20Wray%20SFR%20-%203.2.2021.pdf>   [4]: <https://twitter.com/ericgeller/status/1366804541451157504?s=21>

The FBI wants these terms to sound scary, but [they actually describe security best practices][5]. End-to-end encryption is what allows users to exchange messages without having them intercepted and read by repressive governments, corporations, and other bad actors. And “user-only access” is actually a perfect encapsulation of how device encryption should work; otherwise, anyone who got their hands on your phone or laptop—a thief, an abusive partner, or an employer—could access its most sensitive data. When you intentionally weaken these systems, it hurts our security and privacy, because there’s no magical kind of access that only works for the good guys. If Wray gets his special pass to listen in on our conversations and access our devices, corporations, criminals, and authoritarians will be able to get the same access.

  [5]: <https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/02/incoming-biden-administration-officials-should-change-course-encryption>

It’s remarkable that Wray keeps getting invited to Congress to [sing the same song][6]. Notably, Wray was invited there to talk, in part, about the January 6th insurrection, a serious domestic attack in which the attackers—far from being concerned about secrecy—proudly broadcast many of their crimes, resulting in hundreds of arrests.

  [6]: <https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/12/fancy-new-terms-same-old-backdoors-encryption-debate-2019>

It’s also remarkable what Wray, once more, chose to leave out of this narrative. While Wray continues to express frustration about what his agents can’t get access to, he fails to brief Senators about the shocking frequency with which his agency _already_ accesses Americans’ smartphones. Nevertheless, the scope of police snooping on Americans’ mobile phones is becoming clear, and it’s not just the FBI who is doing it. Instead of inviting Wray up to Capitol Hill to ask for special ways to invade our privacy and security, Senators should be asking Wray about the private data his agents are already trawling through.

### **Police Have An Incredible Number of Ways to Break Into Encrypted Phones**

In all 50 states, police are breaking into phones on a vast scale. An October report from the non-profit Upturn, “[Mass Extraction][7],” has revealed details of how invasive and widespread police hacking of our phones has become. Police can easily purchase forensic tools that extract data from nearly every popular phone. In March 2016, Cellebrite, a popular forensic tool company, supported “logical extractions” for 8,393 different devices, and “physical extractions,” which involves copying all the data on a phone bit-by-bit, for 4,254 devices. Cellebrite can bypass lock screens on about 1,500 different devices.

  [7]: <https://www.upturn.org/reports/2020/mass-extraction/>

How do they bypass encryption? Often, they just guess the password. In 2018, Prof. Matthew Green [estimated][8] it would take no more than 22 hours for forensic tools to break into some older iPhones with a 6-digit passcode simply by continuously guessing passwords (i.e. “brute-force” entry). A 4-digit passcode would fail in about 13 minutes.

  [8]: <https://twitter.com/matthew_d_green/status/985885001542782978>

That brute force guessing was enabled by a hardware flaw that has been fixed since 2018, and the rate of password guessing is much more limited now. But even as smartphone companies like Apple improve their security, device hacking remains very much a cat-and-mouse game. As recently as September 2020, [Cellebrite marketing materials][9] boasted its tools can break into iPhone devices up to “the latest iPhone 11/ 11 Pro / Max running the latest iOS versions up to the latest 13.4.1”

  [9]: <https://cf-media.cellebrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/SolutionOverview_CAS_2020.pdf>

Even when passwords can’t be broken, vendors like Cellebrite offer “advanced services” that can unlock even the newest iOS and Samsung devices. Upturn research suggests the base price on such services is $1,950, but it can be cheaper in bulk.

Buying electronic break-in technology on a wholesale basis represents the best deal for police departments around the U.S., and they avail themselves of these bargains regularly. In 2018, the Seattle Police Department [purchased 20 such “actions”][10] from Cellebrite for $33,000, allowing them to extract phone data within weeks or even days. Law enforcement agencies that want to unlock phones en masse can bring Cellebrite’s “advanced unlocking” in-house, for prices that range from $75,000 to $150,000.

  [10]: <https://beta.documentcloud.org/documents/20394507-installment_101>

That means for most police departments, breaking into phones isn’t just convenient, it’s relatively inexpensive. Even a mid-sized police department like Virginia Beach, VA [has a police budget of more than $100 million][11]; New York City’s police budget is over $5 billion. The FBI’s 2020 budget request is [about $9 billion][12].

  [11]: <https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/06/26/how-much-money-goes-to-police-departments-in-americas-largest-cities/112004904/>   [12]: <https://www.fbi.gov/news/testimony/fbi-budget-request-for-fiscal-year-2020>

When the FBI says it’s “going dark” because it can’t beat encryption, what it’s really asking for is a method of breaking in that’s cheaper, easier, and more reliable than the methods they already have. The only way to fully meet the FBI’s demands would be to require a backdoor in all platforms, applications, and devices. Especially at a time when police abuses nationwide have come into new focus, this type of complaint should be a non-starter with elected officials. Instead, they should be questioning how and why police are already dodging encryption. These techniques aren’t just being used against criminals.

### **Phone Searches By Police Are Widespread and Commonplace**

Upturn has documented more than 2,000 agencies across the U.S. that have purchased products or services from mobile device forensic tool vendors, including every one of the 50 largest police departments, and at least 25 of the 50 largest sheriffs’ offices.

Law enforcement officials like Wray want to convince us that encryption needs to be bypassed or broken for threats like terrorism or crimes against children, but in fact, Upturn’s public records requests show that police use forensic tools to search phones for everyday low-level crimes. Even when police don't need to bypass encryption—such as when they convince someone to "consent" to the search of a phone and unlock it—these invasive police phone searches are used “as an all-purpose investigative tool, for an astonishingly broad array of offenses, often without a warrant,” as Upturn put it.

The 44 law enforcement agencies who provided records to Upturn revealed at least 50,000 extractions of cell phones between 2015 and 2019\. And there’s no question that this number is a “severe undercount,” counting only 44 agencies, when at least 2,000 agencies have the tools. Many of the largest police departments, including New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Boston, either denied Upturn’s record requests or did not respond.

“Law enforcement… use these tools to investigate cases involving graffiti, shoplifting, marijuana possession, prostitution, vandalism, car crashes, parole violations, petty theft, public intoxication, and the full gamut of drug-related offenses,” Upturn reports. In Suffolk County, NY, 20 percent of the phones searched by police were for narcotics cases. Authorities in Santa Clara County, CA, San Bernardino County, CA, and Fort Worth, TX all reported that drug crimes were among the most common reasons for cell phone data extractions. Here are just a few examples of the everyday offenses in which Upturn found police searched phones:

 * In [one case][13], police officers sought to search two phones for evidence of drug sales after a $220 undercover marijuana bust.  * Police stopped a vehicle for a “left lane violation,” then “due to nervousness and inconsistent stories, a free air sniff was conducted by a … K9 with positive alert to narcotics.” The officers found bags of marijuana in the car, then seized eight phones from the car’s occupants, and [sought to extract data from them][14] for “evidence of drug transactions.”  * Officers looking for a juvenile who allegedly violated terms of his electronic monitoring found him after a “short foot pursuit” in which the youngster threw his phone to the ground. Officers [sought to search the phone][15] for evidence of “escape in the second degree.”

  [13]: <https://beta.documentcloud.org/documents/20394694-sw_38982>   [14]: <https://beta.documentcloud.org/documents/20394714-st1700494a170155-search-warrant>   [15]: <https://beta.documentcloud.org/documents/20394724-affidavit-19-5271>

And these searches often take place without judicial warrants, despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s clear ruling in [_Riley v. California_][16] that a warrant is required to search a cell phone. That’s because police frequently abuse rules around so-called consent searches. These types of searches are widespread, but they’re hardly consensual. In January, we wrote about how these [so-called “consent searches” are extraordinary violations][17] of our privacy.

