My own personal story about the actions of the City of Roswell Police Department.
I have my own personal story about the treatment I received by the city of Roswell back in 2000.
First off a little back ground on my history in Roswell. In June of 1999 I was involved in a drug bust through a store I owned which was a small packaging and shipping business. I had rented a mail box to a couple of mexicans who spoke little english. After renting the mailbox I noticed that they never got any mail but would always get the same type of package. It was always fed ex from Californian. They were always waiting around the time of the delivery of the fed ex truck.
After noticing this for a few months I grew suspicious and the next time the fed ex driver dropped the package off I told her my suspicions. She called her supervisor and the package was taken back onto the truck. Sure enough the mexicans came looking for their package. I of course made a good excuses and told them the package was not on the truck but check back the next day.
Later that day I got a call from the fedex location.....sure enough they put the dogs on the package and whalah...drugs.....So a the drug unit of Roswell communicated with me and an operation was set for the next day.
The next day the package was delivered and soon the mexicans showed up. My heart was pounding as I played it cool telling them the package had arrived. As I walked to the back of the store to where the package was I winked to the officer standing behind the doorway. The deal was on!
I carefully and nicely handed them the package and they were fine. They walked towards the door. As soon ass they went out the door the officer in the back ran to the front of the store and was drawing his weapon busting out the door as three or four police cars pulled up. Soon it was over and the mexicans known as mules were hauled off to jail.
My heart had been pounding the whole time wondering what if this went bad and they pulled a weapon on me and did not believe me the whole time. I could have been taken to the back of my store and executed for doing what I did. Even after they went to jail I wondered if there would be repercussions for my actions. What if the drug dealers really in charge put out a hit on me? Lucky for me nothing ever came from my actions. I took the risk to do what I felt was the right thing.
Soon after this event I got a letter from the chief of police commending me for doing what I did. I was so proud to have made a difference in this world and doing the right thing for the good of the community and the kids around the neighborhood. $100,000 of marijuana was not going to hit the streets because of my efforts!
After noticing this for a few months I grew suspicious and the next time the fed ex driver dropped the package off I told her my suspicions. She called her supervisor and the package was taken back onto the truck. Sure enough the mexicans came looking for their package. I of course made a good excuses and told them the package was not on the truck but check back the next day.
Later that day I got a call from the fedex location.....sure enough they put the dogs on the package and whalah...drugs.....So a the drug unit of Roswell communicated with me and an operation was set for the next day.
The next day the package was delivered and soon the mexicans showed up. My heart was pounding as I played it cool telling them the package had arrived. As I walked to the back of the store to where the package was I winked to the officer standing behind the doorway. The deal was on!
I carefully and nicely handed them the package and they were fine. They walked towards the door. As soon ass they went out the door the officer in the back ran to the front of the store and was drawing his weapon busting out the door as three or four police cars pulled up. Soon it was over and the mexicans known as mules were hauled off to jail.
My heart had been pounding the whole time wondering what if this went bad and they pulled a weapon on me and did not believe me the whole time. I could have been taken to the back of my store and executed for doing what I did. Even after they went to jail I wondered if there would be repercussions for my actions. What if the drug dealers really in charge put out a hit on me? Lucky for me nothing ever came from my actions. I took the risk to do what I felt was the right thing.
Soon after this event I got a letter from the chief of police commending me for doing what I did. I was so proud to have made a difference in this world and doing the right thing for the good of the community and the kids around the neighborhood. $100,000 of marijuana was not going to hit the streets because of my efforts!
Fast forward to February 2001 not even 8 months later. I was on my way to try and cash a check that had bounced for $850 from a client. I had to go to the clients bank right about the time my store opened. I knew I would be late opening but hopefully the check would be good.
I was not far from my store when I came upon a road block where the police of Roswell were checking driver's licences. All of the sudden I realized I did not have my new tag sticker. I knew I was in trouble but figured the worst that could happen would be that I would get a ticket. There went part of my $850. It is tough when you work for yourself trying to keep up with all the bills.
So I pulled up and sure enough the female officer standing took one look and motioned me to pull over to a side road. Uh oh....I knew the ticket was coming. Not being one to be idle I picked up a wall street journal and started reading. Soon the officer came up to my truck and asked for my driver's license. I gave it to her and she went to her motorcycle. She then came back and looked in my window and asked me if I had a gun.
