Ferguson cop says life is ‘ruined’ after pointing AR-15 at journalists and saying, ‘I’m going to f*c

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Raw Story

Ferguson cop says life is ‘ruined’ after pointing AR-15 at journalists and saying, ‘I’m going to f*cking kill you!’
Free Thought Project
20 Dec 2015 at 07:16 ET



A petulant public servant is now playing the role of ‘victim’ after he pointed his AR-15 at Free Thought Project live streamer, Rebel Z, aka John Zeigler.

The entire incident was caught on film, showing St. Ann police officer, Ray Albers with his gun raised pointing it directly at Zeigler, who was live streaming at the time.

“Oh my God, gun raised, gun raised,” stated Zeigler.

“My hands are up bro, my hands are up,” he says before Albers responds, “I’m going to f***ing kill you, get back, get back!”


Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/2015/12/ferguson-cop-says-life-is-ruined-after-pointing-ar-15-at-journalists-and-saying-im-going-to-fcking-kill-you/

[Feeling the Bern]

1. if I put my finger in my eye long enough, I'll eek out a tear of sympathy

may take six or seven lifetimes though.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

60. If he'd treat someone filming

him like that, imagine how he'd treat someone he'd encountered with no witnesses and no video equipment?

[randr]

2. I hope he passes his message on

Act like an ass in public and you will have your life ruined.

[rurallib]

3. did he expect tons of praise for threatening to kill an unarmed journalist?

they live in a different reality

[Paladin]

4. Your life is ruined, Mr. Albers? I doubt it.

Sounds like you're already getting the soft-glove treatment in terms of being prosecuted for your misuse of a firearm, by virtue of your being an unfit-for-duty law enforcement officer. And I'm sure the lucrative right-wing talking circuit beckons you now, where you can make more money than you ever dreamed of as a cop. Has Sean Hannity gotten in touch with you yet? Don't worry, he will. So save that "life in ruins" line for the yokels, Mr. Albers. There's a seemingly endless supply of them---and their only criticism of you will be that you failed to put a string of .223 bullets into that irksome journalist with the Jewish-sounding name.......





(Sarcasm alert, for those poor souls in need of it.)

[PatSeg]

25. And that "life in ruins" line

WAS for the yokels. The man knows what he is doing. Maybe someone will start taking donations for this poor ruined man. He could write a book, go on a lecture tour, maybe even run for Congress - the usual grifter routine!

[Rafale]

5. BA-HAHAHAHAHA!

Yeah, another Fox "News" commentator's career is born. Boo-hoo. Whatever.

[VMA131Marine]

6. He'll get no sympathy from me ...

Just another bad guy with a gun

[Happyhippychick]

7. Wait a moment, I have something here. Let me get it. Okay, got it.

[DFW]

8. I hope his life is at least changed

Let him enter a Buddhist monastery, or someplace where he can never again be a lethal threat to anyone.

[Earth_First]

9. Albers' attorney claims he showed “showed great restraint” during the incident...

So in other words, these journalists are lucky they escaped with their lives.

Go pound sand, asshole!

[sarge43]

11. "showed great restraint"

So, 'hole was about to burst into tears, but restrained himself and instead threaten to shoot an unarmed individual?

Way to manage those emotions, dude.

[randys1]

27. Your user name reminds me of times when pro environment people would put their

asses on the line.

Imagine what a cop like this would have done to an Earth Firster.

[GGJohn]

37. I shudder to think what this thug cop would have done if he wasn't being recorded.

He probably would have shot them.

[randys1]

48. Crazy, isnt it. Like African American and Muslim men and Women who serve their

country in uniform only to come home and be treated like 2nd class citizens.

This cop doesnt know who he is pointing that gun at, could be anybody with any history.

[blackspade]

10. Boo-fucking-hoo.

Asshole.

[SCantiGOP]

12. I feel sorry for him

I'm sure my life wouldn't have been "ruined" if I had pointed a gun at him and said I'm Going to Kill You.

[NCjack]

13. From the Raw Story article: "Albers’ attorney, Brandi Barth had the audacity

to claim that her client “showed great restraint” when he took to assaulting multiple innocent individuals with a deadly weapon."

Albers should have no problem getting work with the Trump security force.

[Vinca]

14. Good. I'm glad he considers his life ruined because

pointing a military weapon at unarmed journalists is not only unprofessional by law enforcement standards, it's total lunacy by normal human standards. He's got no business in that business.