  [16]: <https://www.eff.org/cases/supreme-court-cases-cell-phone-searches>   [17]: <https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/01/so-called-consent-searches-harm-our-digital-rights>

Forensic searches of cell phones are increasingly common. The Las Vegas police, for instance, examined 260% more cell phones in 2018-2019 compared with 2015-2016.

The searches are often overbroad, as well. It’s not uncommon for data unrelated to the initial suspicions to be copied, kept, and used for other purposes later. For instance, police can deem unrelated data to be “gang related,” and keep it in a “gang database,” which have often vague standards. Being placed in such a database can easily affect peoples’ future employment options. Many police departments don’t have any policies in place about when forensic phone-searching tools can be used.

### **It’s Time for Oversight On Police Phone Searches**

Rather than listening to a litany of requests for special access to personal data from federal agencies like the FBI, Congress should assert oversight over the inappropriate types of access that are already taking place.

The first step is to start keeping track of what’s happening. Congress should require that federal law enforcement agencies create detailed audit logs and screen recordings of digital searches. And we agree with Upturn that agencies nationwide should collect and publish aggregated information about how many phones were searched, and whether those searches involved warrants (with published warrant numbers), or so-called consent searches. Agencies should also disclose what tools were used for data extraction and analysis.

Congress should also consider placing sharp limits on when consent searches can take place at all. In our [January blog post][18], we suggest that such searches be banned entirely in high-coercion settings like traffic stops, and suggest some specific limits that should be set in less-coercive settings.

  [18]: <https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/01/so-called-consent-searches-harm-our-digital-rights>

[rabbitmarrow]

Homicide isn't a common topic in Canada. In 2016 there was only a total of 611 victims.

So when in 2018 66 year old landscaper and part time mall Santa, Bruce McArthur was arrested for murder in connection to eight missing persons, the country was shocked.

The missing men were predominantly of East Asian and Middle Eastern origin and closeted homosexuals with little to no family in the city.

For 18 months police ran the Project Huston task force in regards to Skandaraj "Skanda" Navaratnam, who went missing from the Gay Village in Toronto. While police concluded Navaratnam more than likely he had been murdered, the investigation didn't turn up any true leads.

In June of 2013 missing persons Abdulbasir "Basir" Faizi and Majeed "Hamid" Kayhan were linked by location in which Navaratnam had been last seen, all were middle age, their race, and the fact they were closeted. It was also revealed later that Fazi and Navaratnam had exchanged messages with McArthur on a dating app.

Toronto Missing Rainbow Community was another task force started by the gay community. In 2017 Greg Downer, who's a moderator of the group, became aware friend and colleague Andrew Kinsman was missing. Kinsman was an openly gay white man who was very active in the gay community. But, because of his race, he didn't seem to fit the profile of the other victims.

Toronto Missing Rainbow Community included Kinsman in a flyer that was spread around the city and online that showed 12 missing men. However it was reported that five of the men were found and alive, one died by suicide, and several were not gay. Which left Kinsman, Navaratnam, Fazi, Kayhan, and the most recent victim Selim Esen. Residents of Toronto and others online believed there was a serial killer at large. The Toronto Police Service quickly dispelled those rumours. These comments later lead to outrage from the community.

Toronto Police Services were able to gain evidence quickly in the search for Kinsman due to the fact his friends reported him missing in the first 72 hours.

With a new victim and avaliabe resources a new task force, Project Prism, was able to conduct a search on Kinsmans home. "Bruce" was written on a calendar on the date he was last seen. Also CCTV showed Kinsman entering a 2004 Dodge Caravan. The vehicle was owned by Bruce McArthur. Warrants were obtained to look into accounts belonging to McArthur such as his Rogers phone service. By this time McArthur had sold his Dodge Caravan but it was tracked down and searched. Traces of blood were linked to Kinsman.

In early January 2018 Toronto police had round the clock surveillance on McArthur. During this time a man was observed entering McArthurs home. Police entered the home to find the man restrained to a bed but still alive.

McArthur was then apprehended.

In the following weeks cadavar dogs were then brought in to inspect several residences linked to McArthur through his landscaping business. Skeletal remains belonging to 6 different men were found buried in large planter boxes.

Bruce McArthur pled guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment with no parole eligibility for 25 years on February 8, 2019 for the murders of Abdulbasir "Basir" Fazi, Skandaraj "Skanda" Navaratnam, Soroush Mahmudi, Majeed "Hamid" Kayhan, Kirushna Kumar Kanagaratnam, Dean Lisowick, Andrew Kinsman, and Selim Esen.

Judge McMahon described the crimes as "pure evil" and stated that McArthur showed "no evidence of remorse" and remarked McArthur "would have continued killing had he not been apprehended".

[letters-from-alex]

October 16, 2019

Dear friend, 

I know it’s been a while. I can’t stress the amount of guilt I feel for not writing to you in so long. You must have been worried. 

To calm your nerves, I’d like to tell you that I’m okay-- better than okay actually, considering what’s been going on lately? I can’t complain. Honestly, it could be a lot worse. 

Last week, my house caught on fire at four in the morning. I woke up to the whole house covered in smoke. I didn’t realize what was going on. I was half asleep when my mom walked in. I could smell the smoke, but for some odd reason, I thought it was my mom burning breakfast again. It wasn’t...

I thought it was 6am. My mom burst into my room and yelled, “Wake up! Something’s wrong!” She sniffed my room. “Is it coming from here? Why does it smell a lot worse here?” She took a big whiff from the air purifier I leave on every night. “Is it this? Oh my God, I can’t tell anymore.”

I finally got up and rubbed my eyes open. “No, Mom. It can’t be that. It’s meant to do the complete opposite.”

“We need to get out of here. Something’s wrong. And I don’t see a fire anywhere.”

We walked out of the house and took the dogs with us. My dad came up to me and told me he didn’t know what was going on either. He was worried that it would be a lot worse than he expected. 

So, we called the fire department and they showed up within minutes. A group of (very hot and muscular) men went into the house to find the cause of the fire. 

A few minutes later, after extensive searching, they found that there was a shortage inside the A/C unit in the attic. Thankfully, the fire didn’t spread and was contained within the unit. This explained why the whole house was in smoke, but no fire was visible.

In addition, our thermostat shorted out as well and burned a bit of our wall. Thankfully, it wasn’t anything major, but it could've been worse and that scares me the most. 

Aside from all the smoke inhalation and causing some asthma during my run, I’m okay. At least I’m alive. 

Today wasn’t any better...

Since they're replacing the A/C unit in our house, my parents and I have been  staying in a hotel a few minutes away. It’s been a little inconvenient with driving back and forth to get clothes, drop off the dogs, pick up the dogs, getting something to eat, etc., but I  guess you can  say it’s an experience. 

There’s really something odd about being in a hotel for a few days in your hometown.

Today, I was supposed to go into work at 8am, but I decided to sleep in and go in at 9am instead. So, I woke up a bit later, got dressed, brushed my teeth, and drove off to work.

I was running a little ahead of schedule, so I decided to stop at the Vitamin Shack to get myself a chocolate protein shake. I ordered, waited a few minutes, talked to the employee about trying a new protein, and left. About a minute later, I get into a car accident. 

I was stopped at a red light minding my own business-- you know, listening to Halsey and singing idiotically and drinking my protein shake. The light turned green, but the two vehicles in front of me took too long to react to it. Just before I let go of the brakes, my car moved forward and I heard this awful noise coming from underneath. 

I couldn’t wrap my head around what was going on. I thought something was wrong with my brakes. Maybe they gave out and aren’t working. Why did I move forward, yet I was at a stop? That’s when I looked in my rear view mirror and noticed this tall Dodge Ram behind me that just seemed a little too close. 

I turned into the convenient store and thought, if this guy follows me in, then, he must have hit me. I turn in. He followed.

I parked by the air compressor for the tires and he parks behind me. I tried asking him if he was all right, but he didn’t understand me because he only spoke Spanish. I don’t know much Spanish, but I do know he said he’d give me a hundred dollars to get the puncture and dent fixed on my trunk.

