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Anonymous' Barrett Brown Raided By FBI During Online Chat
SternisheFan sends this excerpt from Wired:
"For the second time this year, self-proclaimed Anonymous spokesman Barrett Brown was raided by the FBI. The latest dramatic incident occurred late Wednesday evening while Brown and another woman identified by some as his girlfriend were participating in an online chat on TinyChat with other individuals. Two minutes into the recorded chat session, loud voices could be heard in the background of Brown's residence in Texas while the woman in the room with him was in front of the computer screen. She quickly closed the computer screen, but the audio continued to capture events in the room as the FBI appeared to strong-arm Brown to put handcuffs on him. Brown could be heard yelling in the background. A spokeswoman in the Dallas County sheriff's office confirmed to Wired that Brown was raided last night and was booked into the county jail around 11 p.m."
(Warning: the video embedded with the article contains mature language.)
How do you know that?
-- Cheers!
Government: Arrest this criminal.
Police: *Go to arrest criminal*
Criminal: *Shoots and kills cop* Self defence!
Government: You're right, self defence. Sorry, you're free to go.
Are you retarded, or really fucking retarded?
I'm not defending the raid, but yes, you DO.
Hard drives can be destroyed in seconds. You do have to bust down the doors to get them in time... (though that should be saved for actual criminals, not internet trolls IMO)
And when you bust down doors you have to have guns because you don't know if the people inside have them and will react.
I agree on over-application of force and wouldn't disagree with the argument that the raid may not have been necessary in the first place, and I personally hate and distrust cops and want their powers scaled back... ...but if law enforcement wants your HD without going through the use of a subpeona and the attendant risk that you'll wipe it first, this is really the only way for them to do that.
This space available.
Sung to the tune of a Lee Greenwood song:
I was born in America
Where I'm often told I'm free
And I voted for the piece of shit
Who told that lie to me
And I'll prick my finger next to you
At the all-you-can-eat buffet
I can't afford to move abroad
Trapped in the U.S.A.