NBC12 in Virginia started receiving dozens of calls and social media messages last week about someone with Virginia plates driving around with a bumper sticker that reads “SHOOT A COP.”
Kevin Carroll of the Virginia Fraternal Order of Police says, “It’s absolutely very dangerous, it’s dangerous for the officers.”
“Officers make mistakes,” said Carroll. “I understand that, but I did not know that it now has become fashionable to hate the police.”
Legal analysts say as obnoxious and stupid as this might be, it’s ultimately someone expressing a message, and that’s protected by the first amendment.
According to the NBC12 report, police cannot stop this person for displaying the inflammatory message, but if the sticker did incite some sort of violence, then the driver could be in a heap of trouble.
“We already have enough trouble as it is recruiting good recruits and retaining people,” said Carroll. “This just makes it harder.”
Wow, what if this idiot had an emergency like being trapped inside his burning BMW, and a Police Officer was the first person on the scene? I would bet the coward would cry like a baby for his help. And, being the respectable Police Officer, he would still rescue the scumbag.