I knew that wasn’t a good idea, so I called my mom so she could talk to the older man. After that, I did the same with my dad and he advised me to call the cops and I did that too.

The cops showed up almost immediately and took both our information. I had never been in an accident before, so I was a little confused about everything. Thankfully, the officer was very kind and helpful and told me things should be settled in a few days as far as the police report goes. 

I was waiting at that gas station for about forty-five minutes when the officer finally told me that I could go on with my day.

And that’s what I did... went on with my day as if nothing really happened. I didn’t let it bring me down, but I feel as if deep down inside I’m hurting. I don’t know why this is all happening to me right now. The only thing that’s keeping me sane is that I’m keeping myself distracted. This is such a low though, I know things will get better soon and I’ll be back living my high and things will be going my way.

I just hate that when things like this tend to happen, things that are out of my control, I just want someone to hold, but not just anyone-- I want him. 

For some odd reason, when things are out of control and life just doesn’t seem to be going in my favor, he’s the one that makes everything better. But he’s not around anymore and I’m so afraid to talk to him. No, that’s a lie. I’m not afraid to talk to him. I’m afraid of being ignored. Or maybe I’m afraid of finding out that my message won’t deliver. I can’t tell which is worse.

I wish I had somebody to help me forget about the world and remind me that everything is going to be okay. I know it will, but having that validation just makes me feel all that better. Because telling yourself isn’t the same as someone saying it for you. 

I can’t seem to get him off my mind now because before all this happened, I saw him driving around town twice in a span of twelve hours. Then, the next day I saw him riding his bike at the park with his family.

He didn’t see me driving, but he saw me at the park. Oh, I know he saw me because when we locked eyes, he kept looking away and tried to ride in the opposite direction. I wonder what he thought. I wonder if it hurt him too to see me there at my park. The park that I go to to run and feel as free as an uncaged bird with no shackles attached. It was the one and only place where I felt I’d never see him at. It was the only place that I felt at peace and now he ruined that for me just like he ruined everything else. 

But if I really truly felt that way about him, why do I still love him?

Love always, 

Alex

[rakecanoe1-blog]

What Automobile Modification Will Violate Law

This guide will pay for all that that we exhort you just go through it; you have to comprehend. Alterations can be complicated since referenced . You may run that you start making 2015 f150 grille with camera modifications without the correct information. We will allow you to determine what automobile adjustment can be as the technical side of getting adjustments. We feature as there are chances that you might ben't permitted to create a car in the 26, which adjustments are not illegal. Fees and also the penalties will likely fluctuate depending therefore it's imperative that you understand what risks are contained. This guide can help you're hoping to obtain an automobile. Changes are intended to vehicles, therefore knowing exactly what to pay attention to is on your advantage. We'll likewise pay that mods (brief for 2009 ford f150 grille inserts modifications) are allowed and also how they are able to enlarge the quotation of your car or truck at the proceedings you're hoping to get some extra cash. Making alterations is not straightforward, therefore understanding the means to get it done really is worth addressing. In ford 150 rocker panel , the consequence of fixing your automobile may be noteworthy, thus we altered vehicle coverage and certainly will examine the distinction between auto protection. What qualifies as alter? As a car repair includes supplanting a fixing or part part A automobile alteration is not a car repair. A shift is something that alters implementation or the visual allure of your vehicle beyond the automobile was created. Because there are a number of those who make components and tens of a lot more who match them to get their 26, the adjustment display is astounding. What security is pushed up by adjustments? A array of slip on cab corners alterations can be made in your car and they likely will impact on a vehicle's security. Here is a rundown to help you in understanding the measurements of ford cab corners alterations. Turbo or supercharger introduced Transmission or rigging alterations Fumes frame changes Air station overhauls Wheel curve adjustments Human Anatomy package revisions Spoiler increments Light fluctuations Colored windows Basin seat/hustling seat association Move bar or transfer limitation overhaul Dash Board alterations Brake substitution Suspension changes Composite wheel matching Sun Roof establishment Air-con adjustment Particular paint function There are adjustments you could make to your automobile that these would be the most famous. The price of automobile coverage will expand you have these made. Whatever fact you might picture that such as adding yet another framework that's noise, something small, won't influence your automobile coverage, but you wouldn't be correct. https://motorgogogo.com/product/dodge-ram-front-chrome-grille/ that you make in your automobile which distinguishes the auto as indicated by the manufacturer, is called a car alteration. What automobile alterations are illegal and which ones are valid in the United Kingdom? As a result of way cars have to be safe to stand out and around and sheltered to drive, you will find . In 2019 ford f150 grille , you're gotten for the vehicle with modifications you might be accused of a crime and get a good that has been powerful. That's the reason why you want to abstain from having a number of the adjustments made to your automobile vehicle . Window coloring The same window coloring, as blue lights are valid at times contrary. The contributory factor to select whether windows are not is that their obscurity. The reason why that windows can't be boring is that a driver will not need the right choice to see from their side or back windows while around and out. The police have the gear to estimate how much light when there is close nothing and goes through a window once it is colored, you're going to be able that's challenging. At the event that you've got you'll be advised that you cannot push the car until the windows have been expelled while you will receive punishment notice or perhaps a court summons. It was significant that the couple of vehicles straight back up apps allow you to down you have colored neon windows or lighting. The plan covers a range of alterations that are different attempts to appear in it to perusing the remaining portion of the record after. Exhaust system modification Among the alteration's drivers are now creating, is. The system is still a part that's superbly and it is worth a measure of capital. The component is in charge of preventing contamination from departing their automobile fumes and also to the air since they are incredibly risky to consider in. Due to the way supplanting that the component is really pricey, it's been accounted for a couple drivers that have likely to cover yet another component, have worked with tech to lengthen this, and make a squarefoot manner from the engine into the fumes. This is an integral modification that is prohibited as it's at some point, do not take repairmen to offer up.

[inspiredink]

October 16, 2019

By Letters-from-Alex

Dear friend,

I know it’s been a while. I can’t stress the amount of guilt I feel for not writing to you in so long. You must have been worried.

To calm your nerves, I’d like to tell you that I’m okay– better than okay actually, considering what’s been going on lately? I can’t complain. Honestly, it could be a lot worse.

Last week, my house caught on fire at four in the morning. I woke up to the whole house covered in smoke. I didn’t realize what was going on. I was half asleep when my mom walked in. I could smell the smoke, but for some odd reason, I thought it was my mom burning breakfast again. It wasn’t…

I thought it was 6am. My mom burst into my room and yelled, “Wake up! Something’s wrong!” She sniffed my room. “Is it coming from here? Why does it smell a lot worse here?” She took a big whiff from the air purifier I leave on every night. “Is it this? Oh my God, I can’t tell anymore.”

I finally got up and rubbed my eyes open. “No, Mom. It can’t be that. It’s meant to do the complete opposite.”

“We need to get out of here. Something’s wrong. And I don’t see a fire anywhere.”

We walked out of the house and took the dogs with us. My dad came up to me and told me he didn’t know what was going on either. He was worried that it would be a lot worse than he expected.

So, we called the fire department and they showed up within minutes. A group of (very hot and muscular) men went into the house to find the cause of the fire.

A few minutes later, after extensive searching, they found that there was a shortage inside the A/C unit in the attic. Thankfully, the fire didn’t spread and was contained within the unit. This explained why the whole house was in smoke, but no fire was visible.

In addition, our thermostat shorted out as well and burned a bit of our wall. Thankfully, it wasn’t anything major, but it could’ve been worse and that scares me the most.

Aside from all the smoke inhalation and causing some asthma during my run, I’m okay. At least I’m alive.

Today wasn’t any better…

Since they’re replacing the A/C unit in our house, my parents and I have been  staying in a hotel a few minutes away. It’s been a little inconvenient with driving back and forth to get clothes, drop off the dogs, pick up the dogs, getting something to eat, etc., but I  guess you can  say it’s an experience.

