Sheriff's Dept. Hopeful Wishes A 'Holocaust And Gas Chambers' On CopBlock.org's Writers And Readers

from the fearlessly-into-the-instantly-archived-breach dept

Fri, Jan 24th 2014 5:46pm — Tim Cushing

Today's cautionary tale of How Not to Use the Internet comes to us courtesy of a man who someday hopes to carry a badge and gun. His target? CopBlock.org. For those not familiar with Cop Block, it's a site that tracks police misconduct. Much of what's collected is anecdotal evidence, submitted by readers, but there's also coverage of other, media-covered incidents as well as book reviews, organized events and educational material.

But what Cop Block does that some other police misconduct-oriented sites don't is make an active effort to film police. More controversially, site members have also been known to take to the roadside to warn drivers of speed traps and seatbelt checkpoints. Not surprisingly, law enforcement members who interact with Cop Block members are usually less than cordial.

A post to the Cop Block Facebook page by a former soldier who's currently pursuing a degree in order to join the Washoe (NV) Sheriff's Dept. managed to exceed anything these members have seen before. In fact, much of what is included in this person's (Darren Redding) post is simply abusive, with a couple of comments tracing the edges of the "threat" category.

Here's Redding's post in its entirety (screenshots captured for posterity here, here, here, here and here).

Your page is pathetic and offensive. The pictures you post and the comments you make seem like you're trying to incriminate and deface ALL police officers, when 99% of them are great at what they do, it's the 1% you should be posting about, not the vast majority you pathetic, ignorant, liberal pussy.

You're just like all the liberals striving for gun control because the actions of a few, insane individuals are fucking it up for the other 99% of gun owners who are responsible with their weapons.

Or let me put it into perspective for a drug using, liberal, hippy pussy like yourself: 99% of people who smoke pot do it responsibly and safely, but 1% of the people who use participate in violent crime, or crash their cars when theyre high and kill others or themselves, but I don't see you posting about how ALL pot smokers should be punished.

If you were a law abiding citizen you wouldn't have any problem with 5-0, but something tells me you were probably being a jackass towards a police officer and you got what was coming to you, and that inspired you to make a page giving a bad name to all law enforcement.

You might as well bad mouth the military and veterans like myself because of those marine scout snipers that pissed on some dead Taliban a few years back. According to your logic that means ALL active duty and veterans are heinous heathens right?

You're a fucking bitch and I hope some cop beats your ass next time you're "protesting" or filming them or whatever. In fact I'm about to start the training academy for the washoe county sheriffs dept in reno, Nevada and I can't wait to deal with punk ass bitches like you. I would beat your fucking liberal ass just for the sheer joy of it.

Suck my fucking dick you waste of breathable air, you should have been aborted. But I guess your mother was a dumb ass waste of life like you. You're the reason that there's no hope for the human race, I can't believe people like you exist, if I had my way, there would be another holocaust with camps and gas chambers full of fucking cunt scabs like you.

I hope you die

What's amazing about Redding's post is the sheer amount of violent imagery deployed. Not content to merely "beat" members' "liberal asses," Redding escalates it into Godwin Territory by wishing a "holocaust with camps and gas chambers" on Cop Block's 90,000+ fans and members.

Redding complains about the attitude of those at Cop Block, specifically mentioning how it supposedly paints all cops as bad cops. Whatever point he was trying to make about the good cop/bad cop ratio is completely destroyed by his next several dozen words. The attitude on display here would put Redding (should he actually make the cut as an officer) clearly on the "bad" side. You can't defend good cops by wishing degradation, pain and death on those you disagree with

Hopefully, Redding's own self-destructive behavior will keep him from acquiring the power he needs to torment "liberals," "pussies" and other people who are severely in need of "getting what's coming to them."

Tempering all of this is the fact that this is a Facebook post, a venue where stupid things are "said" all the time. A quick rundown of the comments on Cop Block's Facebook page shows there are plenty of people with the same mindset as Redding's, only coming at it from the opposite direction. Sure, these commenters aren't aspiring to go into law enforcement, but it doesn't make their comments any less terrible.