I was puzzled. A gun...why would she ask that? Was it my Georgia State Flag Tag on the front of my pickup truck with the Confederate Cross? Or the Sons of Confederate Veterans tag on the back? Did she have a grudge against anything Southern?
I looked at her and paused in disbelief and said no.......She then told me that my license had been suspended. I had just paid a ticket I got for $20 for not wearing a seat belt in South Carolina. I had picked up my son from a summer camp. I had the receipt for paying the ticket in my brief case and was trying to dig it out. But that did not matter she would not accept what I had told her. (See the newspaper article below where she says she saw a weapons permit......A LIE) So she went back down to her motorcycle.
I wondered what was she up to. Why not just write me a ticket. I watched as she seemed to be contacting someone. Next thing I know another police car shows up. I wondered why they brought a police car down?
All of the sudden the female police officer approached and asked me to get out of my truck. The officer from the police car walked up. She asked me to put my hands behind my back. I thought what? Sure enough I was hand cuffed. By now I was a little upset. I could not believe they were arresting and doing this to me.
Police say they just followed standard procedure!
I was place into the police car. The trip to the Roswell Police station was not a very pleasant experience. How could this be. Didn't they know that I was a small business man who had helped arrest a couple of mexicans and was commended by the chief of police?
No ...none of that mattered. I was taken to jail and was still furious they were doing this to me. All of the sudden I had three beefy police officers around me. They were letting me know who the boss was. They made me take off my glasses, shoes and belt. They then took me to get finger printed......YES finger printed.....a dangerous criminal on their hands.......then the police mug shot....
I was then put in a cell for about three hours. Phone call ...no way.....I had to calm down. Under the circumstances I was not about to calm down what they were doing to me was criminal. Ah but the police had the guns and the numbers so I had no choice.
Finally I was allowed a phone call. As I stood there in the middle of my conversation I mentioned how tough they were when they had you in their control. The guard slammed his finger on the phone and told me I would have to use the pay phone. So I did.
I ended up spending all day in jail in Roswell. Finally at the end of the day I got bonded out. I ended up having my truck towed and the whole episode cost me about $800.
Shortly there after I decided to get the local news involved. I contacted the two newspapers about my story. Only one took me up on the story. The story is above.
Knowing that a story was soon coming out which made the actions by the Roswell Police show them in true character the Roswell Police decided to have their first time ever medal of honor winners on the front page of the same newspaper. How appropriate to try and brunt how they really operate. At least I was able to force their hand!
This whole experience was terrible. My opinion of "law enforcement" was never the same after this. My father told me years ago as a Doctor "There are good doctors and bad ones." Seems the same also applies to law enforcement.
My mug shot below........
All of the sudden the female police officer approached and asked me to get out of my truck. The officer from the police car walked up. She asked me to put my hands behind my back. I thought what? Sure enough I was hand cuffed. By now I was a little upset. I could not believe they were arresting and doing this to me.
Police say they just followed standard procedure!
I was place into the police car. The trip to the Roswell Police station was not a very pleasant experience. How could this be. Didn't they know that I was a small business man who had helped arrest a couple of mexicans and was commended by the chief of police?
No ...none of that mattered. I was taken to jail and was still furious they were doing this to me. All of the sudden I had three beefy police officers around me. They were letting me know who the boss was. They made me take off my glasses, shoes and belt. They then took me to get finger printed......YES finger printed.....a dangerous criminal on their hands.......then the police mug shot....
I was then put in a cell for about three hours. Phone call ...no way.....I had to calm down. Under the circumstances I was not about to calm down what they were doing to me was criminal. Ah but the police had the guns and the numbers so I had no choice.
Finally I was allowed a phone call. As I stood there in the middle of my conversation I mentioned how tough they were when they had you in their control. The guard slammed his finger on the phone and told me I would have to use the pay phone. So I did.
I ended up spending all day in jail in Roswell. Finally at the end of the day I got bonded out. I ended up having my truck towed and the whole episode cost me about $800.
Shortly there after I decided to get the local news involved. I contacted the two newspapers about my story. Only one took me up on the story. The story is above.
Knowing that a story was soon coming out which made the actions by the Roswell Police show them in true character the Roswell Police decided to have their first time ever medal of honor winners on the front page of the same newspaper. How appropriate to try and brunt how they really operate. At least I was able to force their hand!
This whole experience was terrible. My opinion of "law enforcement" was never the same after this. My father told me years ago as a Doctor "There are good doctors and bad ones." Seems the same also applies to law enforcement.
My mug shot below........
