American Cops Taped Torturing Suspect - LISTEN NOW!

[Classic Iconocl]

http://wms.scripps.com/knoxville/siler/siler.mp3

When Tennessee law enforcement officials showed up at the home of Lester Siler, who they suspected of drug use, they asked Lester's wife and son to leave. They didn't know that Lester's wife had turned on a tape recorder in the kitchen. When Lester exercised his constitutional right not to sign a consent to search his house, these officers spent the next two hours torturing him. They beat him with bats and guns, held loaded guns to his head, threatened to shoot him, dunked his head in the toilet, burned him with lighters, attached his testicles to a battery charger, threatened to cut off his fingers, and threatened to "go get" his wife and take his child away from him. Then they arrested him for "evading arrest". It wasn't until the wife's recording made it to the FBI that all hell broke loose. And go figure, even though these officers have been convicted in federal court, not one national media outlet gave this story the coverage it deserved. But that's okay. At the time, reporters were busy decrying the immorality of Janet Jackson's Superbowl nipple! These are the same "journalists" who refused to cover the United States Government's secretive medical marijuana program.

I'm warning you now, this is the most disturbing recording I've ever heard in my life. But people need to know about this. Our war on drugs is a failure, and the national media is following a code of silence on related humans rights abuses.

The link at the top will open the actual audio recording of the torture (some people have to copy and paste the link into thir browser to activate the link). And a web search for "Lester Siler" will give you access to further local and blog coverage of this story.

[EN[i]GMA]

Absolutely fucking disgusting.

[Planetary]

i agree, it's a disgrace.

[D_Raay]

Doesn't surprise me at all; it surely disgusts me.

[Classic Iconocl]

Somebody should condense this audio, then sample it. Might make a trippy industrial mix, and would help the news to get out.

[wrongwayandugg]

I can't hear it but I'm sure it's messed up. The patriot act I and II make average joes out to be terrorists for speaking their minds and/or possessing illegal substances such as weed. Eventually, freedom of speech will be taken away from us completely if we don't use it now to take back our liberties.

[catatonic]

Somebody should condense this audio, then sample it. Might make a trippy industrial mix, and would help the news to get out.

Maybe it wouldn't help. The people to reach are usually desensitized to the point of no longer caring about whether simple things should be better, absorbed in themselves. Torturing Iraqis. So what? We don't have an explanation for why this is good but we don't care. We're Republicans. Or maybe we're Democrats. We don't care.

[catatonic]

"I'm here I'm here I'm here to help you." Quote at the end.

He never signed the form, showing how nonviolence is smart and violence is stupid, mentally ill, and inferior.

[Funkaloyd]

I don't see what all the fuss is about. No worse than a good old fraternity prank.

[catatonic]

Wanna find out what will happen if we post this at hannity.com? Do ya?:)

[catatonic]

Watch them take themselves out. (http://www.hannity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=69444) Not a single person has looked at it, proving what I posted above.

[D_Raay]

Watch them take themselves out. (http://www.hannity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=69444) Not a single person has looked at it, proving what I posted above.
Actually, it has drawn several responses as of now, and not one of them was defending the officers. You can't defend the indefensible, even in Hannityland.

[Classic Iconocl]

On the Hannity board, some are questioning whether or not this story is real, but it is. I'm not going to pay to get on their board, but if somebody already has a registration there, would they please go set the record straight? Tell them to go to these links, since they evidently don't trust non-"mainstream" bloggers.

http://wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=3568680

http://www.wbir.com/news/archive.aspx?storyid=27204

http://www.wate.com/global/story.asp?s=4298668&ClientType=Printable

[Classic Iconocl]

Cover-up: Secret recording shot holes in officers' stories

By JAMIE SATTERFIELD, satterfield@knews.com
July 11, 2005

The denials were unequivocal.

"If Eugene Siler or Jenny Siler say we mistreated them, they are liars," said Shayne Green, then a Campbell County Sheriff's Department reserve deputy.

"We used the proper amount of force to effect the arrest and made no threats of any kind to Eugene or his family," said Gerald David Webber, then narcotics chief for Campbell County.

"To the best of my knowledge, no one beat, mistreated, threatened, pressured or hooked Mr. Siler to any type of (battery) cables," said then-veteran detective Samuel Franklin.