At this point, Redding is still in school (presumably pursuing a criminal law degree) according to this comment at the Bad Cop No Donut subreddit. (This bare bones LinkedIn account seems to verify that.) If he's looking for a job in law enforcement, he's greatly sabotaged that chance. Contacting the Sheriff's Dept. seems to be a waste of time since he's a few years away from applying. Should "the internet" decide whether Redding is allowed to chase his dream? Perhaps not, but Redding's own words seem perfectly capable of undermining that. The greater problem is, if this is Redding's mindset, that his attempt to join the law enforcement ranks is still a few years off (his LinkedIn page estimates a 2016 graduation date). By that time, any outrage will have long since died down and his scrubbing efforts will have become nearly invisible. And maybe, just maybe, Redding will join a force that won't tolerate his violent urges towards law enforcement critics. Who knows? Stranger things have happened.

But the underlying message here is clear: if you are perceived as painting all cops as bad cops, you'll very easily draw the attention of the worst cops, even those who are still in the aspirational phase.

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Filed Under: cop block, internet, police brutality

40 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2014 @ 5:57pm

NSA keeping 5 years of data would probably toss him right onto the watch list. Hell who am i kidding, the academy is drooling for this guy he's a team player.
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Mike, 24 Jan 2014 @ 6:52pm

Act like a delusional left-wing tard, get judged like one. See a crazed left-winger, run far, far away!!!!
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- Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2014 @ 12:37am
  
  Re:
  Given that the police often literally get awaqy with brutal murders with very little, I think some hostility is warranted. They are, and were, defenders of the peace. What is happening today is that a large number of officers are instigators of violence, with the passive complicity of those who are generally good and honest.
  
  And it has to stop. Before more people get hurt and killed. For make no mistake, there is a war going on, and it's against the public.
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- Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2014 @ 7:57am
  
  Re:
  Who is delusional?
  You are.
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Namel3ss (profile), 24 Jan 2014 @ 7:01pm

Hey "Mr." Redding, let's get this straight, douchebag. Invoking Hitler, the holocaust, or nazism automatically means you lose the argument, whatever it may be about.
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- Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2014 @ 3:31am
  
  Re:
  On the other hand, mentioning that the jews were not the only group who were threated badly, yet they are the only ones getting money for it, brands you a nazi.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2014 @ 5:29am
    
    Re: Re:
    You forgot that pointing out the word Holocaust was 1st used to label the Armenian's treatment by the Turks in WWI gets you the same kind of label.
    
    (pointing out Mussolini definition of Fascism and asking about closely that matches various present day structures gets you taken off Christmas lists and dis-invited to parties. So remember - The NSA is watching!)
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OldGeezer (profile), 24 Jan 2014 @ 7:02pm

It is true that a very small minority of bad cops give the rest a bad name. Most cops play by the rules and at a moments notice would put their own lives at risk to protect others. However this guy obviously should never be given a badge and gun. Police departments use psychological screening that hopefully would keep this guy out. Good cops are often criticized even when they do everything right. A while back an incident in my city was entirely recorded on surveillance cameras where an officer pursued a robbery suspect that fired a shot at him. Instead of firing back he ordered him several times to put the gun down. It was only when the guy raised the gun again that the cop shot and killed him. Even with overwhelming evidence that this was a proper shoot you should have seen all the whining comments about why this cop shot the guy.
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- Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2014 @ 7:48pm
  
  Re:
  Agreeable ,only If the good cops didn't turn a blind eye to the bad cops, there would be less of them out there. but instead it's a gang mentality.
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- PRMan, 26 Jan 2014 @ 8:16pm
  
  Re:
  "washoe county sheriffs dept in reno, Nevada and I can't wait to deal with punk ass bitches like you. I would beat your fucking liberal ass just for the sheer joy of it. "
  
  I've worked with the Washoe County Dept. in Reno. Trust me, this guy is right up their alley.
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2014 @ 8:00pm

He says CopBlock should only post about the 1%. I forsees lots of articles about every bad thing he's ever done.
Trolling by giving people what they want!
P.S. Cop guy, it's kind of hypocritical to yell at somebody for "trying to make all cops look bad" with words like that. You sir earned that bad name.
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2014 @ 8:30pm

Didn't techdirt write about kids, who while playing video games had similar language, and went to jail because they are a threat to society?

A hopeful future ticket writer just called out humanity, and said that he wants to save it by killing everyone else and their moms.

