Border Patrol Beats Baptist Pastor

[Atlas]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUzd7G875Hc. I wonder what his congregation thinks of the DHS now...

[Ogre]

Must have been that one "bad apple" on the force.

[Pat McCotter]

Just an isolated incident.

[error]

That's a whole lot of isolated incidents.

[dalebert]

I linked this vid on my Facebook and I encourage others (if on FB) to do the same.

[bigmike]

Here's one of a few news stories i found.

http://www.abc15.com/content/news/centralsouthernarizona/tucson/story/Tempe-Pastor-Border-Patrol-Tased-beat-him-at/FYxzzCRcnUehq5uY8nZXHQ.cspx

[Sam A. Robrin]

I still think a good outreach/recruitment technique would be to watch the news each day, look up the victims of these atrocities, and send them letters letting them know that there's one place on Earth where people are working to stop such incidents.  I'd like to kick the idea around a little more (and maybe hope someone other than myself will want to get it going . . .) first.

[280]

How would you contact the victims, Email, phone or snail mail? Where would you be able to find their contact info?

[Kat Kanning]

I still think a good outreach/recruitment technique would be to watch the news each day, look up the victims of these atrocities, and send them letters letting them know that there's one place on Earth where people are working to stop such incidents.  I'd like to kick the idea around a little more (and maybe hope someone other than myself will want to get it going . . .) first.

I do this quite a bit.  When I read about someone brutalized by the police, I find their address and send them the newspaper.  The costs for this are starting to add up though.

[Pat McCotter]

This is from Zsuzsanna Anderson's blog, the pastor's wife.

Update on border patrol beating

Another update (4/17) - 6:28 am:

Thank you to all who have written and expressed their support for my husband and our family. We have read every single email and received all phone calls/voice messages. Thank you also to everyone who has contributed financially to help cover our legal costs not only for defending Steven Anderson against the two misdemeanors he is being charged with, but to also counter-sue the various agencies involved. The widget in the sidebar is very slow to update, so if you make a contribution and you do not see the amount increase right away, please know that we are notified and updated immediately.

If you would like to help, please spread the information of my husband's abuse to all your friends, the media, etc.

You can also contact the Department of Homeland Security (border patrol) at 1-800-BE-ALERT and ask about the actions of their agents, specifically these persons:

Cesar Y. Diaz - phone #: (928) 343-0849; email: cesar.diaz@DHS.gov
Ernesto Gomez - phone #: (928) 785-9364; email: Ernesto.Gomez@DHS.GOV
Bryan Griffith

There were more border patrol agents involved in this incident, but some of them had their name tags covered by jackets. Please also demand that the tapes of the surveillance cameras be made available to the media and our attorney immediately. Both have put in requests for them, and have a legal right to see them. While my husband was being held in the border patrol trailer where the monitors to all the surveillance cameras are, he saw several cameras that showed the agents searching his car from various angles, so we are confident that the cameras will have also picked up their violent attack on him.

You can also call the Arizona Department of Public Safety (highway patrol) and ask about the actions of the officer involved. Please also ask for the two surveillance cameras in the patrol car to be made available to us and the media.

It is interesting that the two agencies involved are trying to put responsibility for this attack on each other. DPS claims that their officers never use Taser guns, while border patrol is saying that it was only the DPS officer(s) who were using Taser guns.

As far as my husband's condition goes, he is certainly still very shook up by this incident and in a lot of pain from his injuries, but handling it as well as could be expected. He has secured a very good attorney who specializes in cases like this.

Please continue to keep our family in your prayers. This has been a traumatic time for our young children, as it was impossible to entirely shield them from an explanation of why their Dad looks so terrible. One of our children in particular has had a hard time coming to terms with the fact that his Dad was abused in such a horrible manner by government officials. Personally, I cannot even think about the incident itself much because I panic when I realize that my husband could very well have been killed. While the last three days have been very stressful and difficult, we are confident that God is and will continue to work things out the way He wants them to.

We will keep updating this blog for information on the case. Thank you for your support!

P.S.: Many people have alerted us that their email to our church's email address, info@faithfulwordbaptist.org, came back as undelivered because the mailbox is full. However, my husband did receive all those emails, as they are automatically forwarded to his personal email address.

[Atlas]

I emailed the guy and suggested he call in to FTL sometime. Plus, I tried explaining to him how phony GOPers are responsible for the creation of DHS and their culpability in the Drug War--which facilitates searches and seizures just like what he went through.

[bigmike]

That's such a good idea I don't even know what to say.

I hate to look at the FSP as a product, but the ability to market to a targeted audience that may like your product and "needs" a reason to make the purchase is the most valuable commodity a business owner has.

Everyone sells something, in one way or another. Aren't we selling freedom? These victims could be on the verge of accepting it. They are the target market.

If someone is willing to start a post including the contact information of other "prisoners of the state" (or is there a link here already?) I'd try to start a dialog with everyone listed.

No blathering. Just contact info.

[Sam A. Robrin]

That's such a good idea I don't even know what to say.

I hate to look at the FSP as a product, but the ability to market to a targeted audience that may like your product and "needs" a reason to make the purchase is the most valuable commodity a business owner has.

Everyone sells something, in one way or another. Aren't we selling freedom?

And the ironic thing is, it's the most terrific product, bar none, ever to be offered anywhere!

[Russell Kanning]

while listening to the guy's story I was struck that he wasn't hurt really bad considering what the cops were willing to do
can you imagine if all of us could have watched a tape of the incident?

[MaineShark]

He has secured a very good attorney who specializes in cases like this.

Isn't it sad that this happens so often that there are attorneys who can specialize in such cases?

Joe