UPDATED: Needham Police chief and three officers accused of racial profiling and unlawful search, COVID-19: 145,000 DEATH AMERICANS

Not my words, but FB user Robert Slager's

When the Light Rises Up to the Darkness ...

We have all seen the images by now. Heavily armed men in camouflage have been scooping peaceful protesters in Portland off the street and forcing them into minivans in an all-out assault on our civil rights. We have all seen the line of mothers standing their ground only to be tear-gassed from a safe distance by Donald Trump's brute squad. He have all seen the Navy veteran taking a fierce beating from a masked coward and barely flinching, one of the most badass moments in the history of baddass moments.

This is the war Donald Trump wants. He knows he is tanking in the polls. He knows the economy will not bounce back by November. He knows the pandemic will define him unless he can change the subject in a hurry.

So this is his battlefield. He is trying to create the illusion that the future of our country depends on crushing "radical socialists and anarchists" under the heavy boot of the law. He is trying to create an entire narrative based on the false premise that the protests are about order vs. chaos when in fact they are about equality vs. fascism.

As we have all seen before, Trump likes to flex his military muscles. It makes him feel better about his bone spurs. But he is crossing a very dangerous line this time. It doesn't matter which side of the political fence you're on, turning federal agents against U.S. citizens should be terrifying to everyone. This is how gestapos are built. This is how storm-troopers arise.

This isn't about protecting a federal courthouse as conservative media is claiming. I have been to Portland. I know the city fairly well. Trump's troops aren't just at the courthouse. They are all over the place. The governor doesn't want them there. The mayor doesn't want them there. The Constitution of the United States doesn't want them there.

Trump is clearly trying to inflame the situation. He wants this to turn ugly so he can seem strong in the eyes of his supporters. He wants to be seen as the guy who stood up to these "thugs." Except the vast majority of these protesters aren't rioting or looting. It's just a handful of people who get a rush out of breaking stuff. There have always been people like that at protests and there always will be. They are just opportunists, nothing more.

This battle will be won by the voices of calm. It will be won by those who join hands and peacefully stand up to this oppression. That's what Donald Trump fears the most. He is terrified that America will finally see him for what he is - a small, frightened man who has no idea how to face the giant wave that is growing in the distance.

UPDATED: Needham Police chief and three officers accused of racial profiling and unlawful search

Attorneys say police Chief Schlittler is among a group of Needham officers accused of racial profiling, unlawful search and seizure in January incident involving massage therapist detained after purchasing iced tea and cough drops during a lunch break.

Attorneys representing a man who works in Needham allege police Chief John Schlittler is among a group of officers accused of racial profiling in an incident they say constitutes a violation of the Fourth Amendment protection against unlawful search and seizure.

Representing Marvin Henry pro-bono, lawyers for the Boston-based firm, Lawyers for Civil Rights, sent a letter to Schlitter on Monday.

In the 6 page document shared with the Needham Times, Henry’s attorneys say the chief and three officers handcuffed him after he purchased cough drops and an iced tea at CVS during his lunch break on Jan. 25. Henry, a father of four, is employed as a massage therapist at Elements Massage in Needham and drives for the ride-share company, Lyft. He is Black.

“He had walked to his minivan and put his CVS bag and lunch order in his vehicle when he was confronted by four police officers, one who yelled, ‘Hey you, come here!’” according to the account provided in the letter sent to Schlittler. “Mr. Henry believes you were present as well as an [another officer].”

The Needham Police Department referred all comments to the town’s public information officer, Cyndi Roy Gonzalez.

In a statement, Gonzalez said, “while we are still reviewing the many facts alleged in this case, one thing the Town has determined is that the Police Chief was not on the scene during this incident. Given the magnitude of what is alleged to have occurred, it is critical that the record be corrected to reflect that fact. The Town takes seriously all allegations contained in the letter.”

“Given current tensions and heightened awareness around issues of race and discrimination and policing, it is particularly imperative that we fully understand the facts before coming to any conclusions. The Town will conduct a thorough investigation into this matter and asks that the community withhold judgement until that investigation is complete,” Gonzalez said.

No charges; no apologies

According to the attorney’s letter, the officers detained Henry, suspecting him of shoplifting. For more than a half-hour, “Mr. Henry pleaded with the police to explain why they had stopped him and to loosen the handcuffs injuring his hands, which could have severely impacted his ability to earn a living.” 

To no avail, the attorneys’ letter says Henry asked officers to allow him to use his email to prove the CVS purchase; instead, they searched his car with his consent; finding nothing, they removed his handcuffs.

“The Needham Police Department’s actions violated Mr. Henry’s right against unreasonable search and seizure,” reads the letter to Schlittler, copied to the Needham Town Manager, Select Board, U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III and both U.S. senators for Massachusetts.

“Moreover, the unprofessional conduct by the Needham Police officers in detaining Mr. Henry without explanation, improperly using force, and handcuffing him, raises concerns of racial profiling and stereotyping that violate Mr. Henry’s right to Equal Protection under state and federal law.”

Beyond the alleged shoplifting investigation, the attorneys said, the officers offered no further explanation to Henry on why he was handcuffed, and offered no apology. They did not read him his Miranda Rights.

Once released, Henry said he was told he would receive a summons in the mail; none would arrive. Seeking documentation of the incident, the attorney’s said the department denied a public records request asking for all surveillance video obtained during the officer’s investigation into Henry’s CVS purchase.

Henry asked for the officer’s names and badge numbers at the end of the encounter. Schlitter and another officer, provided their badge numbers, while the sergeant at the scene provided his name but not his badge number. The final officer at the scene did not provide either his name or his badge number.

The incident is not included in a list of two Use of Force reports filed by Needham police officers in January and obtained through a public records request sent by the Needham Times. The department’s official Use of Force policy, issued in June 2003 and recently revised on June 20, states that “the mere placing of handcuffs on a prisoner will not be construed to be a use of physical force.

Henry’s attorneys are asking Schlittler to investigate the allegations and share all existing documentation of the incident. They are also seeking an apology from the department to Henry, something one of the officers allegedly promised if surveillance footage obtained from CVS showed Henry did not steal.

The letter also requests compensation for the physical and emotional distress caused by the incident.

“Mr. Henry was standing within view of a full-length window at a nearby Starbucks and could see at least one patron staring at him through the window. One man actually shielded a young child’s eyes, to block Mr. Henry from his view, an act that Mr. Henry found humiliating,” the attorneys wrote.

Read the entire letter below:

This article was updated Tuesday, July 21, 2020 to include comments from the Needham Police Department and the Town of Needham. The name of Mr. Henry’s employer was also corrected.