Will he be going to jail too?
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VPJ, 24 Jan 2014 @ 8:48pm

"...if you are perceived as painting all cops as bad cops, you'll very easily draw the attention of the worst cops, even those who are still in the aspirational phase."

Or who drank their dinner that night.
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Chronno S. Trigger (profile), 24 Jan 2014 @ 8:58pm

He attempts to defend the 99% of cops, the good cops, by threatening bodily harm and death.

In the famous words of Bender "Now that is irony."
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kyle clements (profile), 24 Jan 2014 @ 9:08pm

"Or let me put it into perspective for a drug using, liberal, hippy pussy like yourself: 99% of people who smoke pot do it responsibly and safely, but 1% of the people who use participate in violent crime, or crash their cars when theyre high and kill others or themselves, but I don't see you posting about how ALL pot smokers should be punished."

Well, that's because one is burning a leaf, while the other is a tool specifically designed for killing things. And if you're driving high and crashing and killing people, it's the motor vehicle, not the weed that is doing the killing. That's why vehicles have a long list of strict safety targets they must meet to be street-legal.

*facepalm*

Americans and their guns...if only they realized how silly their obsession looked to the civilized world...
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2014 @ 9:20pm

Devil's ...advocate?
OK, sure, this guy's either drunk or psychotic, he's a sociopath, and he's probably unironically wearing a "Hitler did nothing wrong" t-shirt. And he's probably going to end up wearing a badge instead of a straightjacket, and a few years from now he'll probably make headlines for gunning down people with smartphones while screaming incoherently. And he'll never be so much as repremanded for murdering those innocent people, thanks to the Blue Code of Silence.

But you've got to admit that this is a man who knows the difference between "your" and "you're".
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- Aaron (profile), 24 Jan 2014 @ 10:41pm
  
  Re: Devil's ...advocate?
  If this doesn't make the week's funniest comments you'll have been robbed of an honor that is rightly yours.
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Taiganaut, 24 Jan 2014 @ 9:46pm

Stay classy, Reno.

We really *do* need a place to dump our nuclear waste - maybe this guy can guard the inner sarcophagus.
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2014 @ 10:02pm

Only junkies say 5-0, trust me I know.
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techflaws (profile), 24 Jan 2014 @ 10:49pm

Any dumb ass waste of life that's using 'liberal' as a swear word should be ridiculed extensively.
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thr truth, 25 Jan 2014 @ 1:07am

This is who they employ as cops!
This is exactly the type of person that gets the jobs. Ex military have this attitude drilled into them and then when properly scared from there there put in positions of power in the public world when the corrupted to the core and don't even realise it. This as been going on for decades and now we have sociopaths in high positions withing police, government, courts, healthcare and every other aspect of our lives!

Stop using fiat and use crypto currencies then all these oligarchies that are fighting to control the planet have no wealth left to do what they do, steal, pillage and destroy humanity as we know it for there selfish gains!

We are at a tipping point in human history! Are you going sit there and do nothing or stand up and play your part in what you believe is right?

Wake up or we are all going to die in our farms they like to call 'countries' which are artificial boarders and nothing more!
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- alternatives(), 25 Jan 2014 @ 5:32am
  
  Re: This is who they employ as cops!
  Stop using fiat and use crypto currencies
  
  Thank you for your bitcoin advertisement.
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Kaemaril (profile), 25 Jan 2014 @ 2:27am

Slightly old news?
This was was covered over on "Photography is not a Crime" back on January 13th.

See http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2014/01/13/aspiring-deputy-coming-fire-vowing-beat-citizens-sheer- joy/ for details.

In updates to the original story, it's alleged that the guy in question didn't post that screed. First it's claimed somebody staying at his place did it, then it's claimed that his facebook page was 'hacked'. Yeah, of course it was ;)
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2014 @ 2:44am

unemployedtimcushinghatescops.com
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- This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
  
  Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2014 @ 11:50pm
  
  Re:
  averagejoehatesdueprocess.com
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Andrew D. Todd, 25 Jan 2014 @ 7:24am

