The Charlotte Observer:

Police in Knoxville, Tenn., have ruled that an off-duty officer acted appropriately when he pulled a gun on a Charlotte woman who was picking up a used SUV she bought there in May.

An Internal Affairs review ruled Officer Matthew Janish believed he saw suspicious behavior May 3 when he observed Tonya Jameson attempting to retrieve the SUV, according to the Knoxville Mercury.

Jameson worked as a reporter and columnist for the Observer from 1994 to 2009.

She was attempting to place a license plate on the SUV she purchased from Janish’s mother-in-law, who lives across the street from Janish. The mother-in-law wasn’t home.

Jameson arrived to the home in an unmarked taxi that drove away, and Janish said he thought she was attempting to steal the vehicle, according to the Mercury. Janish had known the SUV was for sale, but wasn’t aware it had been sold, the Mercury reported.

He pulled a gun on Jameson for five minutes while a sheriff’s sergeant arrived. Jameson was allowed to go once they made contact with Janish’s mother-in-law, who confirmed Jameson had bought the vehicle, the Mercury reported.

Jameson filed a complaint with Knoxville Police a week after the incident. She posted about the exchange on social media and said racism was a factor, claiming Janish had racially profiled her.

Knoxville Police Chief David Rausch went to Charlotte to tell Jameson the news in person. She wasn’t happy to hear Janish wouldn’t be punished.

“I can’t say I’m surprised, but I am disappointed,” Jameson said in a blog. “I’m not sure why. After all, time and time again, we’ve seen police officers cleared of any wrongdoing after they have shot and killed unarmed citizens. Why did I think my incident would be any different? At least, I’m still alive.”

This is really very easy and simple, and there is no complexity whatsoever in events like this, despite jury difficulty in dealing with these things.

Tennessee v. Garner says that LEOs can unholster service weapons and shoot only when we can, i.e., when their life is in danger.  “Stop or I’ll shoot” is a denial of due process rights, and LEOs cannot do it.

There was no justification for unholstering the weapon and pointing the muzzle at someone in this circumstance.  The LEOs life wasn’t in danger.  It’s really just that simple.  I would have been in prison for unholstering a weapon and pointing it at this woman, and there is absolutely nothing in the body of American law that makes it okay for LEOs to do it.

The fact that procedures, police departments, judges and juries let them get away with it shows the low esteem in which they all hold our God-given rights.  There is no more constitution.  It is a thing of the past, an artifact of better men and a better time, a time when men kept covenant with one another and fulfilled their promises.