December 27, 2012

"A well-known Capitol protester was charged Wednesday with receiving stolen property for allegedly keeping a State Capitol police officer's jacket..."

We've reached a very late stage in the Wisconsin protests, which begin in February 2011:
The jacket belonged to Officer Tammy Torstenson, who said she had taken off her jacket during protests at the Capitol and put it behind her work station but later found that it was missing, according to the complaint.

The mother of Jeremy J. "Segway" Ryan, 24, of Madison, found the jacket in October while she was cleaning out Ryan's apartment....

Ryan said he never wore the jacket outside his apartment but would put it on as a joke when friends were over, "because being a Capitol Police officer is a joke to him and his friends"....
The Capitol Police were a joke to them? Here's something I wrote in September 2011:
In observing the protests nearly every day through the entire period of the protests, Meade and I often tried to figure out what the police were doing, including the Capitol police. There seemed to be a policy of facilitating the protesters, perhaps because it actually was the best strategy for maintaining order when the police were vastly outnumbered. I have video of protesters assuring me that "The police are on our side."

38 comments:

campy said...

Ryan should just say he was planning to use the jacket in a TV newscast.

FedkaTheConvict said...

So Segway Jeremy is still alive?

Dante said...

I don't know. Sounds like a petty thing to worry about when there are so many other things to worry about.

Perhaps we should punish those who offend Ann's sensibilities to a great extent, while the country is going to a far worse place.

That's not to say the sensibilities are wrong, mind you, just that this crime seems like a waste of time, and taxpayers resources.

I wonder if the cops would be so interested in prosecuting a person who stole my jacket? Well, I remember getting mugged once, and beaten up pretty badly by 4 teenagers. The cops didn't seem particularly interested.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a petty thing to worry about when there are so many other things to worry about.

It's a lese-majesty issue. No way they're not gonna punish it.

AllenS said...

Hopefully, Officer Tammy Torstenson isn't issued a firearm.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I don't know. Sounds like a petty thing to worry about when there are so many other things to worry about.

Its a segway into the evolving role police is to play in an ever expanding government.

purplepenquin said...

I can't help but wonder how our hostess would have handled things during the protests is she was in charge. Would she have released attack dogs & tears gas on the people or maybe deployed National Guard troops with rubber bullets and batons...or actual bullets and bayonets?

There is no doubt she is very unhappy with how the professionals did their job in that situation, yet there are no specific suggestions for how it could've been done better.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Many years ago, there would have been no question as to the prudent logic of putting police in the schools in the wake of school shootings.

Now... the role of the police seems not so clear cut.

They are a joke.

Renee said...

"The mother of Jeremy J. "Segway" Ryan, 24, of Madison, found the jacket in October while she was cleaning out Ryan's apartment...."

wow...

Guildofcannonballs said...

Look, anyone that can survive this doesn't worry about coppers, and needs a coat.

Shouting Thomas said...

Apparently, the permanent crisis is over here at Althouse! Pretty mild posts today. If the police jacket issue is the big controversy of the day, then we're OK!

How long did the permanent crisis last? Started at least with the WI recall stuff.

Nothing left to get excited about, really, except we've got to prove to Althouse that we're good people and get out there and stump for gay marriage. Whatever your opinion on this issue, it doesn't seem like a great big gay emergency exists.

So, I declare a period of rest free from all crisis! I'm semi-retired, so it's difficult for me to even remember what day of the week we're on. I think it's Thursday, which means Old Dawgz' rehearsal is tonight.

Clyde said...

Rules For Activists and Protesters

1. Never let your mom clean your apartment! Not only might she find stolen goods, but she might also throw out your porn.

Clyde said...

@ Renee

Could be worse. At least Jeremy wasn't living in his mom's basement.

Shouting Thomas said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Farmer said...

FedkaTheConvict said...
So Segway Jeremy is still alive?


He is, and Meade is an awful, awful man for having predicted his miraculous recovery!

Craig Landon said...

Throw in appropriate looking trousers, shoes, police belt, and a hat and wallah! a chance for unimpeded entry about anywhere.

Throw in a bad result and legal overzealous becomes negligence. Instant karma.

McTriumph said...

The best part of the story is that Jeremy is 24 and his mom cleans his apartment. Got to wonder if Jeremy's mom pays the rent.

Michael Haz said...

Mom ratted him out! Yay Mom!

MadisonMan said...

I'm also struck that a Mother is cleaning out a 24-year-old's apartment. We don't even clean out my 16-year old's room.

Aridog said...

... Would she have released attack dogs & tears gas on the people or maybe deployed National Guard troops with rubber bullets and batons...

Times have changed...then versus now is very different.

In the fall of 1961 there was a large disturbance on State Street, outside the Brat Haus. Drunken students mostly, celebrating a lovely well endowed "townie" from Chicago who decided to "bullfight" passing cars with her blouse. Much riotous behavior as a keg or two were rolled out of the Brat House and The Pub while Madison police tried to quell the disturbance...with a fire truck and water cannon. Students took over said water cannon.

