Cops acting more and more like para-military forces

     Marshall Wiggum (AKA Marshall Matt Wiggins - I know.  That was way too easy)

In the post under, Lex links to an article about unprofessional US Federal Marshalls raiding the wrong house.  OK mistakes happen, even to the best.  What was really amazing about the article was not even the foul language used by the officers.  They are entering what they believe to be a dangerous situation and I’m sure adrenaline accounts for a lot of the profanity.

Besides, everyone knows harden criminals wet themselves and become docile as a new born when expletives are shouted at them by people in authority.  Actually given that scientific fact, I don’t know why anyone needs a gun to protect themselves.  Just shout F*%K really loud the next time your life is in danger from a thug.

What was truly inexplicable was the reaction of the Marshall in charge to the reaction of the innocent people having their apartment mistakenly raided.  The Marshall, Matt Wiggins, who will now be known as Marshall Clancy Wiggum, of the US Federal Marshall service, kind of placed the entire blame for his mistake on the people inhabiting the apartment he mistakenly raided without warrant.

Yeah, weird.  Just when you’d expect a contrite apology and the offer of a tour of the Marshalls office for the couple, Marshall Wiggum claims he “went above and beyond.”   By that I’m sure he means he used twice as many swear words and shouted them twice as loud as usual to subdue the innocent couple.

When the facts are laid before Marshall Wiggum, again you’d think a bit of introspection and contriteness would sink in.  You’d be wrong.  Wiggum’s response to the facts of the raid on the wrong apartment only got a - OK fine but, “she sure shouldn’t be going to the press,” which if you read it again, sounds like a threat.  Sort of like, I’d sure hate to see anything happen to the nice lady, but when you go to the press sometimes bad things happen. I'm just saying.

This is not to say “the cops acted stupidly.”  Marshall Wiggum acted unprofessionally and probably needs a few months of retraining and ordered never again to watch the Tommy Lee Jones character in The Fugitive.

I’d probably just fire him.  Screwing up is one thing, acting like an arrogant pr^&k in the face of your own screw up is a sign of sociopathic behavior.  Wiggum displays a kind of “it’s not my faultism” that would have me worrying about him dropping a gun on an innocent guy he gunned down for jay walking.

Maybe the Marshall Service could put Marshall Wiggum in charge of accounting for 5-6 million dollars worth of encrypted comm equipment the service cannot account for.  That’s kind of a perfect hell for Wiggum.  He’d kicking down the office doors of other Marshalls who could kick his @$$ and or shoot back.

But, Marshall Wiggum is the tip of the iceberg.  Used to be cops were the Andy Griffith types out to truly protect and serve. Andy had a uniform of sorts, but he carried no gun.  When he raised his voice, people listened because it was such a rare event.  Today’s cops look more as if they are patrolling Fallujah than issuing traffic tickets to a by and large peaceful civilian populace.  And remember DHS has bought 2,500 up armored assault vehicles for domestic use.

A sign of the times in LB’s America.