The Legacy of War
Well, war produces this kind of thing. All available evidence suggests that in 1913, Adolf Hitler was a harmless little man. He wasn't crazy enough to be a really good modern artist, not like someone like Oscar Koschaka. Hitler would eventually have found his natural level as a drawing teacher in a young ladies boarding school, or something like that. But he was transformed by the First World War, starting with the First Battle of Ypres (which the Germans called "Der Kindermord," or The Slaughter of Innocents), and proceeding to the Battle of Verdun. At Verdun, the casualties were so high that it became impossible to bury dead bodies without digging up other dead bodies, and the men lived among rotting dead bodies. A lot of guys went more or less crazy. Well, for the next ten years or so, we will simply have to cope with people who have a few bolts loose.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2014 @ 7:36am

psycho screening anyone?
A classic example for psychological screening of applicants to positions of power. A definite fail in this case.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2014 @ 8:29am

Liability?
I suppose if anyone happens to suffer under this raging authoritarian's hands they'll have an especially easy case if they can present those comments.

Hell, even if he isn't doing anything illegal he could still be rendered ineffectual through use of this dirty laundry if he pissed someone off.
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toyotabedzrock (profile), 25 Jan 2014 @ 10:16am

Liberal or libertarian
Copblock is a libertarian outfit. They generally dislike cops as much if not more than liberals and have the ability to give their entire life focus to a project like this.

Often such concentration leads to distortion of things but society balances that with liberals who like to jump from one experience/project to the next.
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Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2014 @ 11:29am

Copyblock "Hippy"/"Liberal"?
Copblock was started by voluntaryists (all relationships should be consensual. i.e. the *initiation* of force is immoral, while self defense is valid / respect for inherent self ownership derived property rights).

Just another sad man stuck in the false "left/right" paradigm.
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michael, 25 Jan 2014 @ 1:31pm

Liberal?
As a conservative non-Republican who has actually studied political theory, I'm always flabbergasted by any attempt at questioning government power being classified as "liberal" by know-nothing "conservatives."

Aren't they the ones who pretend to want "small government"? Why are they constanty arguing for a removal of government -- including police -- oversight by citizens?

This is why I've never voted Repiblican.
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- harbingerofdoom (profile), 26 Jan 2014 @ 9:46am
  
  Re: Liberal?
  you need to go back to school then.
  
  its the party who is not in the whitehouses turn to cry about slights against the citizenry. does not matter what they are crying about and sometimes they will cry about the exact same thing when the party in the whitehouse changes.
  
  anyone who believes there is really any difference between the two current political parties needs to pull their nose out of the books for a few seconds and look around the current landscape.
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Wanker, 25 Jan 2014 @ 2:37pm

What police department would hire this bozo?
Any police department or law enforcement agency that would consider hiring this bozo will face a public relations nightmare along with considerable outrage from the public in that area. It would be like hiring the KKK to police South Central - a bad idea all around.
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- John Fenderson (profile), 27 Jan 2014 @ 8:08am
  
  Re: What police department would hire this bozo?
  And yet, police departments do it all the time.
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Anonymous Coward, 26 Jan 2014 @ 3:24pm

This guy will NEVER be an officer.

His comments are "pre-meditated" and obvious indicators that he is dangerous and unsuitable for any sort of law enforcement. this would put liability directly onto any law enforcement department that hired him as it could be claimed they KNEW he was mentally unstable but gave him a job anyway.....
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Ninja (profile), 27 Jan 2014 @ 2:35am

If he's looking for a job in law enforcement, he's greatly sabotaged that chance.

Or not. And he doesn't even need to be wanting a place in the IV Reich ranks for that. The sheer amount of bad cop cases with no punishment that have been popping up suggest he has a green card for abusing authority when he eventually makes it into the police.
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Rekrul, 27 Jan 2014 @ 11:11am

Maybe it's true that only 1% of cops are bad, but truly good cops wouldn't turn a blind eye to the behavior of bad cops. That makes the other 99% morally ambiguous. I'll start calling them "good" when they stop covering for the bad cops.
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- Anonymous Coward, 27 Jan 2014 @ 11:48am
  
  Re:
  I came here to say this. If 99% of the other cops are good and the 1% make them look bad you think they'd be outing this bad behavior and putting a stop to it.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Jan 2014 @ 12:20pm

Cop Block just the name alone, LOL.
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Fushta (profile), 31 Jan 2014 @ 7:09am

Why is it, when I read this guy's post, I thought of Farva from Super Troopers?

relevant: http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0012795/quotes
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