... can tell you the photographer continually refused an officer's instruction to produce a legal ID. He was after a government issued ID, which is legal for him to require, as opposed to only a UMD or other ID.

RB

was there along with the lady who rents the mobile home where she had given her permission to install the air monitor. Apparently someone called the property owner who objected and called the Roane County Sheriff to have them removed.

As it now stands, a cigar chewing officer who seems so ignorant that he doesn't even know what a United States Passport is will be the face of Law Enforcement in Roane County Tennessee.

We can skip over the question of why anyone in their right mind would object to an independent air quality monitor and skip over the fact that unless something is specifically denied in the lease it is the right of the person renting the property, and that UMD was entirely correct in their actions.

The actions of the officer were unprofessional at best and possibly illegal. By what right did the officer have the power to interfere with the camera much less confiscate it? This is exactly what we don't need in Roane County. Had this been handled with the least bit of courtesy and professionalism there would be nothing for UMD to show on their you tube web site.

Child
Childs?
By name.
Immediate review.
LEOs activity.

How much easier would it have been for the "cameraman" to comply with the officer's request to produce his license? Why provoke the officer. He responded “I do have a driver’s license”. I guess it was too much trouble to get it out while holding the camera. The matter would have been over and he wouldn’t have an exciting YouTube video to edit and post.

I wonder how much training these people that are “here to help” get in antagonism. I know whenever I travel to a foreign county (yes I typed county) I carry my passport for just in case I need to show ID.

It seems to me if they were really here to help instead of instigating trouble they would have complied, regardless of whether a passport is a legal ID or not. Why refuse? Why be obstinate. He said he had it.

The only people UMD are here to help are themselves. They want to do what they want, when the want, where they want. And, if you do not support them, they will attempt to embarrass you.

I agree this is an embarrassment to the citizens of Roane County. We should never have encouraged UMD to participate in any manner.

It seems that there is more than one issue here. Did the person living at the location have the authority to allow or not allow UMD on the property? If not then the property owner had a right to call on LE for help.
Was LE rude and act stupid...it seems as though there was some unprofessional action. I hope Sheriff Stockton will check into it.
This is a time for everyone involved in the spill to behave in manner that is above reproach. Bad behavior will surely spill over into the court at some time in the future and will benefit no one.

The officer had no legal basis for requesting any sort of ID anyway, much less a driver's permit. He was shown a perfectly valid ID though, and comes off as just plain bullheaded ignorant. It looks to me like he was just messing with the UMD guy without cause and certainly had no right to confiscate the camera or block the video in progress.

Of course UMD is waiting for this type of thing to happen so they can video it. It proves their case.

I think this serves as a valuable wake up call for Roane County. The officer is supposed to be the trained professional here and comes off as neither trained nor professional in dealing with the public. How about LE acts courteous and respectful to all of us, particularly those who are going about their own business?

Does the officer actually smoke the cigar or just chew on it. I thought there was a smoking ban that applies to any vehicle that is owned by a govermental agency

I still want to know where the rest of the video is. What does it show. Whithout it i dont think we can accurately make a decison. If this were a LE tape WC would be jumpin up and down saying they were hiding something. This is the problem with the media today they only show tidbits that they want you to see, not what lead up to the even......Does UMD have something to hide.....

Looks like the camera may have kept the officer from "cuffing and stuffing" the "perp" for "resisting" .

I think any valid id could have been used. Isn't it a state law that no smoking is allowed in the workplace?

Personally I have no respect for RCSD. I've filed reports with them only to find it was a complete waste of time. From what I'm told Roane County has a very high rate of unsolved cases.

(link...)

This is the text of the act.

1. Our reasons for the cuts in the tape are not nefarious--its really simple--youtube will not let you upload videos above a certain size--thats it.

2. We will be glad to show the complete unedited video on a large screen and bring popcorn. You can sit through all 60 hours of our video if you like. UMD always shoots video of everything we do--esp our testing so people can observe our protocols. If you are interested in seeing the complete unedited version we will even make you a copy for a few bucks. email us at unitedmountaindefense@yahoo.com

UMD now has really professional air monitoring kits at our disposal that we can get results to the lab after 24 hrs of having them up. If you would like to participate in this program give us an email or call.

We welcome people to come watch us put it together--and learn how to do it themselves--put in the filter--put them up for 24 hrs (you can even sit and watch them the entire 24hrs if you want) take it down--drive with us to fed ex and sign it yourself as we send the sample to the certified testing lab.

We are not coming to create any friction with any law enforcement--we simply have really expensive professional air monitoring equipment and a lab that will test our results. Swan Pond folks can now indep test the air quality themselves--watch every stage of the testing--and assure the chain of custody themselves.

And bottom line thats what is being interfered with. The downwind site was perfect for testing and if UMD had not been stopped by Monday residents next to that ash pond would of had their own results that they can monitor themselves.

We are not stopping--we will get our air monitoring equipment up on folks homes that want it--but why does TVA constantly interfere with and encourage interference with all non governmental testing of this site by anyone that is not on their payroll.

Why is true independent verifiable testing so threatening to them?

We will not stop testing though. And we welcome for folks to openly participate in every step of our testing and watch the test like hawks.

Hey here is the no frills video we just posted. It doesn't have the Roane officer at the end saying that UMD was always peaceful.

Everyone is missing the point. He was trying to install a PM 2.5 air monitor. It monitors the air that we breathe and goes directly into the blood system. TVA uses 10.0 that only monitors large particles. He did have permission of the lady who rents the property. She just happens to be the same elderly woman who he took home the night he was arrested. And he was not driving on the day he set up the monitor.
Don't get me wrong. I agree that our law enforcement agencies, both county and city, are for the most part, very professional and public minded. Every agency has a few bad apples. And I am not calling anyone in the video a bad apple. They put their lives on the line every time they put on the uniform. Keep in mind, they are caught between a rock and a coal pile.
But back to the real issue, the air monitor. These are the type monitors that are needed here. We didn't have the money to buy them. UMD raised that money to help us. I wish that everyone who made a comment, good or bad, would come to a meeting just once. We don't try to keep anyone quiet. We welcome all comments and questions. And this is not a UMD meeting. It is a meeting of concerned citizens, working on different things to help.
I didn't know the difference in the monitors until I did research. So I do ask that people do research on different subjects they comment on. You would be surprised at what you don't know. I was. And I am still finding out things that deal with this disaster.
Hey, if you want to point any fingers, point them at me. I took the pictures on Lakeshore on Feb. 21 that showed the ash dried and cracked, not covered with straw or anything. I told people it flew like dust when the wind blew. Maybe it was my concern that prompted the monitor to be put up to start with.
But it isn't about property lines or I.D.s or any trivial thing like that. It is about the safety of our community as a whole. Until we see that, we will always keep arguing over the little stuff.
Sorry Matt. Maybe I was the one responsible.