Checkpoints - They Come in the Seatbelt Variety

The safety Nazis continue their expansion of the Reich -

The police chief in Pine Lawn, Rickey Collins, fired one shot at a man who allegedly fled the scene of a seat belt checkpoint Friday night.

Collins has said the driver swerved around a police cruiser near the 4400 block of Rosewood Avenue to avoid the checkpoint, striking an officer and racing off. Collins said he and another officer then pursued the suspect about a half-mile until the driver struck a light pole along Bircher Street. Collins said he chased the man as he ran from the car and, when the man made a motion as if he had a gun, Collins fired once at him.

Collins missed, but the man was arrested nearby. No gun was found on the man or in the area.

Pine Lawn police on Monday approached McCulloch's office to seek charges against the suspect. McCulloch instead asked county police to investigate the incident and took the warrant request under advisement, Fitch said.

The Real Effect
Here are some important questions and points -

• Can we be honest about this? This is not about seatbelts, rather the "safety" argument is a politically expedient way to excuse harassing people and increase revenue generation.
• The argument about "saving just one life" is a trumped up reason that creates an incentive to turn more activities into crimes.
• I'm guessing that the "struck officer" wasn't so much hit as he was bumped.
• No mention of what would cause the man to avoid the checkpoint. Curious...
• "Made the motion as if he had a gun" And what would that be? He moved his arms? Or is this another throw away CYA by an overzealous police department?
• And all of this justifies KILLING the man?

This doesn't get any better...but wait, it's happened before -

In June 2006, Collins — then a Pine Lawn police captain — fired a shot at a driver at a sobriety checkpoint in Pine Lawn. In that case, the driver was struck in the forearm. Collins told authorities then that he fired by accident.

This argues very well for the removal of these checkpoints. Catching slightly guilty individuals on equipment and other minor violations as well as the occasional "big criminal" does not justify terrorizing neighborhoods with badge toting thugs that see "pieces" around every corner.

As I have heard said - In order to have a police state, first you need police.