Pastor Anderson beaten at Border

[Germany4Christ]

I'm afraid I'll have to say that what he did was wrong. I have learned that the best thing to do when confronted with the police (I have been confronted at times during street ministries) is be respectful, even if you disagree and let them finish their sentences. There is no since in arguing and cutting them off in the middle of their sentence. As for them stepping on his head, that is proper procedure to someone who is being beligerent. I'm sure it felt like they were grinding his face into the concrete but I used to work electrical and all pain is intensified after an electric shock because the muscles contract. After watching the police survailence camera I would say that they handled the situation quite well. The truth is that if they had no probable cause then he should sue but I don't think that he will win because of the way that he handled the question. And his biggest mistake was refusing to get out for the officer. Ok refusing to obey the border gaurds maybe but the officer; that was a little dumb. At that point the officer is dispatched for the purpose of arresting him.

[deputydog530]

I just watched the video of the incident. It appears that the officers were within thier rights to me. I thought the officers were respectful as they could be and he was just making trouble.

I have arrested three officers in my career, one was for brutality. I HATE a dirty cop. These officers are good to go from what I can see.

[Pastor Matt]

Anderson took down most of his "Wacky" videos on YouTube. I guess he does not want the world to see how wacky of a guy he is. Anderson looks for trouble everywhere he goes, he was video taping the incident because he was looking for one. I did not see any brutality or him get beaten on any of the tapes. I think he was just being plain old fashioned dumb.

The similarities between him and Fred Phelps is interesting.

[John81]

Well, it took over an hour and a half, but I finally managed to watch the video posted here and the three-something minute video at the link. Neither makes the entire incident clear but from what I saw Pastor Anderson could have handled the situation much better and the cops could have got him out of the car without such force.

These "check points" are highly unconstitutional as are the broad parameters given to agents/officers. It's little wonder so many have a God-complex. Check your Nazi and communist history and you will see just how close we are to a police state.

[Alimantado]

I'm sure it felt like they were grinding his face into the concrete but I used to work electrical and all pain is intensified after an electric shock because the muscles contract.

Perhaps the 11 stitches in his head were also a figment of his imagination.

The thing that worries me here is the apparent consensus that if a person acts a bit crabby or isn't a perfect model of submission then they should expect to have their windows put through, get tazed and have their face cut up by the authorities.

Viewed from another perspective, it looks like Anderson didn't act aggressively, make any threats or brandish a weapon of any sort, yet on the basis that he wasn't immediately co-operating, the Police felt they had absolutely no choice but to treat him as if he was about to kill someone. If the justification for this behaviour is that it is necessary for our safety, then doesn't it follow that if we weren't blessed with technology like tazers, the Police would have been 'within their rights' to shoot Anderson in the head, just in case? Is there really no middle ground?

[Anon]

Matt I was kind of wondering how the entire thing got videotaped...it was as if either he had a passenger, or he had been expecting (or hoping?) to tape some sort of altercation. I also felt the music during the police part of the video was a bit too sappy, trying to make him look like a martyr.

I have seen police brutality videos before and this one didn't look like those. Its an immigration checkpoint....how do they know he was not smuggling someone in the trunk? They allowed him to argue for quite awhile before they finally got him out...its not like they got him out after 30 seconds without giving him a chance.

[Bakershalfdozen]

You have to know the history of this guy. This isn't the first incident. He has repeatedly refused to be searched at these checkpoints many times in the past, citing his constitutional right to not be searched without a warrant. He has won the argument all the previous times even though it would take hours sometimes. This time he didn't win.

If anyone cares, the FFF is ablaze with this guy's antics. Just do a search on his name. You can also view and read about this latest incident on Anderson's wife's blog: http://stevenandersonfamily.blogspot.com/ His wife is just as controversial as he is.

[HappyChristian]

Jess already mentioned this, but this wasn't the first time this pastor has antagonized the guards. He is someone who provokes...I've seen other videos that he has purposely done, challenging any and all who have any kind of authority in law to carry guns or to require certain things of people. He is neither kind nor Christian in the way he approaches these people, and his search for "rights" actually, I believe, sullies the name of Christ.

He is a taunter and an antagonizer...neither of which attributes do I find in the Bible for Christians (especially pastors who are supposed to be "...not a brawler...have a good report of them which are without...") to follow.

Maybe the guards were excessive - but, really, he went there with camera and attitude in hand to provoke...and he got what he wanted. Now he's screaming brutality. :loco The man needs to study the way Christ reacted to His REAL persecutors...and he needs to learn the difference between persecution/denial of rights and provoked reaction to idiocy!!!