Those were their stories to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, probing Lester Eugene Siler's complaint that five Campbell County lawmen beat and tortured him in July 2004, and they were sticking to them.

Until a secret audiotape showed their statements "were all lies," Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Atchley wrote in court documents.

Green, Webber, Franklin and former lawmen Joshua Monday and William Carroll are to be sentenced this week in U.S. District Court for violating the civil rights of convicted drug dealer Eugene Siler by beating him, holding his head underwater, threatening to electrocute and shoot him.

All five have pleaded guilty. All five were captured on an audiotape made after Jenny Siler secretly stashed a recorder in her kitchen.

But on July 19, 2004 - 11 days after the five showed up on the Silers' doorstep - the five former lawmen apparently had no idea their attack on Siler had been recorded.

It was on that date that the lawmen gave statements to the TBI about Siler's allegations of brutality. Three of those statements have now been filed in federal court.

Atchley argues the statements show that the lawmen plotted to cover up their crimes and, because of that, do not deserve sentencing breaks the five seek.

TBI statements from Monday and Carroll have not been filed publicly yet.

Webber told the TBI that Siler ran when the deputies arrived and "was still resisting arrest when I came around the corner." Webber said he "helped get Eugene handcuffed" and brought him back inside his house.

As Webber told it, he calmly sat down with Siler and asked for his permission to search the house. He refused, and the deputies ultimately arrested him, Webber told the TBI.

"I do not think anyone hit Eugene with anything," Webber said.

The secret recording reveals that Webber cursed Siler and told him the deputies would kill him if he did not sign the form giving permission to search. The tape also shows that Webber directed much of the attack, including the clipping of wires attached to a battery to Siler's genitals.

In Green's account to the TBI, he said Siler was "never mistreated."

Franklin gave two statements to the TBI. In the first one, he denied any brutality and even claimed that Siler's young son was allowed to go into the house to see his father.

"He came back out and told his mother that Eugene looked fine and that he was not beaten up," Franklin said.

Five hours later, he gave a second statement after learning an audiotape existed. He still denied personally mistreating Siler and instead insisted the other officers may have slapped and threatened Siler. He downplayed the extent of the attack on Siler.

In testimony to a state grand jury, Franklin added another twist, recalling how Siler's son "had a handful of wildflowers" so he let the boy go inside and give them to his dad.

"The boy came back out with a soda pop," Franklin testified. "The boy tells his momma, 'They've not hurt him. He's OK.' "

All but Carroll were indicted by that grand jury for lying to the TBI. Those charges, however, are expected to be dropped in lieu of the federal convictions.

Jamie Satterfield may be reached at 865-342-6308.

[Classic Iconocl]

Officers seek court's mercy

Pointing fingers: Real criminal man behind their abuse of power

By JAMIE SATTERFIELD
Knoxville News-Sentinel
July 11, 2005

If court records are any indication, when five former lawmen face judgment this week for beating, torturing and threatening a drug dealer, there will be lots of finger pointing.

They will accuse each other. They will argue the power of the heat of the moment. They will paint themselves not as criminals but as fallen heroes, whose lives were dedicated to serving others.

They will point to the loss of their jobs and reputations. They will cite death, mental illness and emotional struggles.

But most of all, they will blame their victim.

Former Campbell County Sheriff's Department deputies Gerald David Webber, Shayne Green, Joshua Monday, Samuel Franklin and William Carroll are to be sentenced this week by U.S. District Court Judge Tom Varlan.

All but Monday have admitted conspiring to violate the civil rights of Lester Eugene Siler in his White Oak community home on July 8, 2004. Monday has pleaded guilty to brandishing a gun during the incident.

At plea hearings earlier this year, all five conceded that Siler was beaten, tortured and threatened. They admitted that Siler was slapped, punched and kicked. They signed documents agreeing that Siler was threatened with electrocution and death. They agreed that Siler's head was forced underwater in both a toilet and a fish tank.

Now, all but Monday face up to 10 years in prison. Monday faces a mandatory minimum seven years behind bars. Court records reveal that Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Atchley is recommending sentencing breaks for the five because, under federal law, they get credit for confessing and cooperating, legalese for tattling.

