[elderban]

A sheriff in rural Tennessee has been accused of threatening a husband and wife by "blowing their f---ing heads off" and "inappropriately" touching the wife during an unwarranted traffic stop.

In a lawsuit filed in a federal court in Chattanooga, Shawn and Michelle Graham allege that a group of police deputies, wearing camouflage and not identifying themselves as law enforcement officers, stopped the Grahams' car in January, 2009, pushed a gun through the window of the Grahams' Nissan and pointed it at the husband, "sometimes tapping his head with the barrel."

The officers ordered the couple out of the car, and frisked them while yelling "death threats and angry curses at the Grahams."

The Grahams say Sheriff Ronnie Hitchock of the Sequatchie County Sheriff Department personally carried out a pat-down of Michelle Graham, during which he "reached inside the pockets of her clothing, making inappropriate contact with her breasts and groin areas. Handcuffed in the back of Sheriff Hitchcock's cruiser, Mr. Graham was forced to watch this unconstitutional spectacle."

The lawsuit states that, even though the officers' search turned up "no weapons, no drugs and no contraband," the couple were taken to a police station and strip-searched. The couple were never charged with any crime.

THIS is why I don't drive through small towns or take back roads.

[Hamp]

I like taking back roads and this is by no means typical of any small town in any state. That said each of the officers present needs to serve life in prison.

[Bookie61]

Chattanooga is not a small town, and this doesn't sound legit. Or, at least, there is a whole big something missing from the story.

With the world have access to cameras and phones, this type of activity, even in the most rural of areas, is far and few between.

And personally, I feel safer on a little backcounty road then on a highway through an urban area.

[elderban]

I drove through this little town in Georgia called Buford once. Their main street intersection consisted of four stop signs sitting in a barrel in the middle of the road. While we were making our way through there, everyone was looking at our car as we drove by like a predator would look at its prey.

I was saying to the car "Please don't stall! Please don't stall!"

P.S. Here's the filing for the lawsuit: http://dockets.justia.com/docket/court-tne.../case_id-56456/

[Hamp]

There are some small towns that do treat outsiders like criminals, look at Waldo Florida where cops outnumber residents 3-1!

[johnph77]

There are some small towns that do treat outsiders like criminals, look at Waldo Florida where cops outnumber residents 3-1!

According to Wikipedia, Waldo FL has a population of 814 and 5 full-time police officers. Do I detect a small amount of exaggeration here? Possibly some sarcasm? <g>

And, yes, in the past there were more than a few small towns in the U.S., mostly in the South but certainly not confined there, whose dependence on revenue from speeding tickets was legendary. Most of that, though has since been eliminated by the Interstate Highway System.

More recently, the city of Mt. Pleasant TX had been - I don't know if they still do or not, as I haven't been through there in a few years - would detain Greyhound buses stopping there to go through everyone's bags, purportedly looking for illegal substances. Never mind that this entire process took about 45 minutes, putting the bus and its passengers that far (or farther) behind schedule. Lord only knows what happened to "reasonable cause."

[Hamp]

Ok maybe some sarcasm, but those who drive through Waldo know all to well that those 5 cops must have 20 cars. US 301 goes through Waldo. It is a 6 lane highway that boasts a 75mph speed limit on each side of Waldo. In Waldo it is 35 mph!

[elderban]

It's like that on Hwy 50 heading in to Orlando. The speed most of the way is 60/65 until you hit Groveland, then it slows down to about 30/35. The town isn't more than a mile wide, yet you always see 3 or 4 police cars when you drive (slowly) through there.

[old Karen]

Well, you best slow down if you go thru Berlin, Ga. too! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) There used to be full sheet plywood signs warning drivers that it was a speed trap! They have also put up metal fence posts along the highway so the 16 wheelers can't pull over there & go to the convience store!

Buford, Ga......yep, you were suspect if you didn't have a Ga. tag on your car or a tag for that county! Got a few small towns around here like that too! Ya also better talk right if you have to stop for anything!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/twitch.gif)
See, in small towns, the residents know every car in town & those that visit often. So if it was a strange car they were probably wondering who was going to die that you were there to visit before they died! Gotta keep the local gossip mill going! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Hamp]

HWY 50 in Florida also has Howie in the Hills, another mile wide speed trap town.

Here in Colorado, the City of Lochbouie in the middle of nowhere is like that too.