Next arrival was the Dane County Sheriff's crew of deputies, with batons and their police dogs. Ole State Street was cleared up in no time .... and kept that way for a couple hours by patrolling Deputy Sheriffs and their dogs.

McTriumph said...

It's all a joke to Jeremy " I'm too lazy to walk". But, it's probably not a joke to Officer Tammy Torstenson, she had the expense of replacing the jacket and worse explaining the theft to her supervisors. In a perfect world laughing Jeremy gets to meet the laughing DA, the DA in private laughs with his friends about Jeremy's time in jail.

Anonymous said...

I thought he was dead? Anyway, why does this asshat get so much press?

SteveR said...

I don't know. Sounds like a petty thing to worry about when there are so many other things to worry about

Who worried about it? Why so much worrying? So many things..

Michael McNeil said...

a hat and wallah! a chance….

I generally dislike grimmer and spilleng police — but this is a pet peeve, so that gets automatic dispensation, right? Anyway, pace teenagers and others who've only vaguely heard and never actually read the word/exclamation in question, it's “Voila!” — not “wallah!”!

MadisonMan said...

But, it's probably not a joke to Officer Tammy Torstenson, she had the expense of replacing the jacket and worse explaining the theft to her supervisors.

I'm no fan of Little Jeremy, but a police officer who can't keep track of their gear isn't a very reliable officer IMO. She deserves the discomfort of having to explain things to her supervisor.

FedkaTheConvict said...

So many questions.

Was this charge filed by the Dane County District Attorney's office?

Did Ishmael Ozanne actually sign off on this? Color me very surprised.

FedkaTheConvict said...

A Final Farewell by Segway Jeremy Ryan

September 19, 2012

"It is not often one is blessed with the ability to die; slowly, thoughtfully, and at home. It is not often one gets to think of the favors and final requests one has and create as much change as possible with those. But that is the case. Three Fridays ago I went into the clinic. In one day one lung had completely failed the other was at forty percent. Six cardiac arrests later, one for over 12:30 minutes and I was still here. A cardiac arrest is not a heart attack. Your heart completely stops and you get an average of an hour and half to get treatment. Every minute you are said to lose 10% chance of survival. Three rounds of cancer, two of which spread to the lung, and I’m still here. One round of radiation was during the voter disenfranchisement protests. But these protests kept me alive. They gave me a place, something to live for, and served as a distraction on how cruel a hand I was given.

They also allowed me to be dying for years. And while I am actually dying now, I feel really good. There is nothing that I wish I would have done, no loose strings left to tie up. I am leaving behind a legacy and path that can do far more with me gone than could ever do alive. At this stage there is no lying. There is only honesty about what we want, what we’ve wanted, and what we will always want. I left a legacy of lessons, mainly for my son to learn, on YouTube and on Addicting Info and on my Facebook Timeline. You will find my works in many social justice forums, my haters are many. We must stick to messages of class warfare and we must realize that we are being screwed."

Dr Weevil said...

So he claimed to be dying in September and his mom was cleaning out his apartment in October - did she think he was dead? That would justify her cleaning out his apartment, but what kind of jerk convinces his mother he's dead when he's not? Someone too lazy to clean his own apartment, with a mother who won't do it for him unless she thinks he's dead?

edutcher said...

Is this the moron that threatened Ann?

Dr Weevil said...

So he claimed to be dying in September and his mom was cleaning out his apartment in October - did she think he was dead? That would justify her cleaning out his apartment, but what kind of jerk convinces his mother he's dead when he's not? Someone too lazy to clean his own apartment, with a mother who won't do it for him unless she thinks he's dead?

Rusty said...

karma


Cool!

Unknown said...

This also refers to Harrod's post on Gregory and his 30 round magazine.

The performance of the Madison police proved we are a nation of (leftist) men not laws.

Ann Althouse said...

"Is this the moron that threatened Ann?"

No.

McTriumph said...

MadisonMan

"I'm no fan of Little Jeremy, but a police officer who can't keep track of their gear isn't a very reliable officer IMO. She deserves the discomfort of having to explain things to her supervisor."

Yes, who the fuck does Officer Tammy think she is stowing her jacket behind her personal work station? She should have known Jeremy and his leftist friends were thieves.

Rusty said...

Renee said...
"The mother of Jeremy J. "Segway" Ryan, 24, of Madison, found the jacket in October while she was cleaning out Ryan's apartment...."

wow...

He's not going to do well in lockup.

Rusty said...

Renee said...
"The mother of Jeremy J. "Segway" Ryan, 24, of Madison, found the jacket in October while she was cleaning out Ryan's apartment...."

wow...

He's not going to do well in lockup.

MadisonMan said...

If he really is dying, maybe his Mom cleaning his apartment makes sense. I'd do that if (God forbid) my kid was dying.

kentuckyliz said...

I share the desire to correct wallah and wala and other misspellings to the correct voilà. If I'm not feeling lazy, I actually do the copy-paste to get the accent grave in there.