There’s really something odd about being in a hotel for a few days in your hometown.

Today, I was supposed to go into work at 8am, but I decided to sleep in and go in at 9am instead. So, I woke up a bit later, got dressed, brushed my teeth, and drove off to work.

I was running a little ahead of schedule, so I decided to stop at the Vitamin Shack to get myself a chocolate protein shake. I ordered, waited a few minutes, talked to the employee about trying a new protein, and left. About a minute later, I get into a car accident.

I was stopped at a red light minding my own business– you know, listening to Halsey and singing idiotically and drinking my protein shake. The light turned green, but the two vehicles in front of me took too long to react to it. Just before I let go of the brakes, my car moved forward and I heard this awful noise coming from underneath.

I couldn’t wrap my head around what was going on. I thought something was wrong with my brakes. Maybe they gave out and aren’t working. Why did I move forward, yet I was at a stop? That’s when I looked in my rear view mirror and noticed this tall Dodge Ram behind me that just seemed a little too close.

I turned into the convenient store and thought, if this guy follows me in, then, he must have hit me. I turn in. He followed.

I parked by the air compressor for the tires and he parks behind me. I tried asking him if he was all right, but he didn’t understand me because he only spoke Spanish. I don’t know much Spanish, but I do know he said he’d give me a hundred dollars to get the puncture and dent fixed on my trunk.

I knew that wasn’t a good idea, so I called my mom so she could talk to the older man. After that, I did the same with my dad and he advised me to call the cops and I did that too.

The cops showed up almost immediately and took both our information. I had never been in an accident before, so I was a little confused about everything. Thankfully, the officer was very kind and helpful and told me things should be settled in a few days as far as the police report goes.

I was waiting at that gas station for about forty-five minutes when the officer finally told me that I could go on with my day.

And that’s what I did… went on with my day as if nothing really happened. I didn’t let it bring me down, but I feel as if deep down inside I’m hurting. I don’t know why this is all happening to me right now. The only thing that’s keeping me sane is that I’m keeping myself distracted. This is such a low though, I know things will get better soon and I’ll be back living my high and things will be going my way.

I just hate that when things like this tend to happen, things that are out of my control, I just want someone to hold, but not just anyone– I want him.

For some odd reason, when things are out of control and life just doesn’t seem to be going in my favor, he’s the one that makes everything better. But he’s not around anymore and I’m so afraid to talk to him. No, that’s a lie. I’m not afraid to talk to him. I’m afraid of being ignored. Or maybe I’m afraid of finding out that my message won’t deliver. I can’t tell which is worse.

I wish I had somebody to help me forget about the world and remind me that everything is going to be okay. I know it will, but having that validation just makes me feel all that better. Because telling yourself isn’t the same as someone saying it for you.

I can’t seem to get him off my mind now because before all this happened, I saw him driving around town twice in a span of twelve hours. Then, the next day I saw him riding his bike at the park with his family.

He didn’t see me driving, but he saw me at the park. Oh, I know he saw me because when we locked eyes, he kept looking away and tried to ride in the opposite direction. I wonder what he thought. I wonder if it hurt him too to see me there at my park. The park that I go to to run and feel as free as an uncaged bird with no shackles attached. It was the one and only place where I felt I’d never see him at. It was the only place that I felt at peace and now he ruined that for me just like he ruined everything else.

But if I really truly felt that way about him, why do I still love him?

Love always,

Alex

original image by matuska

[orderofthefanfic]

Run from Romania

A chapter from The Winter's Shadow, a series

A/N: This is from a series I have been writing on A03 and Wattpad and wanted to bring a sample of it to my audience here on Tumblr. If you like it, please check the series out or let me know if you think I should post it here on Tumblr as well. Thanks for reading!

Summer - Bucharest, Romania -  June 9, 2019

They both left the apartment around an hour ago, Bucky turning towards the market to buy plums from a small fruit stand and Carmen off to finish helping the old lady down the road who paid them for house chores. She knew he'd arrive home before her, so she didn't rush, taking her time to fold the last bits of laundry and placing them atop the counter. When the job was done, and the kind woman placed the small wage in her hand, they waved goodbye and Carmen stepped out into the warm air. A police car shot past her down the road and she tensed at it, stopping to compose herself before continuing back to their apartment. When she arrived on the street, she looked in horror at the plethora of vehicles from the special forces surrounding the building. They flanked it on all sides, and she noted the vacancies in the cars. Carmen shuddered, knowing they were already in the building and fearing who they might have found. Every escape plan they've ever made ran through her head at lightning speed and her eyes darted towards the next building over, knowing if Bucky was still uncaptured, he would break for it's rooftop. Her gaze dropped for a moment, a small panic in her chest at the thought she couldn't save her backpack, but it left her quickly as she focused herself on what was most important, and launched towards the next building. 

She could hear the sounds of a struggle faintly from their apartment complex and sped up, using anything on the building that she could to get to the roof. When she was over halfway up, she saw something launch from a window of the complex and land on the roof above her. Knowing exactly what, or rather who, it was, she used all of her effort to complete the climb. When she reached the roof, she looked in confusion at someone attacking Bucky. The stranger wore a skin-tight, black suit, accented in silver, and she saw the glint of sharp claws as he went for Bucky's face. On instinct, she launched towards the two, jumping onto the attacker and tackling them to the ground. They rolled away from him, and his eyes widened as he recognized Carmen's form, protecting herself from the claws swiping at her. In a struggle, she was pushed off, and the stranger resumed his onslaught on Bucky. Carmen did her best to defend her acquaintance, but she noticed with confusion that the cat-like assailant had no interest in her, hellbent on Bucky. She was about to engage the person again when the sounds of a chopper broke her focus and she dodged out of the way with milliseconds to spare as they open fired. The bullets seemed to bounce off of the stranger's suit and he finally seemed distracted from Bucky. Suddenly, a winged man swooped in, kicking the tail of the helicopter and sending it spinning. She recognized him as Falcon, the man she'd faced before their escape from Hydra, and went to leave before her gaze was stolen by another man who'd jumped to the building. Steve Rogers stood at the edge of the rooftop, breathing heavily as his eyes locked on Carmen. She was lost for a moment before the sound of rapid feet hit her ears as Bucky took his chance to snatch his backpack from the ground and escape the roof. Carmen, ripping herself from her thoughts, followed close behind him, eyeing the assailant sliding down the wall with his claws. Jumping with careful precision, they made it to the street, Carmen running as fast as she could on the heels of the stranger as the racket of metal smacking the concrete sounded from behind her. She glanced beside her as Steve ran at full speed. Pushing herself as hard as she could go, she desperately tried to catch up with Bucky.

The chopper from before came spinning around the corner of the building, firing down at Bucky as civilians ducked their heads and ran from the chaos. She watched him as he redirected himself, making his way for the opening into the underpass and her jaw set. Forcing air through her nose, she sped up even further than before, passing Steve as she jumped into oncoming traffic behind the stranger. 

They bobbed and weaved through traffic, dodging cars and obstacles in the road at lightning speed. Carmen was hot on their tails, looking around wildly in hopes of finding an escape as the sounds of sirens echoed off the walls. As they sped through the underpass, Bucky darted to the side, leaping over a barrier and skidding in front of oncoming traffic. She mirrored the action, barely missing the side of a car as she stumbled into the concrete wall. Securing her footing, she looked up to see a motorcycle barrelling towards Bucky. Her breath hitched in her throat until his arm shot out and grabbed the handle, spinning the man off and the bike around as he threw his leg over the side, and took off down the road. She paused momentarily, a thought flitting through her head that she aggressively shook away, before she started again, eyes darting towards the stranger as he gained on Bucky, leaping onto the bike and tipping it to the ground. Barnes jutted his metal arm beside him, sparking against the asphalt to keep him from completely wrecking. Kicking the attacker off, Bucky righted the motorcycle once more and continued on.

