Man arrested on Amtrak Train

[caravanman]

If you look back over my posts on this topic, you will see that most of my interest has been about "fair play". The way that in the US, it seems you have no rights to prevent all sorts of unsubstantiated allegations made about ones behaviour, ones name, background, picture can be spashed all over the media, etc, all before one has ones day in court..

I have no doubt that the guy stood out, I have sat beside very odd characters over thousands of miles of Amtrak coach travel (and they thought the same of me, no doubt!).

The topic came up on this board because of the "alleged threat to harm amtrak". No evidence of this has ever come to light, having been investigated by the police.

My second point is that because of this false allegation, people are now scared to ride with him. The fact it turns out he did nothing wrong seems to have little impact on peoples feelings.

GML was all for executing him, I recall?

Enjoy your biscuits..

Ed

 

[transit54]

If you look back over my posts on this topic, you will see that most of my interest has been about "fair play". The way that in the US, it seems you have no rights to prevent all sorts of unsubstantiated allegations made about ones behaviour, ones name, background, picture can be spashed all over the media, etc, all before one has ones day in court..
I have no doubt that the guy stood out, I have sat beside very odd characters over thousands of miles of Amtrak coach travel (and they thought the same of me, no doubt!).

The topic came up on this board because of the "alleged threat to harm amtrak". No evidence of this has ever come to light, having been investigated by the police.

My second point is that because of this false allegation, people are now scared to ride with him. The fact it turns out he did nothing wrong seems to have little impact on peoples feelings.

GML was all for executing him, I recall?

Enjoy your biscuits..

Ed

Well, to a certain degree, the media can only publish the allegations and not state them as fact. Such as "he was claimed to have done x or y." And generally, they should seek comment from the guy or from his attorney. If they're publishing the allegations as fact and it turns out they were false, he has the right to sue the publication for libel. But that's the extent of it.

And I'd agree, it has a lot of poor consequences. But what's the alternative? Restrict what the media can publish?

I, for one, wouldn't even care if this guy was on my train.

 

[Guest]

so if you sitting next to a person on the train or bus and that person is hiding under a blanket on there cell phone saying i havn't killed anyone yet down with this down with that we need to get a bunch of people together and do whatever that your just going to sit by and ignore it thinking eh there just talking.

"Just talking." Yes, I suppose you are. I have no idea what you are saying.

 

[sunchaser]

It is interesting to note that the story changed somewhat. It sounds like he may have said things that raised concerns by the passengers & SA, even though it was apparently not directed at the train.

Since we have no idea who he was talking to, & the other side of the conversation, we may never know.

Many have questioned his mental condition. Usually, you can tell if that's the situation the longer they speak.

I am not saying that you must arrest everyone that says something threatening, but will be able to tell real from rambling?

Would you want to be the one that says "I thought something was up with him, but I didn't do anything"?

I'm not trying to hit a panic button here. The reality is, regardless of his mental condition, I think they did the right thing.

A mental condition does not mean they are always harmless, & since he has already shown to use violence in the past.

If I know that about someone, I approach with caution.

 

[VentureForth]

There is a price to pay for vigilence, yet a greater cost if vigilence is ignored. Individual freedom ends when it starts to interfere with other's individual freedoms.

After the Korean-Canadian lost his head on a Greyhound bus in Canada, I'm sure if this fellow was on a bus and did the same thing that the outcome would have been quite similar.

 

[lthanlon]

This brings to mind whether photographing trains should be considered a security risk. Taking photos of and on Amtrak trains is an issue that seems to flare up from time to time. Have things been quiet lately?

 

[Ryan]

Have things been quiet lately?

Not for me.

 

[lthanlon]

Have things been quiet lately?

Not for me.

I hate to admit it, but I've significantly curtailed my own railfan and urban documentation photography in recent years.

 

[Ryan]

Yeah, I haven't taken a picture on the metro since. Maybe one of these days...

 

[lthanlon]

I know that standing up to unreasonable demonstrations of authority is important, but after having been threatened with arrest a few years ago for daring to snap a self-portrait of myself while riding the Chicago Transit Authority Brown Line "L" train, I've just figured to heck with it.

 

[caravanman]

For someone who describes himself as writer and photographer to just give up on their rights seems a tad sad.. we need people to stick up for their rights, and make a fuss if they are not upheld. At least, thats what I think!

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out.

Ed

 

[lthanlon]

I feel bad about giving in, but I'd feel worse being a test case.

 

[sunchaser]

For someone who describes himself as writer and photographer to just give up on their rights seems a tad sad.. we need people to stick up for their rights, and make a fuss if they are not upheld. At least, thats what I think!
First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out.

Ed

We had no trouble at all videoing at stations, on the train, filming staff & using a cellphone to take pictures too.

We were never confronted or questioned-I kept reminding hubby to ask permission to film the staff-he never did.

Maybe they are more concerned back east about it....

 

[MrEd]

Amtrak rider sues over La Junta arrest

A man, who was arrested aboard an Amtrak train, alleges that a La Junta policeman made false statements to a judge about why he was arrested.

The allegation is in a lawsuit Ojore Lutalo filed Wednesday for his Jan. 26 arrest and jailing for two days in January in La Junta.

He claims that violated his constitutional rights against false arrest and false jailing.

He alleges that Sgt. Shawn Mobley falsely stated in an arrest affidavit that someone on the train reported overhearing Lutalo saying something about bombing the train. Lutalo contends no one on the train told police that he had made the statement.

My link