Atchley is asking Varlan to dole out five-year prison terms to Webber, Franklin and Green. He wants Carroll to serve 66 months and Monday 72.

But Atchley's recommendations for each of the five are still too high, their defense attorneys contend in court documents.

In court filings, these five lawmen's defenders lay out their respective cases for judicial mercy, with one even insisting he should get no jail time at all. Although each cites distinctive reasons, there is one common thread: These five men may be guilty, but Siler is the real criminal.

Webber: Blaming Siler Webber, former narcotics chief and the man who arranged that fateful visit to Siler's home, pulls no punches in his sentencing memorandum.

"The entire episode was precipitated by the victim persisting in drug dealing in the shadow of a public school, probation violations and attempts to escape while in the possession of drugs," defense attorney Lee Asbury wrote on Webber's behalf.

Webber, on the other hand, has lived a crime-free life, much of it spent enforcing the law, Asbury wrote.

When he learned the attack on Siler had been captured on a secret audio recording made by Siler's wife, Webber fessed up and was more than willing to tell tales to the FBI, Asbury contended.

In Asbury's view, Webber has already paid a tough price for his "heat of the moment" actions. He's lost his job, his pension, his marriage and his freedom, Asbury wrote. Not to mention the suffering he faces, Asbury noted.

"The extreme danger to which he will be exposed in a prison population because of his law enforcement background" cannot be ignored, the attorney said.

Asbury argues that Webber should serve no more than 16 months in prison.

Atchley wrote in response that Webber's bid for a break is offensive.

"It is clear from the tape that Webber takes a controlling position in this abuse," Atchley wrote. "His voice is heard throughout the entire tape, and it is he who calmly and repeatedly orders Siler to sign the consent to search form while others administer physical abuse.

"It is a shameful and repugnant abuse of power."

Atchley also noted that Webber lied to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation when confronted about the attack 11 days after it occurred in an attempt to "protect himself and his colleagues."

Franklin: Keeping hands off Franklin, a veteran detective and former DARE officer, knows one thing for sure - Siler is no Rodney King.

In his bid for a sentencing break, Franklin contends through attorney Andrew S. Roskind that Siler, though victimized, suffered only minor injuries. King, on the other hand, "was in fact severely injured, including a broken leg and ribs, facial fractures and a host of other injuries," Roskind wrote.

Yet, the LAPD officer whose chief crime in the King attack was a failure to stop it wound up imprisoned for "substantially less" time than Atchley is seeking for Franklin, Roskind wrote.

Like that officer, Franklin's crime was not attacking Siler but failing to stop those who did, Roskind wrote.

"While in the Siler trailer, Mr. Franklin never physically harmed Mr. Siler," Roskind wrote.

Franklin, Roskind wrote, is a lifelong East Tennessee resident who has devoted 17 years helping children through his work as a DARE officer and child abuse investigator. He also served in the military.

"A lifetime spent serving others should not easily be forgotten," Roskind wrote.

Roskind wants Varlan to put Franklin on probation or, in the very least, give him half as much time as the other deputies, who Franklin insists actually attacked Siler.

Atchley argued in his response that there is a gaping hole in Roskind's memorandum. It fails to note that Franklin is a liar, Atchley wrote.

Atchley contends that Franklin lied at least three times about the attack - twice to the TBI and once to a state grand jury.

"The purpose of these lies was to obstruct the TBI investigation of himself and his friends," Atchley wrote. "It is important to note that all three of these statements were given under oath."

Green: Saving society The attack on Siler wasn't Green's idea, his attorney, Kimberly Parton, argues in her sentencing memorandum. Green was a poorly trained part-timer and off-duty, she wrote.

"Mr. Green, although participating in this conspiracy, was a subordinate officer who did not initiate the illegal conduct and to some degree took directions from his superior officers," Parton argued.

Green also points to a series of tragedies in his own life.

His father committed suicide when he was 13, Parton wrote. A teacher "died in front of him," she said. For years, he struggled with the fear of death, Parton contended.

Still, he worked hard and became the captain of a local fire department. He obeyed the law, unlike, Parton notes, Siler.

