[Infowarrior] - Local Teacher's Run-In With Homeland Security Creates Insecurities

[Richard Forno]

Frankly, if someone said they're with 'Homeland Security' my first question
would be a polite but relevant one -- "whose?"  Since almost every city,
county, and state government has some sort of 'Homeland Security' entity
(with varying degrees of professionalism and competence) I'd sure as hell
want to know WHO wanted to talk with me --- not to mention, the federal DHS
doesn't need any more public perception problems these days......I mean, if
someone said "Stop! IRS".you'd presume it was the federal agency and not
Podunk County's Internal Revenue Service, right?   --rf


 Local Teacher's Run-In With Homeland Security Creates Insecurities
http://news.yahoo.com/s/wjxt/20060406/lo_wjxt/3379371&printer=1;_ylt=AoGMdqh
rX7WbuhPaRBFLLowpx0QC;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-

Thu Apr 6, 5:29 PM ET

A local school employee said a rough run-in with a couple of Homeland
Security officers has left him with a strong sense of insecurity.

Leander Pickett, a teacher's assistant at Englewood Elementary, said he was
manhandled and handcuffed by two plain clothed Homeland Security officers in
front of the school Tuesday for no reason at all.

"I would like to treat people the way I would want to be treated, and
yesterday I wasn't treated that way," Pickett said.

Pickett has been working at Englewood for two years, and his principal and
colleagues told Channel 4 they have never met a harder worker or nicer guy.

"He's well loved by everyone because he's willing to do anything to help
children," said the Englewood Elementary Principal Gail Brinson.

However, Tuesday afternoon Pickett's niceness turned to anger,
disappointment, and betrayal when, as Pickett was directing bus traffic, he
said he was handcuffed and roughed up and humiliated by the very people that
were supposed to protect him.

"I walked up to him and said, 'Sir, you need to move.' That's when he said
'I'm a police officer. I'm with Homeland Security ... I'll move it when I
want to.' That's when he started grabbing me on my arm," Pickett said.

However, Homeland Security tells a different story.

The department said the only reason the officers were at the school was
because they pulled over to look at a map.

The department also said it's looking into what happened, and that Pickett's
version is wrong. It claims he was antagonizing the officers.

Several people were outside of the school, watching the incident take place,
and those witnesses agree with Pickett's story.

"Mr. Pickett asked the guy blocking the bus loading zone to move, and the
guy told him he would move his car when he got ready to move it," said
Englewood coach Alton Jackson.

"At that point I intervened and I went up to the gentleman and said, 'Mr.
Pickett is an employee here,' and they said that didn't matter," said
Englewood media specialist, Terri Dreisonstok.

"'We're with Homeland Security,' and on and on they went, and pretty soon,
before you know it, he's handcuffed and slammed against a car," Brinson
said. "All the children are watching, they're all upset."

After about 30 minutes, the men released Pickett.

"The part that really upsets me is all these students were watching, and
that and it isn't good," Jackson said.

Pickett said he plans to sue.

"You now you hear these stories everyday and say, 'This will never happen to
me,' but yesterday it happened to me," Pickett said.

"If this is Homeland Security, I think we ought to be a little afraid,"
Brinson said.

The central office of Homeland Security contacted Channel 4 about the
incident and stated that it considers all allegations seriously and the
matter has been referred to a neutral investigative entity.