[Tab]

15. Yeah, my career would be too if I did a stupid stunt like that.

Anything short of a (west Texas) Christmas play - and it would still be poor tast - is unacceptable. In actual public duty, what the ef did he expect?

[silvershadow]

16. So then, he learned a valuable lesson. nt

[Beowulf42]

17. These special privileged cops do stupid things,

in some cases, tragically stupid things, and then go crying to the media for sympathy. My suggestion? Why don't they treat people in the best way possible, use their weapons only when absolutely necessary, and consider it a failure when they do have to use lethal force. I respect the good members of the police, and give them the benefit of the doubt when dealing with them. I would request the same for all the people they have been appointed to serve and protect.

[jwirr]

18. What did he think was going to happen? And I hope this

would have happened not matter who he was pointing his gun at. We do not hire them to bully people. It is time they get the message. My grandfather was a cop in a small town and he was absolutely loved by everyone because instead of bullying the people he worked to help them. Took kids home when they needed to have a change of behavior instead of arresting them. Set up his own youth programs.

He cared about the people and community and never saw himself as superior to anyone.

If the police want to be respected they have to do more than wear a badge.

[renate]

74. that's really sweet!

He sounds incredible... no wonder he was beloved. And I bet a lot of kids changed their ways not only because he had done something so kind for them, but because they didn't want to disappoint him. You must have been so proud of him!

[jwirr]

75. I was and when I came to visit the community as a teen the

kids were my friends because of him.

I suspect that many were influenced by him. Even then if a kid got caught in the justice system there was very little help just punishment. So if he helped them stay out of trouble my guess is that they were better off than today when another arrest is just another notch in their belt.

My memories of him are about how peaceful he was. And yes I am proud of him.

[renate]

80. wow... just think about how many lives are immeasurably better because of him

I hope that someday I'll leave the world just a tiny bit better for my having been here, but he really made a measurable difference.

[TIME TO PANIC]

19. Why aren't assholes like this called terrorist?

He thinks he's a victim, so I doubt he even learned a lesson.

[47of74]

20. Fuck him.

[whereisjustice]

21. We're going to fucking fire and prosecute you!

[shadowmayor]

22. Hey Ray

FYYFF

[amb123]

23. I think Donald "I wanna to F*ck My Daughter So Bad" Trump just found his new FBI Director.

White Privilege in Action! Woo!

[DirkGently]

24. Not life-ruining. But career-ending, yes.

Sorry, you can't be a police officer anymore after you point a rifle at a journalist and threaten to murder them.

[liberalhistorian]

45. I'm sure Chicago would be happy to scoop him up.

And you'd be surprised at the hubris of those who think like this in LEO. Here in South Dakota, an officer was just acquitted of all counts despite two horrendous videos showing her tasering a man who was lying face down on the ground TWENTY EIGHT TIMES, yelling at him and getting angrier and angrier that he wasn't getting up and continuing to tase and tase him, threatening to arrest those surrounding her yelling at her to stop (and who were the source of the videos). This was on the Pine Ridge Reservation, it was a white tribal police officer tasering and torturing a tribal member. Yet she was just acquitted of all charges (in federal court, since it occurred on a reservation) despite overwhelming evidence against her.

This being South Dakota, many of us are sure that racism played a large role (even those of us who are white know how deeply entrenched the anti-Indian racism is in this state, which is nowhere made more clear than in the criminal "justice" system). And this bitch, just after her acquittal, is puffing up her chest and yammering about how she now wants to return to police work and that she should be permitted to do so. Sad thing is, she probably WILL be hired somewhere in this state, many departments won't give a shit about her baggage and may even consider it a "badge of honor."

Officers like her and this Ferguson jerk rarely pay any real price for their actions.

[DirkGently]

49. It may be time to take the Tasers away for a while.

And maybe the pepper spray as well.

The whole idea behind "less than lethal" equipment for police officers was that they could subdue people who would otherwise be a threat without killing them.

Instead, when someone is the least bit threatening (unless it is an older white man with an assault rifle of course) they are shot 15 or 20 times.

Tasers and pepper spray are being used as torture devices, or to obtain utter "compliance" without the slightest bit of effort by the officer. These stories of people being Tasered dozens of times (the device manufacturer warns not to do that) are common now. Old women. People in wheelchairs. The mentally confused. Electrocuted until they lose consciousness or die, while some angry LEO screams at them to "stop resisting."

That is not what this equipment is for.

I do not like the dumbed-down way we as a country are discussing the issue of brutality in law enforcement. It is not a question of hating law enforcement in general or not respecting the people who do that very difficult and dangerous job well.