Falcon, who had dived in through another opening in the underpass, was suddenly pulled down by the stranger as he clung to his leg. Steve, in a stolen, battered vehicle, caught up to the chase. As the chase nearly reached the end of the underpass, Carmen saw something fly up to the ceiling from Bucky's hand, and she skidded to a clumsy halt. The sticky bomb blew milliseconds after it attached to the concrete and the tunnel collapsed in a conglomeration of debris and dust.

She saw the tail end of Steve's car swing to the side as it rolled through the rubble and she dodged the wheel of it as she darted to the left and flopped over a barrier. Chest heaving from exertion and adrenaline, she flattened her back against the concrete barrier, squeezing her eyes shut to calm her mind as police sirens screamed in her ears. She hadn't realized her hand was shaking until she brought it up to her chest, unsteady fingers clutching the fabric of her shirt as she waited for the sirens to fade. The plan was far from foolproof, assinine almost in her mind, but it was be caught now, or caught later, and she wished for the most time possible. So, she waited, hidden by concrete and rubble, for the sirens to fade, and people to vacate the area. She vaguely heard her name from policemen's voices and cringed at the multitude of task forces most likely now looking for her head. Shot on site was her predictable fate, making her options all the more limited. Letting the time tick by slowly, she made a daring break from her hiding spot during a moment of silence, and slipped away into the chaotic city. Her mind went to Bucky, with a hitched sigh, and she hesitated, but only for a moment.

[enginerumors]

2019 Dodge Police Interior, Engine, Review

2019 Dodge Police Interior, Engine, Review

2019 Dodge Police Interior, Engine, Review – A 2019 Dodge Policedesign by Dodge is undoubtedly an extraordinary and incredibly useful motor vehicle, and the newest 2019 Dodge Charger Police could be the greatest to date. By Dodge, the following version will success the car dealerships a while from the 2nd 50 % of 2019. Additionally, they disregarded rumors in regards to the Alfa Romeo program,…

[madmandex-blog]

Dexter Family Newsletter 2019

Dexter Family Newsletter 2019

As I reflect back on our year, I can’t help but think of Charles Dickens and his classic line…..It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…...and how appropriate it might be to summarize our 2019.

It was the age of wisdom…….as in Kelsi completing her first year in grad school at Rockhurst University in Kansas City. If you didn’t know Kelsi and listened to her talk about school, you might think she is barely passing.  If I had a nickel for every time Kelsi told me something like….That final exam did not go well; I did terrible….Only for me to later find out that she got something like a 107 on the test, well then I might have a lot of nickels to jingle in my pocket.  Kelsi is getting all A’s as usual and well on her way to graduating in 2020 with a Masters in Speech Pathology.  She is enjoying her classes and her clinical training, and has a great supervisor who is guiding her to be gainfully employed later in 2020, most likely in a school setting.  Nic is also excelling at Rockhurst and working on his Doctorate in Physical Therapy. What impresses me most about Nic and Kelsi is that they indeed have wisdom in their respective areas of study. In other words, they really seem to know their shit.  Meanwhile, Kaylee Jo is now in her sophomore year in high school where she obsesses about getting good grades, which she always does.  Ava Jae is in 8th grade and doing well.  Don’t tell anyone, but, I consider her my smartest kid.

It was the age of foolishness…….as in Mike spending countless hours managing and competing in a mere 7 fantasy football leagues, or in Mike completing his 42nd Old Chicago World Beer Tour.  Along the way, I earned a leather lettermen jacket which Kelly just today told me that I looked like my Dad when wearing it.  I took that as a compliment and proudly wore it about town where people looked at me in awe, as they often do, but, I digress.  Mike also became a more well-rounded drinker in 2019. You see, I was lucky to get to spend a lot of time with my eldest daughter this summer who not only got me addicted to the Crime Junkies Podcast, but also too good wine.  Credit is also due to the great Tackes family for showing me the redeeming virtues of drinking wine and now even whiskey.  So don’t be surprised to see me knocking back a Red Cab or sipping a bourbon in a cool sophisticated fashion.  If only, I had known about these things years ago…..what might have been, or perhaps not been, like 42 beer tours.  

It was the epoch of belief……..in love and marriage as Kelsi became Mrs. Nic Arnone on August 10th in what turned out be an awesome ceremony and beautiful day for the two of them.  When they were both working on details like what are we having for having for dessert a couple of days before the big day, I was frankly a little worried, but, as it turns out the two of them are master wedding planners.  Everything was great from the venue, to the decorations, to the caterer, to the photographer, and most importantly…..to the bartender, backed by yours truly stocking the bar.  Yes, we had an awesome reception and we were so blessed to have so many of you travel all the way to Kansas City to celebrate with us!  In case you weren’t able to be there, rumor has it that there is video available of Mike’s fantastic wedding toast speech.  Sure, there are critics like Kaylee and Ava who will say, it wasn’t all that, but, most of those at the reception gave me high fives for my performance…at least the ones who were drinking that is. Kelsi is most happy that as a Speech Therapist that I finally learned how to pronounce her new last name.  For those of you who don’t know, you need to emphasize the last “e” in Arnone as it is an Italian name.  After meeting Nic’s family, I finally believe he is indeed Italian, after I had long presumed he was Norwegian or Swedish given his fair skin, blue eyed, blonde hair good looks.  

It was the epoch of incredulity…….and speaking of family heritage, Mike took the Ancestry DNA test in 2019. Upon arrival of the test kit, I was in great disbelief as to how hard it actually is to fill up a one ounce test tube with saliva. Trust me, it was challenging.  As it turns out, I am 59% English, 33% Irish, 3% Swedish, 3% German, and 2% Norwegian, which makes me 110% Awesome, which I didn’t need a DNA test to know. So far, it is incredulous that I have not found any long lost rich relatives who want to connect with me, but, I will keep the hope. Speaking of incredulous, Ava will be in high school next year, while Kaylee will have her Driver’s License in as few as 17 more days!  I for one can’t believe we all survived her driver’s training, which started in local parking lots and proceeded to hairpin turns, around tight corners, at the speed of light. Only A.J. Foyt could have pulled off some of the harrowing driving miracles that I witnessed at times this summer!  But, we all survived, and with no dents in our vehicles!  I joke (sort of); Kaylee is actually a very good driver and was even told that she best driver in her Driver’s Ed class.  So you can feel safe when you see her drive by you in her 2007 BMW, which Drew gave to her as a Christmas present to her shrieking delight.  This is now the 2nd time Drew has given a car to one of his sisters.  I can only hope that he has another one to hand down to Ava in a few years.  The good news for Ava is that Drew has said that his next car will be a Tesla.

Even more incredulous is that a once self-proclaimed liberal, who once carved a pumpkin in the likeness of then candidate Barack Obama is morphing into a conservative right before our very eyes.  Yes, people are in a state of disbelief over these developments.  While he does not yet host a show on Fox News, many have looked in disbelief at Mike as he shares his theories on the likes of capital punishment.  Not to mention, the poor teachers of Dunlap who look to their email boxes in fear that they might receive another long diatribe from Mike on what is wrong with our educational system. Don’t worry, Mike still has a few liberal ideas and is still proud of President Obama.  But, might we see a Trump carved pumpkin on Mike’s doorstep in 2020?  

As a final point on incredulity, I bet you can’t believe how long this newsletter is as I can’t believe you are still reading it.  Don’t worry, more good stuff is coming.

