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Tonight on AC360°, stunning allegations of highway robbery in a small Texas town. Dozens of drivers claim they've been held up for cash, cars and jewelry. Even more shocking is who some victims are blaming – the police who deny the accusations against them.
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I've heard many stories from other Canadians who have travelled through the mid west on their way south and wouldn't do it again because of the way they were treated by police. This just sounds like a more organized operation to me. Nothing new.
How disturbing when people in positions of authority abuse their power. Good report, Gary.
The Texas Police Robbery story claims that minorities are being targeted, but I noticed that an african american was one of the police officers interviewed about the arrests. What's the deal? This is so wrong.
This happens in every city ...not just there. It happened to me about 8 years ago. The police were searching for someone who lived at the house prior to our moving in, during the search located my tuition money for college and kept it.
I think this should be investigated by every department in every county in every state in the US.
wow go Gary Tuchman! great reporting!
Hello 360, I love that ya'll caught the DA singing.
I am 17 years old and I watch your show all the time. But I think that story with cops stealing money from random people they pull over is theft and should be charged. I think the only reason they are doing this is becasue of the bad economy that had hit us and the world.
Honest people do not hide behind other people. They come out and face accusations and defend themselves if indeed the accusations are not based on facts.
So the fact that nobody seems to have a comment...makes this even fishier....hmmm
Anderson,
This story reveals that the USA is corrupt like the countries its exporting democracy to such as Iraq or Afghanistan if only to a lesser level.
Shameful is the word
This same sort of thing was going on for years in Louisiana until the media exposed it. I hope this can be stopped in Texas.
Can't the people who get pulled over by the cops make a citizen's arrest for theft?
Great reporting Gary Tuchman!
It is sad the to see how those children whose parents were stopped in Texas were affected.
I remember seeing "small Texas town" movies in the early 70's about corruption . So it's real!
I think It's inappropriate for law enforcement officer.County should give us what's going on right now? It's hard in tough economics. and what about races.
I think it should be guilty.
Thanks you for giving us really nice, shocked story abt Texax traveler
On stage at the taxpayers expense???????
Good catch, Isabel & JoAnn...I should have caught the "tonite." 😛 Hi, Anderson.
Dirty cops really make me angry, but I couldn't help laughing at the unexpected visual of the DA rocking out on her guitar when Gary found her...sometimes you just have to laugh, you know? Good Lord.
Its not only the police officers in Shelby County that are crooks. I had my daughter taken from me with an affidavit without any proof what so ever. Just because everyone in this town knows everyone else and if your part of the group you are believed just because you say so.. I have been working for almost a year now to get her back .. with nothing but delays and stalling tactics ..
Thugs wearing a badge, thugs in a black robe or just thugs. W/o the the first amendment, this behavior would go unchallanged.
I believe this has and does happen. growing up my father would tell me about stuff like this. I thought he was a crazy militant. As I age he is not, being in the army I have seen a lot.
Here's what I would've done if those cops would've done that to me. I would've typed up the story about what happened and then sent it to every FBI office across the country. And the media of course.
What's the definition of armed robbery again?
This is a crime. The perpetrators should be prosecuted, not sued.
Andersen:
Your story on the Texas Police Ripoff is yet another example ot the fact that " Those in power are contemptuous of those without power"
Barnaby O'Leary
Rohnert Park, CA
You guys should look all over cause its happening here in Tennessee too on I-81 in Kingsport
Barry Washington , the cop,, was a Texas State Highway Patrol officer for years before this and left under suspicious circumstances?????
It's truly sad when people think they are above the Law...Anderson please don't let this story go, until these people have justice..thank you
This is an outrage! Now you can have your children taken away from you for going a few miles over the speed limit? All the officials should be investigated in this town. Highway robbery indeed!
Seems as though these cops need to go back and watch the show "cops"
swift action should be taken against the perpetrators.
samir
INDIA
Hi AC,
Thanks for exposing the Tenaha story... I vowed never to go back to Mexico because of this type of corruption. You can add Texas to my list now.
This highway robbery is really shocking. That police force should be sacked!
Unabated Corruption in a small town. What else is new? Just look at the last 8 years
three words, sick, sick, sick.
Geez! These people give Texas a bad name! >:o
Cops and district attorneys in Tehana, TX unfortunately give all cops a bad reputation. They need to be prosecuted for their small town shakedown.
Is this Texas or Somalia?
About the problem in the police, I do not think such a thing happen in the USA.
In Brazil, unfortunately, is not rare!
If this story is true, its a shame. The people we pay to protect us, are robbing us. All of them in this investigation need to be put on leave WITH pay until proven guilty in a court of law.
The officers involved, the DA and anyone else involved should go to jail for a very long time. This is outrageous behaviour.
That story about the small town that shakes down people passing through sounds exactly like the plot to that old show, The Dukes of Hazzard, with the officials being real life Boss Hoggs and Roscoe P. Coltranes.
current story about traffic police... all i can say is wow... i don't know what to think
gary – how do you manage to always stay so calm and nice?
It happens in NJ as well.
I plan on showing my Civics students the clip about Tenaha, TX. Should be a great starting point for a discussion about the 4th amendment and their rights as Americans. Thanks for uncovering this!
If the authority is corrupt, then who can we trust? This is just like back in the day when African Americans were denied justice when they were victims of a crime.
if these officers were bank robbers they would get prison, where is the justice system in all of this stuff?
this is outright ridiculous. i am not suprised its in texas, but as a future attorney, and someone in rotc, i am very tempted to drive through this tiny town of tehana!
The federal government need to establish marshall law there and lock up those crooks.
oh, but that doesnt mean that there arent good ones out there too. sorry.
Wow – highway robbery? Shakedowns? Sounds like they're taking a page from WALL STREET and GOLDMAN SACHS.