So I have no choice now but to vent. A couple of months ago, I was standing on the dock at the Davis Island Seaplane Basin. I looked out over the water and saw a powerboat hovering over the top of a diver friend of mine that I had seen in the water earlier. I saw his head just under the bow of the boat. I was concerned that the people in the powerboat did not know he was there. I seemed obvios that they did not, because you wouldnt want to have the bow of your boat jumping up and down in the water with a person there. I stated to wave my arms and yell "Diver, Diver, back off, back off." That is when the boat backed off turned and headed straight for me. That was also when I could see the Tampa Police cartoon letters painted on the side of the boat. The officers arived at the dock. One of them imediatly jumped off the boat and grabed at my chest with one hand, and held the other in a fist beside his head in a threataning manner. He started to shove me off the dock. He was screaming "Get off my dock, Get off my dock!" I, at the same time, was asking "what did I do, what did I do?" When I was pushed backward toward the land, I pulled out my phone and called 911. I told the opperator that I was being assulted by one of there officers and I requied their supervisor. As all this was going on, the other officer was tying thier boat to the dock. My friend the diver, had rowed over to the dock to see what the trouble was, and what the officers were doing on top of him anyway. The issued him a ticket for no having a dive flag, wich was painfully apparent on his dingy. After wich, the officers started to leave. I yelled that they should stay untill the supervisor arrived. Their decision to stay was only meet by the fact that a supervisor was rounding the corner. The supervisor was not their supervisor but some others. He told me that I would have to contact their supervisor two day latter, then if I was not sattisfied, I could start an internal affairs investigation. I said that I wanted to press charges, the supervisor said I could not do that, and I would have to get ahold of their supervisor. I personally find it obsurd that you cannot press charges against a Tampa Police officer! This steroid rage crazed loon gets to run free to assult others, while I sit and wonder when he is going to come and exact retribution. I am also told that I cannot place a restraining order on him. So what does one do when faced with something like this? I followed the instructions of the supervisor. I called their supervisor two days latter, I stated my name. He then cut me off, saying that he had already heard from his officer about the incident, and that I was responsible for their actions, because I was interfering with their investigation, and that I was attempting to keep their boat from docking at the dock. I expalined that this was not the case, and he again cut me off saying that "my officers dont lie" and said that their was nothing that I could do about it. I asked for the number to internal affairs.
So, I called internal affairs. A detective scedulaed an interview and told me again, that I could not press charges, because an officer has the right to lay hands on the public in the course of his duties. As I had herd this on enough times, I looked up the law. There are some very specific allowences affored to police officers in regards to the use of force. None of these allowances were met. I was attacked by a Tampa Police Officer Marine Division.
I went to the internal affairs office and was meet by the detective. I was ussed into a small office cubical with the rather large detective and another person of the same stature. I was double teamed, berated for suggesting that a police officer could do such a thing, that it was my fault, and then was asked agressive and unusual questions concerning my mental state, my attitude, and my "childish manner." I asked the detective if this was to be a private and confidential interview? That is when the other rotund person said that he would be in the next office listining in if the detective neeed him! The detective then said that he was going to start the investigation and pulled out a recorder and stared the interview. He became very professional at that time.
After this was compleated, he asked If I had any witnesses to the event. I suggested that there were twenty or more people there, and getting some of them to give statements would be no problem.
The weekend insuded and I had time to reflect on the interview. I decied that I would not inflict such treatment on people who would be doing me a favor. So I asked a few of them to write out statements about what they had seen, and had them noterized. While we were doing this, I was called by the detective and asked where my witness were? I explained that after my interview, I held no confidence that the Tampa Police Department was capable of handling the policing of there own, and I would take the situation a different direction.
As for my further actions, I must keep that confidential for now.
All of this has recently come back to my attention due to yet another altercation. This time, at the same location, with either a State of County police officer, I was pulled over and givin a ticket for "not registered" by an unknow officer. I cant read the ticked, he refused to identify himself, and was unfamilir with the law. I had asked "If I take the motor off the dingy, Then Im leagle right?" He said no, all boats have to be registered. This is just not the case. Also, there is no such law or violation called "not registered". I cannot read anything he wrote on the ticket. I dont know where to send a payment. I dont know where to appear to fight said ticket. It seems that he advanced the time on the ticket, maybe to get some overtime?
I think that If your job is to write these tickets, you should be familiar with the laws and violatins. You should also attempt to write legably. You should at the very least provide enouth information on the ticket so the something could be done with it. I have no choice but to do nothing.
I will be leaving this area this week anyway, then to hell with them. I may have to return for civil procedues, but I will return with a entorage of securty, for protection. I do feel that I am risking my life by being in Tampa, and Hillsborogh County.
Theres a nice and happy story for you!
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