[Bakershalfdozen]

I believe this particular videotape is the one that belongs to the border patrol. Anderson has a lawyer now so he demanded it be released.

I believe the police did use excessive force. They are not required to squish someone's face into broken glass; they are not required to taze repeatedly. BUT, Anderson brought this on himself.

[Anon]

Yeah I didn't get the additional tazes...I can understand one to force him out of the car but not past that. I think by then they were just mad and taking it out on him because he was being such an idiot.

[John81]

Perhaps the 11 stitches in his head were also a figment of his imagination.

The thing that worries me here is the apparent consensus that if a person acts a bit crabby or isn't a perfect model of submission then they should expect to have their windows put through, get tazed and have their face cut up by the authorities.

Viewed from another perspective, it looks like Anderson didn't act aggressively, make any threats or brandish a weapon of any sort, yet on the basis that he wasn't immediately co-operating, the Police felt they had absolutely no choice but to treat him as if he was about to kill someone. If the justification for this behaviour is that it is necessary for our safety, then doesn't it follow that if we weren't blessed with technology like tazers, the Police would have been 'within their rights' to shoot Anderson in the head, just in case? Is there really no middle ground?

Exactly!

The stated purpose of tasers is for them to be used in cases where it would otherwise be necessary to use a gun. This obviously was not a case where it would have been necessary to use a gun. Tasers are repeatedly used unnecessarily and they have resulted in scores of deaths, unnecessary deaths, already.

Citizenship once provided protections from such things in this country. What good is citizenship, the Constitution or the Bill of Rights anymore?

These "check points" are not about border security, they are about the promotion and projection of power. Were border security the issue, the border would be virtually sealed and those most likely to be illegals or possible terrorists would receive due scrutiny at the border.

[HappyChristian]

As I stated earlier - he's done this before. This isn't the first video I've seen where he antagonizes the border guards. Maybe they did use excessive force, and I'm not justifying that. But he went there looking for a fight. And he got one. He isn't doing any of us any favors with his stupid antics. He could have answered their questions and gone on. He may not have been "agressive" but he was obnoxious...notice that he didn't play the part of the tape where he first arrived. I've seen one - and he's rude, rude, rude.

[Pastor Matt]

As I stated earlier - he's done this before. This isn't the first video I've seen where he antagonizes the border guards. Maybe they did use excessive force' date=' and I'm not justifying that. But he went there looking for a fight. And he got one. He isn't doing any of us any favors with his stupid antics. He could have answered their questions and gone on. He may not have been "agressive" but he was obnoxious...notice that he didn't play the part of the tape where he first arrived. I've seen one - and he's rude, rude, rude.[/quote']
:thumb

That is the way I feel too.

[Revelation3:20]

Yes, i would say he was definitely in violation of Romans 13:1-7 when he refused to get out of the car but I still didn't like to see the officers use the tasers so freely. Seems often times they will use them for any little excuse. I think they should only be able to use it on someone when that person is violent, not just when they don't like a persons attitude. Sometimes some police like to throw their weight around and while he is undoubtedly a habitually obnoxious person and brought it on himself in a sense I still dislike seeing police use excessive force. I think they did in this case although I can't feel too sorry for him because of his attitude. 99% of the time if you are following the law and behave in the proper respectful manner you will not have any serious troubles with the police. Have a bad attitude and the police may easily respond in the same manner, they are just people.

[John81]

I've already stated I don't think he dealt with this situation rightly but that still doesn't give the cops a good excuse to do what they did.

I've never been a cop but I have served as security before, in and outside the Air Force, and one of the most important things I ever learned as such was not to think or act based upon emotions.

One could take this issue even further and question why these agents/officers are doing that which is unconstitutional. Why are they not taking a stand on this? Instead, they go along and support the usurpation of the Cosntitution.

One might also consider that American law is based upon the Constitution as the supreme law of the land. Anything or anyone which violates the Constitution, whether an agent of the government or not, they are outlaws and by our Constitution neither a citizen nor a State is obliged to obey or follow them. Under our Constitution it is the people and the States which hold the reigns of government and holds all power not specifically given the central government via the Constitution.

Several Founders and those who followed them expounded upon this, with even Thomas Jefferson proclaiming that if the government overstepped its bounds it was no longer legitimate and revolution every few decades to prevent such tyranny was a good thing.

Regardless of Pastor Anderson's attitude, as an American citizen he has a right not to be treated like a criminal. This was a major aspect the Founders addressed in the Constitution.