It was the season of light……for Nic and Kelsi who enjoyed an awesome honeymoon trip to Disney and the bright beaches of Ft. Lauderdale.  Kelly and Ava also traveled to sunny Florida, with stops at Disney and the beaches of Tampa-St. Pete, while attending Ava’s Starquest World Dance Finals in Orlando.  Ava and her dance teammates at MLSD continued to shine on the dance floor, while bringing home lots of trophies along the way.  Ava and her DMS POMS teammates also brought home a trophy from the State Finals this year in the Jr. High Division. Ava is again on the DMS POMS team and also spending lots of time at the MLSD dance studio.  We can’t wait to see her compete again in 2020, which will include her first ever solo performance. And, her latest dance project involves trying to teach her Dad how to dance in Tik Tok videos with her!  These will surely go viral. Meanwhile, Ava is still Ava….always energetic, always wanting to do something, always wanting Starbucks, and always, always asking me for something or to do something.  She is my constant season of light.  In fact, I sometimes think of Ava as Carol Anne like from the Poltergeist movie.  You see she has a life force that is hard to match and keeps me smiling, cursing, smiling, yelling smiling and speaking of yelling….. Kelly might occasionally yell at Ava (as she is this very minute!) and/or Kaylee for their continued inability and/or unwillingness to do seemingly simple things like throw a wrapper in the actual garbage can, maintain a room where you can actually see the floor, etc. Kelly is still Kelly, the straw that stirs our drink, the one who tries to keep us in check, and the one we, including our dogs can all rely on.  Kelly continues to work with awesome kids, who happen to have a few special needs, at Dunlap Middle School.  I likely have said this before, but, they, like us, are lucky to have her.  

The season of light was also in full effect for Drew in 2019.  Like most people do, he took a month vacation, this time in sunny South Africa, where he did things like go on a safari, dive into the ocean in a shark cage to see a Great White, see the great water falls of Victoria Falls, hang out in the desert of Namibia, and lounge on the beaches and climb the mountains of Cape Town.  He also spent a month in Manhattan for work. Drew lives in the River North area of Chicago, where we all enjoy visiting him.   Thanksgiving in Chicago was a highlight.  In January, Drew has plans to visit Vietnam for a few weeks and make a stop at Boracay in the Philippines.  Yes, it sucks to be Drew.  He will also have extended work assignments in Boston and Washington, D.C., so stay tuned to his social media pages for amazing photographs and drone videos to document his journeys.

It was the season of darkness…….for both Mike and Kaylee, who unlike the rest of the family did not feel the sand under their toes of the warm sunshine upon their faces.  The longest trip these two took in 2019 was to Rochester, Minnesota, in the midst of winter, to attend Kaylee’s Speedo Sectional Championship Meet.  Despite the cold and snow, we both had fun.  And in the hopes of coming out of the darkness, I admit to the world (and mostly Kelly) that I received a speeding ticket on the way home, while dodging potholes and trying to stay interested while driving the monotonous roadways of the northland.  This has been a secret that only Kaylee and I have shared, with Kaylee often smiling and blurting out a whoo-whoo-police siren like sound anytime she felt it necessary to seek favor with me, while in the presence of my wife. So, Kelly, my beautiful, loving, forgiving wife, now you know and Kaylee, you have nothing to hold over my head any longer, at least for the time being.

It was the spring of hope…….for Kaylee and her commitment to the sport of swimming. She continues to love the sport, and work hard, and has renewed resolve to achieve her goals.  She has a group of great friends on the team and is driven by Jersey Mike, her new coach, who yours truly worked hard to recruit to Peoria, along with the rest of it was the PAWW team.  Kaylee made a tough decision to forgo her high school swim season in favor of making a greater training commitment.  I was proud of her resolve in making this decision and remain proud of her in all aspects of what she does, and who she is, with the great exception of her sense of what a clean room is J.  

It was the winter of despair…….as Kelly and Mike look around their house and dream of home improvements in 2020, while still wondering how we can pay for things like dance classes, swimming, and college.  Kelly and Mike did close out the year by replacing our 20 year old kitchen appliances.  Back to those kids who can’t seem to hit the broad side of a barn with a wrapper, let alone a waste basket, we purchased a fancy new waste can in a last ditch effort to solve the problem. The new stainless steel trash can is our new pride and joy and opens automatically at the wave of the hand.  While enjoying all this new technology, our dryer just went out, so back to Sherman’s we go!  Speaking of technology, Kelly and Mike finished the year with a fun night in Chicago where a true life robot delivered “forgotten toothbrushes” to our room. In addition to home improvements in the New Year, more resolutions for Mike include meditation, yoga, and drinking more wine (but only the good stuff).  I think all three of these can likely be done at the same time.

Yes, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times….Like all families, we had some challenges to deal with, but those were far outweighed by many blessings. I am very lucky to have an awesome wife, four awesome kids and new son-in-law, our two awesome dogs Tahyo and Isla, along with our awesome family and friends.  We have had a wonderful Christmas as a family and look forward to a great 2020! Thank you and Merry New Year to you all!  May God bless you in new ways in the New Year!

P.S. – I consider this a living document in that I will likely be asked to edit for omissions, inaccuracies, offenses to my beloved family members, or over the likely fact that I wrote some of the same exact words last year.

[freehawaii]

KE AUPUNI UPDATE - AUGUST 2019

8y Leon Siu -  Hawaiian National

Keeping in touch and updated on activities regarding the restoration of Ke Aupuni o Hawai`i, the Hawaiian Kingdom.  

Ua Mau Ke Ea O Ka `Aina I Ka Pono.

• 203rd Birthday of Kauikeaouli

Today, August 11 is the 203rd birthday of Kauikeaouli, King Kamehameha III, the amazing, enlightened ruler of the Hawaiian Islands. He presided over some of the most important events in the history of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Kamehameha III transformed his Kingdom into being not only on an equal footing to the leading sovereign nations of the world, but a significant contributor to the advancement of benevolent governance.  

Hauoli Lā Hanau Kamehameha Ekolu, Mo`i.  

• Mauna Kea

Itʻs not simply about the telescope. Itʻs about saying enough is enough. For the past 150 years Hawaiians have seen our lands carved away to be used by foreign business interests under the guise of “progress.” Hawaiians have been not only pushed into corners, but many have been forced completely outside the room. Kapu Aloha is the way to restore pono. Onipa`a!  

• 60th Anniversary of the Fake State

On August 21 the Fake State of Hawai`i will turn 60 years old. The 3rd Friday of every August was designated “Statehood Day” to create a 3-day weekend to accommodate the delirium of the stateʻs biggest celebration. This year, Friday, August 16 is Statehood Day. It will probably be “celebrated” as it has been for years... with profound indifference and deafening silence.

The lack of enthusiasm for “Statehood Day” indicates people donʻt see anything to celebrate. Perhaps many have heard of the shameful, illegal origins of the state, or see Hawaiians being abused by the system, or just have the feeling that something is not right. Even the state lays low on its own birthday, downplaying it so much as if theyʻre trying to hide something.

This year, with the TMT debacle, we can add extreme embarrassment to the reason the state is dodging the event.

The governorʻs emergency proclamation; mobilizing the sheriffʻs department, police officers from 3 counties, the DLNR enforcement unit and the Hawai`i National Guard, equipped with  a full complement of riot gear, including vehicles, tear gas and sophisticated crowd-control weapons... was, to say the least... overkill.  And what for? To arrest 38 kupuna protecting the mauna by sitting in peaceful defiance under a tent in the middle of the access road.

No wonder no one wants to “celebrate” statehood... not when it shows its true colors like this and people everywhere can see how the state has been operating. The tipping point is coming soon!  

Kū`e! Kū Kia`i Mauna! Kapu Aloha!

Ua mau ke ea o ka `āina i ka pono. The sovereignty (life) of the land is perpetuated in righteousness. ———

The Campaign to Free Hawai`i is funded by people like YOU…

We cannot do this crucial work without your help… your kokua.

It takes funding to make these important accomplishments happen and we deeply appreciate all financial contributions, large or small.

Any amount you contribute will make a huge impact on our ability to continue this work (and can be tax-deductible if needed).

We have much to accomplish in 2019 and your contributions toward that are very important and needed.

Your KŌKUA is greatly appreciated!

To contribute, go to - GoFundMe.com/FreeHawaii

---------

 Malama pono, Leon Siu 

[als-dump-wow]

April Hetalia CC (Bodyguard AU!)

