As previously reported, Andrew from Keene was held for 2.5 hours by Vermont troopers on December 2nd after he was pulled over, refused a search, a drug dog came out, alerted on the vehicle, and the police tore it apart looking for drugs.
Andrew’s supporters who had driven from Keene to help him were told if they didn’t leave the scene then the police would tow the car away. The previous video left off at the point where Andrew is going to be left alone with the troopers. Part 2 of the video completes the story.
If you’re not going to watch the entire video, skip to timecode 4:45 to watch how happy the trooper is when he thinks he’s found something.
A FreeKeene supporter was pulled over on Wednesday afternoon around 5:20pm for a broken headlight. He was not released until nearly 8pm after the State police brought drug dog out, claimed it alerted on his vehicle, and searched every single thing in his car and on his person, including his shoes and socks. In the end, no drugs were ever found.
Andrew M refused consent to let troopers search his car. They waited 25 minutes for the canine unit to come and walk around it, and then the troopers claimed the dog alerted on the vehicle. Andrew was then given 2 options: Consent to a search, or the car would be taken in. Andrew chose the lesser of two major inconveniences and indicated he’d let the police search him and his car.
Nick Ryder, a FreeKeene blogger, and Chris Miranda, another FreeKeene supporter, arrived on scene with a camera. However, when the trooper wanted to begin his car search, he claimed he would seize the car if Chris and Nick did not leave, so the camera stayed behind in Andrew’s hands while Chris and Nick monitored the situation from afar.
Below is part 1 of the video taken from Wednesday night.
When videographers tried to document Kurt Hoffman being taken out of the Keene District Court on a stretcher, they were met with extreme resistance, forced into a side room, and issued threats of being penalized for violating HIPAA.
Not once has anyone been able to show us the text of HIPAA that restricts people from recording patients in public. In fact, you may be surprised to see that in the video below, a videographer in Keene openly records the scene of an accident and the patient, without his consent, and the police don’t even seem to acknowledge it as an issue.
November 3rd will be the local City Council elections. Polls are open from 8am to 7pm. This will be the culminating day in FreeKeene.com Blogger Nick Ryder’s campaign. Over the past month, he and his campaign staff have spread out about 2000 fliers over the city, and placed local Cheshire TV and radio ads.
Ryder’s brochure points to things like property rights, personal rights, a hands-off government, and the abolition of unnecessary licensing as some issues he stands on. (See the entire brochure).
So for the voice of smaller government, and the principles FreeKeene.com supports, vote Ryder tomorrow at your appropriate polling location:
Ward 1: Wheelock School Ward 2: Keene Recreation Center Ward 3: Fuller Elementary School Ward 4: Symonds School Ward 5: Trinity Lutheran Church
Judge Howard Lane, filling in for our friend Burke, found Sam “guilty” today for driving after suspension in relation to this incident.
Sam raised a few objections regarding conflicts of interest and why Burke has not yet ruled on his previous case, but he played by the court rules for the most part (except for standing). Below is a cut-down video from the trial including Sam’s objections and a few other highlights:
