10 Reasons Why You Should Never Call the Police

As Americans, we must live with the fact that police officers have no obligation to serve and protect the very citizens that are coerced into paying their salaries. Coupled with the fact that modern police institutions are tasked with enforcing immoral laws that lead to unnecessary violence and imprisonment, victimizing a society who believes they are free, leaves very little recourse for change. Usually when bad players exist in a market, people will stop supporting them and opt to support a competitor who may offer a better quality of service. This market force often leads to bad companies going out of business while good companies thrive. However, in the protection services market, we only have one provider to choose from, that being your local police department. This established monopoly on force has created an absolute monster of violence where it is beginning to become too risky to call the police, even if you are being victimized. Therefore, I have created a list of reasons why you should never call the police.

10. They will respond to the wrong house and kill your neighbors dog

Just last month Ian Anderson’s dog Burberry fell victim to a police bullet when police showed up to the wrong house in response to a ‘domestic disturbance’ call in his neighborhood and shot the pit bull in the head. Surveillance video shows one officer petting the rather calm service dog just outside Anderson’s door until another officer arrived on scene, startling the dog by yelling, then fired one deadly shot after the dog advanced towards the cowardice officer. Whatever that disturbance happened to be that early morning in March, i’m positive the issue could have been resolved with a non-violent solution. Often times, calling the police will just escalate the situation and leave the suspected party full of resentment. Talk to your neighbors, find a peaceful solution, or remove yourself from the situation until emotions calm, but never call the police.

9. They will accidentally shoot your neighbor in the neck

In December 2014, Ramiro Armendariz was walking about his Albuquerque apartment when he was struck by a stray bullet in the neck. As it turns out, police were called to investigate a burglary in the apartment directly above Armendariz’s when Officer Tamas Nadas got his leg caught while entering though a broken window, and proceeded to fall to the floor. In the process of falling, Nadas managed to put his finger on the trigger of his service weapon and pull the trigger.

“I came in and this leg got caught up here, and because we clear houses my gun was right here and I fell down,” the officer is heard saying.

The accidental discharge shot through the second floor apartment and continued traveling through Armendariz’s neck. Video from Nadas’ lapel camera captured the near deadly snafu, where officers can be heard on the radio shortly after the shot was fired…

“I have one male in the apartment, the one below … and it looks like he’s got blood to the neck. I can’t see what it’s from,” another officer is heard saying. “He’s got blood? Oh my God,” the officer who fired says.

Luckily, Armendariz was treated and released, but it doesn’t erase the fact that police are often caught being negligent with their firearms. For God’s sake, stop calling the police.

8. They will assault you

Carolyn Wade of Galveston Texas found out the hard way that police no longer protect or serve our communities. She called police to talk to her 14-year-old granddaughter who was threatening to run away. But, when former GPD officer Brandon Nelson showed up, he placed the teen in handcuffs and ‘man-handled’ Wade’s daughter. When Wade asked the officer what he was doing, she claimed he called her a coward, placed her in handcuffs and slammed her head against the wall.

It was insane, said Wade. It was absolutely insane.

Wade was pictured in an article on KHOU having bruising under both of her eyes, consistent with being slammed face first against a wall. Older generations who grew up with half-way civilized police forces are often taken aback when police insert themselves into a situation but end up making matters worse, often resorting to unnecessary violence. Take a lesson from Grandma Wade, don’t call the police.

7. They probably won’t show up anyway

With the social policies of yesteryear turning up broke, financial crises are inevitable and the quality of police services will dwindle until they are essentially worthless. Look no further than Detroit for a glimpse of the future. For example, Charlie LeDuff produced a segment for the local Fox affiliate in Detroit where he chronicled the ridiculous response time for a delayed burglary in Detroit. A woman, after returning home from work noticed that her home had the signs of a burglary and called the police with hopes they would clear the house and document the stolen property. While waiting for the police to respond, LeDuff was able to make a food-run (twice), take a shower and read a book to the woman’s grandson, all while waiting for police to show up. Nearly 4 hours after the original call, police finally show up and give the woman a case number and tell her that someone ‘might’ show up next week to dust for prints. It seems that police are more concerned with generating revenue, than actually fighting the criminal elements of society. Busting pot smokers and lead foot soccer moms is a much easier way to make up for budget shortfalls. After all, there’s not much money in fighting legitimate criminals, so you’re better off clearing your own house and conducting your own investigation if the need ever arises. Don’t even waste your time calling the police.

6. They will let their K9 maul the subject of your call to death

Officers in Vineland, New Jersey were called out to investigate reports of a ‘disorderly person,’ but upon confronting the 32-year-old suspect, they punched him repeatedly, and ended up letting their K9 maul the man to death. Videos surfaced showing a counter narrative to what officers originally reported, that the suspect “reached for the officers gun.” Instead, video shows officers straddling the non-resisting man and throwing a series of ‘ground-and-pound’ punches, resembling those of an MMA cage fight. But, more disturbingly, the officers let their K9 continually maul the man until he eventually died. One officer even attempted to cover up their crimes by telling a bystander who filmed the event that he needed to confiscate the video footage for ‘evidence.’ I’m sure the original caller had good reason to believe that the ‘disorderly’ man needed to be restrained, but calling the police is just asking for someone to end up dead. Always look to resolve situations such as these with all non-violent means necessary, but I’m begging you, don’t call the police.

5. They will kill your mentally ill child over a broomstick

Police have somehow earned the reputation of ‘being brave’ or ‘putting their lives on the line,’ but they continually prove themselves to be nothing more than a group of trigger happy cowards. This statement certainly holds true for Miami Gardens Officer Eddo Trimino when he pumped 5 rounds into the body of 25-year-old and mentally ill man, Lavall Hall, for refusing to drop a broomstick.

Hall was schizophrenic and was having an episode on the night of February 15. His mother had looked out the door and saw him on the sidewalk holding a red broom. After several attempts to get Lavall back inside, his mother called 9-1-1 for assistance to get her son back to the hospital, as he had only been released one week prior. The mother warned the responding officers, “don’t hurt my child,” for which the officers can be heard on video mocking her. The department claims that Hall attacked officers with the broomstick and that two officers had fired tasers at him which were ineffective. Officer Trimino then fires five shots into Lavall, killing him. The family maintains that this was a murder and that the police had no intention of leaving the scene with him alive. The moral of this story is to never call the police for help with your mentally ill family member. They will end up dead.

4. They will respond to the wrong house and kill your neighbor

In certain circumstances, you don’t even have to physically call the police to be part of the process where an innocent man ends up dead. Jerry Waller was shot dead in his garage after Ft. Worth, Texas rookie police officer, Alex Hoeppner, responded to the wrong house as a result of an activated burglar alarm which was tied into the 911 system. Hoeppner, unaware that odd addresses are on the opposite side of the road than even addresses, approached Waller near his garage. Waller was brandishing his handgun as he was also investigating a suspicious noise around his house. Hoeppner claims that Waller was uncooperative to his commands, and alleges that Waller pointed the gun at him, so he fired 6 shots into the innocent homeowner. Without video evidence available to corroborate the story, a grand jury believed the story of the cops and cleared the rookie of all charges. Buy a shotgun, get training, but never call the police.

3. They will kill your mentally ill son over a screw driver

A Dallas, Texas woman is now regretting calling the police to help with her 39-year-old mentally ill son when two DPD officers show up and shoot him dead for holding a screwdriver. Police initially said that Harrison had become aggressive when officers ordered him to drop the screwdriver and that the officers’ actions were justified. Harrison’s brother Sean called that claim “a slap in the face.” Jason was off his medication but had no history of violence and had not threatened anyone. “There’s no way you can look at that video and say they did the right thing,” Sean Harrison told reporters.

Video from one officer’s body camera fades to black as Harrison’s mother wails, “Oh, they killed my son! Oh, they killed my son!” The officers continue to tell Harrison to drop the weapon. Geoff Henley, Harrison family’s attorney said in a statement…

“When you’re dealing with somebody who is mentally ill, you’re not supposed to agitate! You’re not supposed to move fast! You’re not supposed to inflame!”.

It’s obvious that police are not properly trained to handle the mentally ill who often don’t obey commands of anyone, let alone the police. I don’t have the best solution to remedy these types of situations, but I know for sure, calling the police is very bad idea.

2. They will punch you in the face and shoot your dog

Maryland homeowner Sterling Barlow and his brother were victims of an attempted car jacking outside his residence in 2010. Luckily, he was able to scare off his attackers by firing one shot with his handgun. However, his neighbors called the police after hearing the gunshot– and things went down hill from there. When police arrived, they believed Barlow and his brother to be the alleged car-jackers, and proceeded to tackle them and punch the men in the face. While five officers wrestled the Barlow brothers to the ground, one female officer took aim at Barlow’s dog and shot the beloved Rottweiler in the head, killing it instantly. To add insult to injury, Barlow was arrested for ‘insulting a police officer.’ Although you may want some sort of vengeance by getting criminals locked up, you are putting your life in danger by simply calling the police to your residence. A simple breakdown in communication between the caller, the dispatcher, and the responding officer could prove to be deadly for you or your pets. Don’t call the police.

1. They will assume you are the suspect and shoot you

47-year-old Daniel Martin Jr. made the fatal mistake of calling the police when he discovered vandals outside of his home in Lawton, Oklahoma. Martin and his wife Tina were inside the residence when the alleged vandals were outside their door. Tina convinced Daniel to call 911 to report the suspicious activity outside their home. When on the phone with the dispatcher Martin made it clear that he was armed…

“They’re still at my front door,” he said. The dispatcher asks if the vandals have a firearm, and Martin says he can’t tell. “But I have one,” he adds. “I’m inside with my weapon.”

When police heard shots they went to the door and asked everyone to come outside, knowing that the victim who made the 911 call might be carrying a gun. Despite the warning, both officers opened fired on the man as he opened his door.

Martin died within moments, and the officers were cleared of all charges and allowed to return to their jobs without any sort of independent investigation.

The Solution

In almost every instance of police abuse, I often hear lawyers, family members, or outspoken members of the community call for “reform” within the department that is under fire. Or, I will hear the community call for the termination of a particular officer who was in the wrong. I am here to tell you that all the reform in the world will not fix the problems that we face with the police. The problem is inherit to the system. When a centralized organization claims a monopoly of force within a given geographical area, the results will always lead to senseless violence and the violation of human rights. The only solution to this problem is to decentralize the role of police by introducing competition into the marketplace. I concede that protection services is a valuable service, and is necessary in some instances. But, we as citizens should be able to choose our protection service based on quality of service rather than accept what is given to us. We should not be forced into paying for a system that is clearly incentivised by violating your rights as an individual. In the meantime, never call the police.