February 24, 2008 - In a ceremony that received virtually no attention in the American media, the United States and Canada signed a military agreement Feb. 14 allowing the armed forces from one nation to support the armed forces of the other nation during a domestic civil emergency, even one that does not involve a cross-border crisis.

LOUISIANA - February 19, 2008 - A Louisiana police officer was fired after a woman, who was pulled over on the suspicion of a DWI, ended up unconscious in a pool of her own blood with two black eyes, a broken nose and broken teeth, and bruises to her face while in police custody in November.

What makes Angela Garbarino's injuries and situation more curious is the fact that Shreveport police Officer Wiley Willis turned off the interrogation-room camera after he and Garbarino exchanged words.

The video shows Garbarino requesting a phone call.

"You're not going to let me call anybody?" she asks on the video. "I have a right to call somebody right now and I know that. Is this on the record?"

The footage documents Wiley attempting to read Garbarino her rights, but he runs out of patience and things get tense. He seems to forcefully put her in a chair.

"Don't touch me again. Get away from me," Garbarino says after a scream.

Then, Wiley walks over to the police camera recording the booking and turns it off. What happens next is a mystery, but when the video resumes the handcuffed Garbarino is sprawled on the floor and silently lying in a pool of her blood.

Another officer arrives and takes a cursory look before Garbarino is wheeled out on a stretcher. In addition to her bruised face, Garbarino's injuries also included two broken teeth.

While Garbarino says Wiley physically abused her, his attorney said what he did was "in accordance with normal practice."

"The suspect again tried to leave the room. In the process of stopping her, she fell and injured herself," said Eron Brainard in a statement to ABC News.

Wiley is appealing his dismissal and police have not brought charges against him because no one knows for sure what occurred.

Meanwhile, Garbarino faces reckless driving, hit-and-run and DWI charges. She has denied the charges.

A Shreveport police spokesperson said no specific law about the phone call exists, but typically suspects are processed, booked and then allowed to make a phone call.

But at least one expert said at the very least Wiley should have called for a female backup.

ROGERS, Arkansas - February 21, 2008 - Police are conducting an internal investigation into an allegation that a lieutenant used his stun gun to shock a cow and shared a videotape of the incident with other department employees.

Police Chief Steve Helms said Tuesday the inquiry began after he received a complaint from the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. A letter dated Feb. 11 from PETA representative Stephanie Bell complained that Lt. David Mitchell filmed himself using the electronic stun device on the cow.

Electronic stun guns are used as less-lethal weapons to subdue people who pose a threat to officers.

Bell said in the letter that Mitchell distributed the video as a joke among friends and co-workers and she notes that animal cruelty is a misdemeanor crime in Arkansas.

Helms didn't immediately return a call for comment on Wednesday. City Attorney Ben Lipscomb said Tuesday that the alleged incident happened 2 1/2 years ago, which would be beyond the statute of limitations for misdemeanors. Lipscomb said there would be no point in pursuing a criminal investigation.

Helms said a captain in the department will conduct the investigation and Mitchell will remain on regular duty.

Ed. Note:  In a just society, when a public official acts in such a disgusting, immoral, reprehensible manner such as this pig did (and I use the word both intentionally and accurately), then the pig in question is fired and brought up on charges.  But then, neither the United States nor the State of Louisiana are just societies, are they?

WASHINGTON - February 19, 2008 - The Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the Bush regime's domestic spying program. However, the justices' decision Tuesday included no comment explaining why they turned down the appeal from the American Civil Liberties Union.

WASHINGTON - February 18, 2008 - Amtrak, the only long-haul passenger rail service in the United States, will for the first time randomly screen passengers' bags and deploy armed security officers on trains and platforms, the railroad said on Monday night.

ST. PAUL, Minnesota - February 16, 2008 - The St. Paul Police Department is asking the city for permission to buy 230 additional Tasers.

Police spokesman Tom Walsh said the $210,000 purchase would allow every patrol officer in the city to have a stun gun.

"Using the Taser has allowed us to take people into custody without using deadly force, without using a degree of force that would cause a police officer to use a firearm or an additional force that would leave a person injured," explained Walsh.

"So we find them to be effective and probably safer for both the police officer and the person who's being arrested," Walsh said.

Critics are concerned that the police are preparing to use the Tasers at the Republican National Convention in September. The event, to be held in downtown St. Paul, will likely attract thousands of protesters.

But Walsh said the request has nothing to do with the convention.

He said the devices are intended to help officers in their day-to-day work.

The City Council will hold a public hearing on the matter next Wednesday.

Ed. Note: Are these going to be used on people who dare to exercise their First Amendment rights at the convention?

February 17, 2008 - One company has received an $800,000 contract from the Department of Homeland Security to develop a new "non-lethal" method of human incapacitation for use by law enforcement.

By 2010, Intelligent Optical Systems hopes to be selling a sort of high-powered flashlight, the "LED Incapacitator," which would act by not only effectively blinding its target, but overloading his or her brain, with rapidly flashing lights at varying colors and frequencies. In addition to disorientation, headache and nausea are also likely.

The device, designed with help from the Los Angeles Police Department, could end up in the hands of the Coast Guard, Border Patrol, Secret Service and air marshals.

"It really doesn't do any damage to you," says Homeland Security's David Throckmorton. "For them, it would be to stop a terrorist - or whoever - from advancing...or somebody who's out of line on an airplane - would be able to stop them from moving forward."

"Let's not pretend these are anything less than a weapon," contends the ACLU's Michael Soller. "Tasers," he uses as an example, "were sold to police departments and police officers were trained that they were non-lethal. We have 300 deaths over the past few years that show that that claim was not true."

"We've been very careful to design this so the maximum permissible exposure limit for human eye safety is never exceeded," says IOS' Robert Lieberman on the risk of blindness from being subjected to the device.

Any applicable risk of other phenomena, such as seizure, is not covered in the accompanying reports, nor has data been made available on IOS' website.