Missouri Highway Patrol Wants To Press Charges Against Overpass Protesters *UPDATE

Posted on August 20, 2013 by danaradio

The Missouri Highway Patrol wants to press charges against the overpass protesters I wrote about yesterday and talked with on my program.

The two were arrested, he said, for failing to obey. Nothum said the patrol wants charges filed but prosecutors have yet to decide. The patrol also wants Messmer to be charged with resisting arrest.

Failing to obey what? If they broke a law they should have been cited, yet they received no citation. No answer was ever given as to what they should be obeying, yet they were asked repeatedly in the video. Also, apparently standing there conversing with law enforcement and offering no resistance when an officer forcefully takes you to the ground constitutes "resisting."

On my program yesterday one of the protesters arrested, Duane Weed, said he is considering filing suit against the agency.

Nothum said the traffic volume on I-70 was unusually heavy Saturday because of the many motorists heading to St. Charles' annual Festival of the Little Hills.
The patrol supervisor at the scene, Nothum said, "was concerned people are going to be distracted" by the protesters' banners and a serious crash could result.
"People are looking up when they should be looking forward," Nothum said of drivers.

Accidents happen nearly every year at these exits due to the influx of people for the Festival of the Little Hills. Two years ago I attended and saw two separate fender benders. What protesters caused those accidents? Are we going to employ the Sam Bacile Youtube argument now? Shall we remove the distracting billboards that dot the area all by these exits? The traffic signs from MODot which hang over the overpasses in this area? Perhaps if Missouri Highway Patrol didn't want a distraction they shouldn't have brought eight cruisers and numerous officers to gather at the top of the bridge to confront a few peaceful protesters.

(Photo via Jim Hoft.)

The Missouri Highway Patrol in April of 2009 released a report identifying grassroots individuals as militia members and BOLO for domestic terrorism. The Gadsden flag (which is a military-authorized flag), they warned towards the end, may be indicative of these tendencies. Apparently, the highway patrol still harbors this same hostility towards grassroots.

*UPDATE: An officer named Michael with the Missouri Highway Patrol called into my program and sided with the protesters, saying "Not everyone agrees with what happened in that video."

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Missouri Highway Patrol Wants To Press Charges Against Overpass Protesters *UPDATE
http://danaloeschradio.com/missouri-highway-patrol-wants-to-press-charges-against-overpass-protesters/

John Hames