The Stone Arrest

There's a news article out from a supposed fact finding group, purporting to answer the question "Was the manner of the arrest of Roger Stone over the top?". And their answer is, not at all. And they quote a list of FBI agents, past and present, and some other law enforcement people, all saying that the use of massive force and early morning arrests is really routine now for any kind of accused felon. To make it safe and effective. Really? My slightly skeptical side would then ask for a list of the number of times last year when 20-30 heavily armed FBI officers were used to arrest white collar people accused of nonviolent crimes. With a news crew standing by. Funny, I can't recall any such incidents. And in fact I would bet my car if not my house that the number of such incidents last year was somewhere between zero and none. And then let's ask if there have ever been times when accused persons were allowed to show up with their lawyers to turn themselves in. I will bet my life that there were some of those. Sorry to say, some law enforcement people become very defensive of any criticism of anything their department or even others have done. There were even a few who tried to defend those sheriff's deputies who stayed outside the Florida high school listening to the shots going off as kids and teachers were murdered. (BTW, now here in this part of Florida where I am at the moment, every high school and grade school has adopted a policy of locking every gate and every outside door for all times other than the limited time around opening and closing for classes.) People can try rationalizing a huge operation to seize and force a perp walk for an old man accused of testifying inaccurately about something, but it's crap, it's abuse of power with the intent to intimidate. I don't know Roger Stone, he might be a blowhard, a jerk, he might not have been totally frank in his testitmony, all that's possible, I have no feelings about him one way or the other. But it would have been 100% normal to just tell him to show up at the right office with his lawyer to turn himself in, and that's what they should have done. --Del