@hetaliacc | @als-dump-wow

April 2019 | Theme: Alternate Universes | Prompt: Bodyguard AU

((its still the 15th shhh im just a master procrastinator here have a fanfic that i dont have time to proofread))

Not again, oh please no!

The tall, strong figure strode calmly through the long hallways. Despite his collected demeanor, he was panicking on the inside.

Ivan was hired by famous business owner Arthur Kirkland to protect his oldest son and heir to his whole estate, Alfred Jones. At first, the job seemed simple. All he had to do was await the father and son’s arrival at the business’ headquarters and accompany the young blond until they went home again. Nothing difficult.

He was quickly proven wrong. It gradually became more challenging to keep an eye on the heir. After a week of this new job, Alfred wanted to go places. Ivan was dragged along to restaurants and shops, wherever the other insisted he wanted to visit. The pair always looked out of place, dressed to maintain a professional image, despite the casual atmospheres that Alfred seemed so fond of. From there, it only became more onerous. The other would wait until Ivan’s violet eyes were averted, scanning the area for any possible threats, and would dash away and out of sight.

Now it was a near daily occurrence. Alfred would run away, Ivan would search, and when he found him, he would sit him down and scold him like a child.

“Stop hiding,” he would huff, a scowl on his thin pale lips. “How am I supposed to protect you if you keep running away?”

Yet still the blond would hide away. It worried the bodyguard--if something happened while Alfred was running, not only would he lose his job, but he would never forgive himself. He rarely felt anything for anyone, claiming that doing so would only wound him, but it was difficult not to worry for someone when your life was devoted to protecting them.

“Do you know where Alfred has run off to this time?” Ivan asked a passing employee, the same one that he asked every time that his childish protectee decided to scamper off. They had a pact that they would never breathe a word of each other’s mistakes in the workplace, since the helpful man tended to be quite forgetful.

The brunet shook his head with a furrowed brow. Ivan huffed and continued his search before eventually concluding, with a striking sense of terror, that Alfred must not be in the building anymore. If anything happened while he was out “adventuring”...

Faster than he had moved ever before, his confident and elegant facade slipping, Ivan practically flew down the stairs to the bottom floor, hoping with all his heart that he didn’t run into anybody who would ask any questions and get him into trouble. Of course, with his luck, that just didn’t happen. On his way out the door, he bumped directly into Mr. Kirkland, likely returning from lunch, causing his panic to worsen as he profusely apologized.

“It’s alright,” the blond assured, before glancing behind the man he hired and looking baffled when he noticed that his son was not standing behind the bodyguard. “Where is Alfred?”

Almost immediately, Ivan dodged around his boss. Oh, he knew he was in trouble, but he was going to ensure Alfred’s safety before he was fired. “I am going to check on him now!” He shouted as he sprinted out the front door, stumbling over his own feet.

The first order of business was to check in all of Alfred’s favorite spots to visit when the two went into the city together. Every restaurant, every little trinket shop that they would stop by together. When those locations turned out to be of no use, he sighed and nearly broke down in tears. He continued to search around, though he had lost almost all hope already. Eventually, in a desperate attempt to find the man, he turned down an alleyway and found himself lucky to be just in time.

A hooded figure had a shaken, quivering Alfred pushed against the wall, his cheek forces onto the ragged brick, likely leaving scrapes and cuts all over it. The cold silver of a gun was pressed against the pale greyish-blue of his suit, the same one that he always whined about wearing. The same one that had probably gotten him into this mess. Ivan assumed that the outfit displayed his wealth, and that got him into such trouble. Thinking fast, or maybe not even thinking at all, the black-suited bodyguard firmly grabbed the assailant’s hood, getting a strong hold of his hair through it, and practically threw him back. He grabbed Alfred by the arm and brought the blond behind him, guiding him back into the main road, hoping that someone would see what was happening and call the authorities.

In a fit of rage and an attempt to cover his tracks, the hooded criminal shot in Alfred’s direction, not realizing that Ivan had stepped in front of his protectee. The bullet went straight into the man’s shoulder, causing him to stagger back, keeping Alfred under his close guard. Noticing what his mischief had caused, Alfred panicked and looked around.

“Call an ambulance! The police!” He cried out, a witness quickly doing just that.

Unfortunately, the attempted mugger dashed out of the alley and away. Ivan was preoccupied with attempting to stop the bleeding in his arm and didn’t make an attempt to chase after him. Alfred was still too shaken to do so himself, and now found himself unwilling to leave his guard’s side out of guilt. He managed to coax him to sit on the sidewalk, despite the taller man insisting that he would be just fine.

The two sat there, Alfred fretting over him, until the police arrived, along with an ambulance. Ivan argued that his injury was not so severe as to need an emergency vehicle and that he could drive himself to the hospital just fine, but Alfred refused and told him he had to. The two were far too stubborn for their own good. Ivan caved and gave his statement while being driven to the hospital, Alfred doing the same, though barely getting through it. When they were done, the blond turned to his bodyguard with a genuinely regretful look, one he never gave when being scolded.

“I am sorry,” he grumbled, the words burning his throat. Alfred never apologized. He never needed to. Now, though, he would live with the guilt if he didn’t apologize and explain himself. “I--I just… I wanted to stay young, y’know? I’m being forced to grow up so fast, and I guess I… I just wanted you to play along with me. Hunt me down. It was fun.” The heir gave a sigh. “It wasn’t fair to you.”

Ivan only chuckled and rolled his lavender eyes. He knew how that was. He was forced to grow up fast as well, and he wished he maintained the youthful energy that Alfred still had.

“Just stay inside next time you hide,” he huffed, but he wasn’t really angry.

The Russian knew he would lose his job. He knew he wouldn’t be the one in charge of Alfred from now on, and likely never see him after he got out of the hospital. Those were worries for a later date, though. Now, he had the satisfaction of knowing he had managed some good in his life, and he had saved one of the only people who got him to care.

[stone-man-warrior]

September 24, 2019: 4:45 pm:

September 24, 2019: 3:27 pm:

I just returned from socio-terrific doctor appointment in Medford, #SAGClubMed central HQ.

As usual, people were sneaking around my home yesterday and today.

I killed an intruder yesterday, who entered my home while I was in the restroom, The man had gone to my refrigerator, and was telling someone else about the contents of my refrigerator. The man had a sword, I took his sword from him, and ran him through with it, escorted him to the front door, and shoved him out of the door.

The door was locked with two locks and another safety device. The man was able to come inside even thought the door had two locks, and something extra.

I closed and locked the door again.

I believe the man's name was Robert, or, Rodger.

If his name was Robert, there is a good chance he was Rodger Hunter, a SDA terror solodier associated with a terror cell called “Medical Democrats”, and at the location 598 “MyStreet” is where he is specifically known to have lived for about 5 years. Rodger Hunter no longer lives at 598, some other Medical Democrats terror cell members live there now, Cynthia and Rick Manning.

The man could have been Manning. I don't know. I thought I already killed Rick manning when he attacked me with a Pit Bull by my mailbox a few months ago.

The receptionist at the terror doctor office asked about “Rod”. That could be Rodger, or Robert, she may have said “Rob”.

On the way to terror ClubMed doctor, the usual terror soldiers were deployed from the corner of Three Pines Road, and Oxyoke Road, where a group waits for instructions to just drive around, go in the direction they are told, make observation, and report what they observe at a given location as they pass by. About six of them today on Three Pines going towards Russel Road, they passed by me, as I was going towards Monument Drive.

That happens every time I leave the house.

I usually encounter the same cars that pass by often. I only leave my home two weeks apart, so, seeing the same cars is not a condition of daily routine, they wait for me to leave and make observation, so that others involved in assassination attempt can be ready, at the place they need to be.

The was moderate traffic on the way to Medford.

Observations include a big rig carrying three very large fans. Commercial size ventilation units. About six feet tall each one. That truck & trailer were going Northbound at about 1:15 pm.

Another observation was a mobile home, in two parts, wide-load, going Southbound, at about 1:20 pm. Those wide-load trucks were all over the road, swerving and changing lanes all over the place.