"Mr. Siler's wrongful and criminal conduct contributed significantly to provoking the (attack)," Parton wrote. "Citizens of Campbell County had repeatedly complained to authorities that Mr. Siler, who was on probation, continued to sell controlled substances from his residence, which is within 100 feet of White Oak Elementary School."

Green believed he was doing the community a favor, Parton wrote.

"It has been recognized that a defendant may sometimes commit a crime in order to avoid a perceived greater harm," she wrote.

Atchley calls that statement "absurd."

"The defendant should have lawfully arrested Mr. Siler for his probation violation and allowed the courts to punish him lawfully and justly," Atchley wrote. "This is how a civilized society conducts law enforcement."

Atchley noted that Siler was a man of small stature surrounded by five deputies, who "proceeded to torture and beat Mr. Siler in his home."

"(Green) and the others acted as judge, jury and executioner," Atchley wrote.

Monday: Dishing dirt Monday, as the lone deputy to use his service weapon to threaten Siler, stands apart from his former fellow men in blue. Unlike them, his sentence is required by law. The only way he can get a break is if Atchley gives him credit for cooperating with the FBI. Atchley has done just that, although the document is under seal.

Still, defense attorney Dennis Francis contends Monday deserves a bigger break than Atchley is willing to give.

Francis wrote that Monday "has no prior criminal history" and never hurt anyone else.

"It is submitted to this honorable court that Mr. Monday had not engaged in and is unlikely to engage in such conduct ever again," Francis wrote.

Francis' sentencing memorandum also drops a bit of a bombshell.

When "debriefed" by the FBI, Monday not only told on his fellow officers in the Siler case but also "provided information involving other possible illegal activities occurring in Campbell County involving various members of the county government ... including the present sheriff (Ron McClellan)," Francis wrote.

He did not elaborate.

Monday, Francis wrote, was poorly trained, having never even been sent to a basic police academy required for all certified police officers.

Atchley counters that Monday's cooperation with federal authorities was "limited" and rates no more than a one-year sentencing break.

Carroll: Sealing his lips Carroll, a reserve deputy, who was captured on the secret audiotape making bizarre statements such as "let's give him a haircut" and a repeated refrain of "thank ye," also wants a sentencing break.

But Federal Defender Beth Ford has filed her sentencing memorandum under seal, suggesting she will argue that Carroll has mental-health issues. Atchley's response is also under seal.

Regardless of the ultimate fate of these five men, Atchley contends their damage to law enforcement has already been done.

"(The five men's) behavior has so clearly undermined law enforcement efforts in Campbell County that it may be years before all the ramifications are fully known," Atchley wrote. "Instead of helping the war on drugs, (they have) dealt upon it a horrible blow."

Jamie Satterfield may be reached at 865-342-6308.

[D_Raay]

since they evidently don't trust non-"mainstream" bloggers.

it's like bizarro world.

I posted those links over there for you.

[catatonic]

Oh good job you went over there, and you used my bad abbreviation of your username.

Look at the poll! (http://www.hannity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=69444)

[ASsman]

I think the balls on the battery things was taking it too far, the rest though, perfectly aceptable. If you use or sell drugs, you're supporting terrorist, you cunts.

[Classic Iconocl]

I think the balls on the battery things was taking it too far, the rest though, perfectly aceptable. If you use or sell drugs, you're supporting terrorist, you cunts.

Yeah! If you use or sell drugs, you are the scum of the earth, a friend to our enemies! You should just take off your clothes and take a Zyclon-B shower, courtesy of IG Farben and Pfizer!

Ever wonder why medical marijuana patients are zoned further away from elementary schools than convicted child rapists (http://www.building-block.org)?

[Ace42X]

Ever wonder why medical marijuana patients are zoned further away from elementary schools than convicted child rapists?

<Insert pun about stoners being 'zoned-out'>

[Classic Iconocl]

I went to the Hannity board to make posts on the topic, and guess what... I got banned for "promotional posting", but there was not a single promotional post.

Such is the state of censorship in this nation. If they don't like your message, they can always ban it.

[Classic Iconocl]

It gets worse, folks... Seems Lester Siler had a wooden leg. These cops sat there and tortured a disabled man.

Revolt, anyone?

[catatonic]

I'll never get banned from hannity until I'm good and ready.