But we DO have an enormous problem with excessive force, which does have a clear racial component in many cases. We have militarized and radicalized law enforcement as though we were preparing them to expect ultra-violence at all times. They throw bombs through windows on the basis of anonymous tips. They drive armored vehicles and dress in tactical gear to address peaceful protests.

They are armored up and amped up and encouraged to be remorseless killing machines, when what we need are PEACE OFFICERS.

[Moostache]

26. Glorified Mall Cop loses his mind and NOW wants sympathy???

The video of him that night showed a man clearly in over his head and incapable of handling the situation or the responsibility of carrying a weapon like that in the first place. He should be THANKFUL that he lost that job before he took an innocent life due to his incompetence!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

28. He could fill out an application at FOX "News".

[marble falls]

29. "Life ruin't" - something one might consider before aiming an AR-15 at journalists.

[Buzz Clik]

30. One little mistake. What would Jesus do?

[Kalidurga]

31. Is he in jail?

Would a protester that aimed a gun at a cop be in jail if he said I am going to fucking kill you?

No, a protester that did that would be in a casket.

[Lint Head]

32. as it should be.

[frylock]

33. Good.

[americannightmare]

34. Yet another example...

of America's sick, twisted gun culture run amok. Fuck the 2nd amendment!

[davsand]

35. Well, at least HE'S still alive.

You live and die by your decisions in life. That IS what all the "wise ones say when they talk about anybody shot by cops after some minor infraction (maybe even only for being black.) RIGHT? It all hinges on your personal responsibility according to them. I guess it is all a matter of who is responsible.

What a whining snot.



Laura

[NurseJackie]

36. Is a gofundme drive in his future?

[tblue37]

38. Oh, boo-hoo, boo-hoo. nt

[WhiteHat]

39. Yay!

Credibly threatening to kill someone is legally defined as "assault." While pointing a gun at them it's "assault with a deadly weapon."

His life is "ruined?" Try that act while wearing a black skin. His life would be "over."

[vi5]

40. If only it were "ruined".

If only he were penniless, jobless, and broke living on the streets and unable to get any work because of his actions.

Something tells me that's not the case though and what he means by "ruined" is that he doesn't get to reap any of the benefits and perks that come with abusing your authoritarian power.

[pennylane100]

41. Besides being an armed thug,

he seems to have hired the world's worst lawyer. There is a video of his extreme illegal abuse of the law he was paid to uphold actions and she is claiming he showed restraint. Even without a law degree, most people think that line of defense defies logic.

[happyslug]

71. You go with the best defence you can based on the evidence.

The officer pointed a LOADED RIFLE at an UNARMED REPORTER, and that is on FILM, what defense does he have EXCEPT that he showed "restraint"?

Worse, most officers are arrogant, you can NOT get them to admit that what they did was wrong. Thus the defense of "I made a mistake" can NOT be used for the Client refuses to even SAY (let alone admit) that what he did was wrong. My Father use to say "I am not perfect, I have made many mistakes in my life, remember there was only one person who ever lived that NEVER made a mistake, and we nailed him to a Cross". Police can NOT accept that concept, they did not nail that man to a Cross, the Jews (or someone else) did.

Sorry, since it is clear this Officer is refusing to say he did something wrong, his only remaining defense is that his actions were correct and he showed "Restraint".

DUring the Columbine disaster, one officer actually fired some rounds down a hallway (hitting no one) and then remarked that he made a mistake. Yes, he had made a mistake, he should NOT have fired those rounds. On the other hand mistakes occur and the first step to prevent them in the future is to acknowledge the ones you have made. In the Columbine situation the officer admitted his mistake and thus was on his way to preventing that mistake again. In this situation this officer is clearly REFUSING to say he made a mistake, and that restricts what his attorney can do. I have seen attorneys tell their clients NOT to admit fault or say they made a mistake, let those statements be used against the client in any subsequent trial. On the other hand the best defense at trial is to attack what harm, if any, did the victim incur. In this case the officer did NOT pull the trigger, no used the rifle as a club, thus the defense of NO HARM DONE, still exists.

Now I live in Western Pennsylvania and juries in Western Pennsylvania are known NOT to give pain and suffering awards (AND this difference is dramatic, Eastern Pennsylvania Juries give Pain and Suffering awards all the time). Thus, in my area, when an officer says he made a mistake, even if a jury hears that, they will NOT grant a verdict against the officer for the pain of having a rifle pointed at time. Elsewhere in this country, Juries have been known to accept such claims and give verdicts based on the "Pain and Suffering" the victim suffered do to the rifle being pointed at them. Thus many Attorneys advise they clients NOT to admit fault or that they made a mistake, so that such a statement can be be used against the client in any subsequent trial.