Other than that, at the Medford Exit at Crater Lake hwy, there is usually at least three people who sit at the corner, at the exit, and one on the overpass, and another near the other on-ramp.

They were not there today, they are ALWAYS there, but not today. There was others at the Biddel Road interchange corner. One man sitting and watching the traffic, a watchdog, and another two with bicycles walking their bicycles, and a woman with a baby carriage. I have seen those exact people at the exact places doing the exact same things dozens of times. One of the bicycles is very strange looking, is rusty, tall seat, small wheels, big frame. The  woman with the bay carriage always stops walking, looks at me, and turns the baby carriage towards me, points at me, and tells the baby to look at me while I am waiting for the traffic light to change. I look at the bany, and the light changes, every time.

There were more people walking their bicycles. I saw about fifteen people with bicycles today, all were walking beside their bicycles except one. That one was a new, shiny, beach cruiser.

There was a toilet on the side of the road across the street from the terror doctor office.

I parked. I noticed a white van in the parking lot, it has been there for many months, maybe a year or more in the doctor parking lot. The hood is cracked open (“bee in your bonnet” SDA comm), the tags are 2018 ( State Police), the words “We went to Oregon” are written on the passenger window with white crayon (tourists died there), the front bumper is held on with bungee cords (Charlston Dodge Charger Crash at SAG terror demonstration connection terror advertisement) and there is a pamphlet about pianos (be quiet) on the dash board.

Inside the office was terror comm from the receptionist. She wanted me to be Robert or Rodger. I am not, so she advised others that Rod did not make it. I was given a paper that says prices are going up by $100 for lab work, that is more terror comm. I was asked if $1.03 means anything to me, when I said no, she charged me an extra $1.03.

There was more comm in the form of a nurse with an amputated arm. Also, when I go there, the people who come in are all fake patients, they are actors playing roles. They don't do health services there, it's a front. They are capable of  pretending to do health service, but that is not what they do. There is always at least one man who comes in dressed in a suit without jacket, dress shoes and pants, white shirt, always. Nit the same guy always, but the same wardrobe always.

The fake patients are SDA soldiers. They come in pairs mostly. If not in a pair, the solo ones always have some kind of prop, apparatus, thing with them. A wheel chair or oxygen tank or crutches or some bullshit item. The ones that come in pairs, do not usually have the prop, apparatus thing.

At the fake doctor, the fake patients, and me, are given a pain management questionnaire to fill out. The fake SDA in pairs are almost amusing to observe when they fill out the forms. It's always the same thing,each pair of fake people do the exact same routine as the other ones do. They sit down, and one SDA plays the “caregiver” role, while the other one plays the “patient” role. The caregiver asks the patient the questions in the forms. There are two forms, each one has eight pages.

The whole thing is so when real patients come in there, they will be distracted and concentrating on that form, not paying attention to the terror soldier with a sword and nitrous gas that is sneaking up behind them. So, those pairs of fake patients can be identified by the way two people sit down, and one asks the other the questions on the form. If you pay attention to what is happening, it's easy to see that it's all fake, they have been reading those same questions for years, and are only releasing nitrous gas while saying their lines, and waiting for opportunity to strike.

The fake doctor, Paul Leppert, always tells me a story about his time n Vietnam, or Korean war. Always. He never ever talks about my health conditions. He keeps saying I need to get a primary doctor, he is a specialist and I need a Primary Care Physician (PCP, Angel Dust). I always tell him there are no doctors. He always tell me I NEED to go to La Clinica.

If he wants me to go to La Clinica, that's how I know it's a bad Idea to go to La Clinica.

DONT GO TO LA CLINICA!

No one tried to kill me inside the office this visit.

On the way home, I saw the same things I usually see. A tow truck with a grey SUV on it parked in the right hand lane in front of the shopping center (where there is a Denny's restaurant sort of hidden, with only a very small sign, and part of a motel that I don't know what the name is.) and a Medford Police SUV. The Towing is “Dick's Towing” (dick's in the road).

On the freeway, not much to say other than a lot of bright red big-rig trucks with white trailers.

One white van caught my eye, a Caravan sized van, bright white, rear window whited out with vinyl, and the words “Arnold's Dental, equipment sales”, California license plate.

Someone from Dietrick's 601 came down “MyStreet”, and did a head on collision attempt, the swerved.

Lot's of watchdog terror soldier in vehicles.

All of this is valuable information to people who need it.

That's all for now.

[smoothshift]

Police cars - what ones do you think would make good day-to-day ones apart from the Dodge Charger and Ford Explorer? via /r/cars

Police cars - what ones do you think would make good day-to-day ones apart from the Dodge Charger and Ford Explorer?

Over here in the United Kingdom, our equivalent of the Dodge Charger or Ford Explorer cop cars are the Peugeot 308 and Vauxhall Astra hatchbacks or a BMW X5. There's no police Range Rover any more - not since 2012.

This is not about politics, but about what would be good new cop cars in general.

In the U.S. they could use these as cop cars:

Volvo S90 T8 Hybrid / V90 T8 Hybrid

With 386hp from its 2.0-liter/4-cylinder engine, this isn't a sports sedan but it'll be quick at 5.1 seconds from 0-60mph.

It looks pretty good, and being a Volvo, well, pretty reliable.

The V90's predecessors, the V70 [2001-2007, 2007-2018] and V70 [1997-2001] and 850 [1993-1996] were widely used by British police as cop cars - around 1997-1998 the V70 was used as an armed response vehicle.

LDV Maxus EV80/FCV80 electric van

Image

It's Chinese, but I could see this van being used as a mobile catering unit for cops.

No long-wheelbase EV version yet, but the EV80 seems popular in China as a van, especially in plain Maxus V80 gasoline form.

Only problem is the current political situation stopping it being sold in the U.S. [not that I can get into the politics of it here].

Porsche Taycan

Porsches traditionally haven't made for practical cop cars - the 911 looks cool, but is impractical. The new Taycan EV sedan has 600hp from its battery.

Not due until September, but it'd make a good highway patrol car - perhaps for the California Highway Patrol or Metropolitan Police in London?

I wouldn't mind seeing Greater Manchester Police use these on the A580 East Lancs Road!

Subaru Viziv

I'm referring to the Viziv Adrenaline Concept from March 2019.

Whenever this gets made into a production version, I could see this fulfilling the same role as the 1994-2000 Impreza Turbo that many police forces used. I expect it'll be a four-door hatchback with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

A plug-in hybrid Viziv WRX - that would sound good.

FAW-Toyota Izoa EV / Toyota CH-R EV

This is a compliance car for China with an EV motor. Could it be tuned to 240hp for Ford Focus ST-like performance for a police performance package, or would that be too taxing for the chassis?

The CH-R is seen as cool by people I know, but would it be a good cop car or even as an ARV [armed response vehicle]?

Mitsubishi Lancer

Mitsubishi Lancer rendering by Auto Express

No, not the Evo, but the reboot model which is a crossover.

I like the pseudo-hatchback looks, even though this is a crossover. I've no real issue with that, since it's a sort of spiritual successor to the 1987-1992, 1992-1996 model [wasn't that identical to the Mitsubishi Mirage of 1987-1992, 1992-1996 - Mirage / Lancer, unless I'm wrong?]. This version

I expect it'll be a hybrid, given Mitsubishi's focus on plug-in hybrids and EVs, or possibly an EV model.

I hope they produce a 2.0-liter/360hp 4-cylinder plug-in hybrid along the lines of the old Evo, which would be good for cops, as a pursuit car. If you include AWD, it'd make a good all-weather car too, for the freeways.

The Mitsubishi Lancer EV model would be good for city limits, maybe in Los Angeles, New York City, London, Tokyo, along with Amsterdam and Copenhagen [where the Mitsubishi Lancer was quite popular in Europe].

I'm interested to hear what you think would be a good new cop car from vehicles that are set to launch this year and next year.