As we say in the snitch book, sometimes it’s self-defense. And defense of others.
I’m sure David Codrea will say it if he hasn’t already, but yep, this is about another of those “only ones.” Those special, noble, trustworthy ones that the antis think should always be able to outgun the rest of us.
I think we all owe this guy’s wife our thanks.
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Added per David C’s comment below: “We’re the Only Ones Anthrropophagic Enough.”
Yeow. What a psychopath!
“The woman told the FBI she knew Valle and met him for lunch…”
But, he wanted to meet her for dinner.
I wonder if she knew the suspected motive when she said that. [grin]
I wouldn’t count this as “snitching”. Since there is no expectation of trust. Maybe a sold definition of snitching is needed. Is telling the cops hey someone is stealing that car a snitch or good citizen? Where and how do you draw the line?
Sam
Outside of simply being a cop (pretty despicable) did this guy actually harm anyone? It sounds like he was simply living in a fantasy world. If so, he was only guilty of a thought crime.
I’m not saying he would never have carried out his plans, but is it ethical to arrest someone for a crime he probably will commit?
If the answer is “yes,” then Brandon Raub’s arrest was legitimate. “They” thought he would probably hurt someone.
RickB,
They charged him for the unauthorized use of law enforcement records and for kidnapping as he agreed to abduct a woman for someone online via email for $5,000.00.
Then they of course charged him with the “conspiracy” charges.
My point is the soon to be X wife told the FBI what was going on. From my experience an X wife trying everything to ruin her X isn’t snitching, its just par for the course…
Sorry Sam, but I gotta disagree.
While neither is acceptable, snitching out of spite, and not to save your ass, is just plain evil.
OTOH, there may be a good reason she was soon-to-be an “ex”; maybe she knew his true nature, and that he was serious. (And perhaps the wife thought she might be a potential victim,)
At best, he was stupid, and his online talk was bound to be questioned. Less serious blabber than that has been investigated. At worst, he could become a real menace to soneone – or, if successful, to several someones.
If I understand correctly, wife was his listed Victim #2.
Given that he was compiling information on real women (at least in part via his access to police databases), that he had agreed to a certain fee for abducting them, and that he had taken steps to meet with Victim #1, I don’t think this could even remotely be called fantasy.
I wonder if it will soon come out that he had planned to use his cop powers to effect the abductions. By some reports, it seems he had already begun that process.
Who is better trained in our society to conduct abductions than law enforcement? Who is better positioned to conduct those abductions than law enforcement? When the public sees an LEO beat someone down, chain them and throw them into the back of a patrol care, the assumption is that is is being done under color of law. Normally nothing is done except sometimes a video might be taken. The vast majority of citizens are trained from birth not to resist the police, and told that if they do resist they will be severly injured or killed.
The woman did the right thing even if her motives weren’t perfect.
The downside of this is that, by undermining the credibility of the NYPD, it could make it easier for terrorists to attack our nation’s greatest city.
Sounds like the plot of a low budget horror movie…
I think the Lifetime Movie Network (LMN), Hallmark and similar cable channels have several movie variants based on the kidnap by evil cop routine.
Actually, my biggest concern was he wouldn’t be able to wash the meal down with a Big Gulp in Bloomberg Paradise…http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2012/10/were-only-ones-anthropophagic-enough.html
So… Um… when is the snitch book coming out?
Richard — Could be as early as next week or next. It’s being laid out and formatted now (in four e-formats). I’m working with Bill St. Clair to set up a simple website for it. I still don’t know about getting it onto Amazon because Amazon requires us to charge money for it. But soon … definitely soon.
David — Added your link to the blog post.
David and Jim Bovard — You guys win the prize for most wicked comment.
An Elmore Leonard, Donald Westlake, or Carl Hiassen now needs to take this black tale and turn it into a novel.
Where to draw the line between good citizen and snitch? Right down the line between Mala in se and Mala Prohibita.
Good observation, Tahn. And a quotable line.
Tricky where a person hasn’t actually executed the “mala” act — like this guy. So far the only aggression he’s committed appears to have been to take state money and use state power to push people around. It might be that the only illegal deeds he’s done (besides the handy “conspiracy” catch-all) were to misuse police databases and spend time on duty stalking women.
Seems to me that, if he has verifiably drawn up a plan for murder (particularly the horrific type of murder involved here), and has taken even preliminary steps toward executing such plans, it’s absolutely legit to do whatever it takes to stop him.
If it turns out that these “co-conspirators” of his were cops or fibbies acting as agents provocateur (and seems it may be, since the media is so carefully avoiding identifying them, even by nym), that’ll be … complicated.