Just a comment that this MAY not be the attorney's fault, it may be the Client OR it may be the attorney is worried about what a Jury may hear in the future. There are a lot of reason for the attorney NOT to have his client admit he made a mistake, so it may NOT be that he has a bad lawyer, but the Lawyer has a bad case (or worse a bad client and I lean to the latter).
"

[notadmblnd]

42. ....

[lastlib]

43. Let's all send him cheese to go with his w(h)ine............

(much too large, but best I can do...)

[virgogal]

44. RawStory sucks. It is not a Ferguson cop.

[liberalhistorian]

46. Unfortunately Raw Story, while its heart is usually

in the right place, often stresses and plays up emotions at the expense of actual facts.

[virgogal]

47. True,and before posting from it maybe we should all read the entire article.

[Moral Compass]

50. How incredibly germane your comment is...

So? Ferguson? St. Louis County? Who gives a damn where exactly the cop was from? He pointed his weapon at journalists and threatened to "fucking kill" them.

This story is about a whiny fascist that got caught doing something completely inexcusable on camera and now is bemoaning that he has endured some sort of negative consequence.

Enlighten us as to exactly where this public servant is from and then explain how that changes the story.

[virgogal]

54. Using Ferguson in the header is an attention getter because

of the chaos of 2014.

More people would be attracted to the article.

It's an old journalistic trick.

[Moral Compass]

55. Well guess what?

I went to Rawstory and they correctly identified the police thug as a St. Ann, Mo officer. So, blame the DU poster for the screw up. Not Rawstory.

I lived up there. It is one of the most racist areas I've ever lived in. It doesn't matter whether the "officer" is identified correctly in terms of what town he's from.

What matters is that he brought a fully loaded AR-15 to bear on journalists and threatened to "fucking kill" them.

How does this trash against Rawstory change anything--even if it was true?

[virgogal]

63. Well guess what? Raw Story had the WRONG header. The DU poster was NOT wrong. I was

correct in blaming Raw Story---it will never be anything more than an iffy source of information.

[LanternWaste]

66. If the relevant is unavailable, criticizing an irrelevancy will often allow people

If the relevant is unavailable, criticizing an irrelevancy will often allow people the pretense of cleverness.

[Judi Lynn]

57. He was IN Ferguson. That's NOT a journalistic trick. n/t

[virgogal]

64. I read the info in the link---twice,and saw no mention of the location.

The header said that it was a Ferguson Police officer----according to the article,it wasn't. The header was very misleading.

[Marrah_G]

73. It happened during the Ferguson protests and was reported on quite a bit

I watched it live, it was disturbing.

[virgogal]

79. Thank you---- I was not aware of that.

[Judi Lynn]

67. Former Ferguson-area cop says protests have 'literally ruined his life'

Former Ferguson-area cop says protests have 'literally ruined his life'
By Thandisizwe Chimurenga
Friday Dec 18, 2015  3:36 PM CST



FERGUSON, MO - AUGUST 19: St. Ann, Missouri police officer Lt. Ray Albers points an assault rifle at a protester of the death of teenager Michael Brown August 19, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri. Albers, who was forced to lower his weapon and escorted from th

attribution: Getty Images

All these cameras are so big and my automatic rifle is so small.


I’ll be filing this one under “Boo Freaking Hoo.” As Daily Kos readers are aware, the August 2014 murder of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, touched off days of protests in the area. The response to those protests was heavily militarized and over-the-top. During one protest, St. Ann (Missouri) Police Lieutenant Ray Albers was seen walking with/through the crowd with his automatic rifle “raised and pointed” at protestors. He tells a group of media workers present in the crowd, “I will f------ kill you!” When the person recording him asks Albers his name, Albers’ reply is “Go f--- yourself. Check the video below.

. . .

Albers was suspended about a week or so after the video went viral and he eventually resigned from the police department. That should have been the end of it. Now, the Huffington Post reports Albers wants his job in policing back.

Albers resigned but was allowed to keep his license that allows him to be a police officer. On December 16, Missouri’s Administrative Hearing Commission met to decide if they would suspend or permanently revoke Albers license. That’s when the violins started playing: Albers says his life has been ruined since the Ferguson protests.

More:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/12/18/1461493/-Former-Ferguson-area-cop-says-protests-have-literally-ruined-his-life

[center]~ ~ ~[/center]
Missouri Cop Fired for Pointing Weapon at Protesters Now Claims Life is “Ruined”

carlos December 18, 2015

The Missouri cop who pointed an assault rifle at demonstrators during the 2014 Ferguson protests, telling them “I will fucking kill you,” only to end up fired after the video went viral, is now whining that his life is “ruined.” But only because he is at risk of losing his law enforcement license.

Not because he is facing any actual criminal charges, which would be the case had he not been granted Blue Privilege.
Ray Albers, who was a lieutenant for the St. Ann Police Department, tried to defend his actions Wednesday during a state Department of Public Safety administrative hearing by claiming he did not point his weapon at anybody in particular.

He was only waving it around in the interest of public safety, he argued. And for his own safety, of course. “I never pointed my rifle at anyone,” Albers testified, according to the Huffington Post. “I was using that scope with the laser to find that individual with a weapon. Like I said, those people came towards me.”

More:
https://photographyisnotacrime.com/2015/12/missouri-cop-fired-for-pointing-weapon-at-protesters-claims-his-life-is-ruined/

[Marrah_G]

72. It happened IN Ferguson

[snooper2]

65. It is just good to remind people that "raw story" isn't a legitimate news organization

Just a random blog that plagiarizes articles from everyone under the sun

[Judi Lynn]

56. Here's the Huffington Post version of the story:"Cop Who Threatened To Kill Ferguson Protesters Says

Cop Who Threatened To Kill Ferguson Protesters Says His Life Is ‘Ruined’
Ray Albers pointed an assault rifle at demonstrators and said, “I will f**king kill you.”

 12/17/2015 06:02 pm ET

Mariah Stewart
Ferguson Fellow, The Huffington Post 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A former police lieutenant forced out of his department after he pointed a semiautomatic rifle at protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, and threatened to kill them testified this week that his life was “ruined” during the subsequent fight to keep his law enforcement license.

Ray Albers' attorney argued that the former lieutenant “showed great restraint” while policing demonstrations in August 2014 following the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown by a Ferguson police officer.

Albers was a lieutenant in the city of St. Ann, a city near Ferguson best known for an infamous and lucrative speed trap. On Aug. 19, 2014, Albers was part of a disorganized police response to protesters, one that involved officers from a number of agencies. During that confrontation, he pointed his weapon at people in a crowd and said "I will fucking kill you" and "Go fuck yourselves" when they asked for his name.

Another officer from the St. Louis County Police Department had to come over and calm Albers down and lower his weapon. Later, when a Huffington Post reporter took photos of Albers from the sidewalk, he said "Get that camera out of my fucking face.” Videos of Albers’ threats spread online, and his career in St. Ann quickly came to an end.

More:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ray-albers-ferguson-threats_5671e3aee4b0648fe3021452

[valerief]

51. At this point, if he pointed the gun in his own face, I doubt anyone would give a shit. nt

[Dawson Leery]

52. Take it's bloated pension away too.

[Liberal_in_LA]

53. ..

[Judi Lynn]

58. His moment of potential greatness fell upon him and he blew it. Poor, poor Albers. m/t

[joshcryer]

59. My eyes are watery over this right now.

I just yawned.

[Javaman]

61. actions without thought.

that describes the current situation with the slew of insane cops; like this moron.

we are building to something very scary in society.

we are at the end of the beginning, whose to say how bad it will get?

It's certainly not getting any better.

[Arkana]

62. Everyone play their tiny violins for the poor, put-upon thug cop.

[UpInArms]

68. I guess the First Amendment is a better instrument

than your Second Amendment, asshat.

The power of the Press (the only organization named in the Constitution or Bill of Rights) is mighty strong.

Now, go to your corner and never ever leave ... with your pathetic "ruined life." And, remember ... it was you who ruined it.

[Judi Lynn]

69. That fact seems to escape him, doesn't it? His talents might not be needed as a crossing guard. n/t

[etherealtruth]

70. His assumption was that what he did was "OK" ... ?

WTF?

"Showed great restraint" .... he restrained himself from doing what ...? Shooting unarmed journalists?

[PatrickforO]

76. I'm having a hard time feeling sympathy for this asshole.

I'm sorry. I really am. Because I know the guy probably has a wife and children. But you know what? You can't do that shit nowadays and expect not to pay for it.

Maybe 20 or 30 years ago, yeah, but not now.

[rockfordfile]

77. The kind of person who shouldn't be a Policeman

[Cassiopeia]

78. Awwwww

Poor guy.

Not.