Drop the charges against Pop: An update

By Michelle Malkin  •  April 10, 2008 08:06 AM

Greensboro News & Record columnist Jeri Rowe has a follow-up today on the plight of 78-year-old Alexander Kohanowich, which has prompted an outpouring of support across the country–and a review of the arrest:

According to a statement released Friday, Greensboro police determined no excessive force was used during the arrest and emphasized their “professional delivery of service” in protecting people’s free-speech rights.

But because of what they described as an “inordinate number of inquiries regarding the circumstances of the arrest,” the department will conduct a review of the arrest. It is expected to take two weeks.

Tiberii has declined to comment. Prescod — or any other police officers present during the arrest — can’t comment. A judge will decide Kohanowich’s fate April 28 inside a Greensboro courtroom.

That is, if the charges aren’t dropped first.

…Meanwhile, Kohanowich stays close to home, with his wife Lorraine, near his bouquet of carnations. He waits for his day in court and wonders what it all means.

He has an idea.

“America,” he said. “Who we are as a country. That’s being asked of each and every one of us. I don’t know what right I have, but look inside ourselves. Where are we going? What are we doing? This is 2008.”

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Comments


  1. #1
    On April 10th, 2008 at 8:21 am, Insomniac said:

    Does anyone expect the review to conclude in anything other than this finding:

    no excessive force was used during the arrest and emphasized their “professional delivery of service” in protecting people’s free-speech rights.

  2. #2
    On April 10th, 2008 at 8:33 am, TexasTiger said:

    Obviously Pops was deranged and dangerous. A true “peaceful protester” would have been hurling rocks through the windows of banks, Starbucks and McDonalds.
    :roll:

  3. #3
    On April 10th, 2008 at 8:39 am, meatpieandtatters said:

    The police-state culture fog. In too many cases police’ actions are escalating to violence and use of force. At a minimum you get “tazed” bro. At the worst: beaten, kneed in the back, arm twisted and potentially shot multiple times.

  4. #4
    On April 10th, 2008 at 8:40 am, meatpieandtatters said:

    And now with TAX Time approaching, the IRS could show up with guns drawn and take all your stuff!

  5. #5
    On April 10th, 2008 at 8:41 am, Boomer said:

    But because of what they described as an “inordinate number of inquiries regarding the circumstances of the arrest,” the department will conduct a review of the arrest. It is expected to take two weeks.

    In other words: Gentlemen, Gentlemen, Please! We have to protect our phony baloney jobs!

    Arresting a 78 year old patriotic man for placing his hand on an Officer’s shoulder does not make this Police Department or the Officer in question look too good. Most law enforcement professionals I have met are pretty decent people that have to deal with the dregs of humanity. But there are those that are nothing more than “Bullies with a Badge,” which deserve nothing less than a quick trip back to a civilian existence. Time will tell if Mr. Kohanowich gets a fair shake from the justice system.

  6. #6
    On April 10th, 2008 at 8:53 am, 30 pcs of silver said:

    I’m surprised by the fact that they are surprised by the number of inquiries… Take a look around, the American people are tired. It’s tough to live and let live when anarchy reigns and our laws aren’t being enforced. Yet, when they are enforced it is arrest an old man for placing his hand on the shoulder of an officer. Oh the humanity!

  7. #7
    On April 10th, 2008 at 9:01 am, mbishop2050 said:

    I live less than 75 miles north of Greensboro and have had to travel through the area many times to catch flights. I will say this, the police there are not very good to say the least. I stopped to ask direction of two officers my first time through and they claimed they did not know their own way around the city they are charged with protecting.

    Of course I cannot say anything about their officers when the sheriff in the county I live in, along with a large percentage of his deputies, have been arrest for drug dealing, robbery, prostitution, and suspected of, but not charged with, murder. I guess the police, not all of them of course, are the new gangs we have to worry about.

  8. #8
    On April 10th, 2008 at 9:11 am, cpodug said:

    Gentlemen, Gentlemen, Please! We have to protect our phony baloney jobs!

    Where are Sheriff Bart and the Waco Kid when you really need them?

  9. #9
    On April 10th, 2008 at 9:14 am, RaisedRight said:

    Michelle,

    I saw the beginning of your appearance on F&F this morning (then I had to go to work.) Great job bringing the story of Pops to a wider audience. I hope it helps to rally (more) public support behind him.

  10. #10
    On April 10th, 2008 at 9:27 am, Insomniac said:

    On April 10th, 2008 at 9:11 am, cpodug said:
    Gentlemen, Gentlemen, Please! We have to protect our phony baloney jobs!
    Where are Sheriff Bart and the Waco Kid when you really need them?

    Nowhere special.

  11. #11
    On April 10th, 2008 at 9:29 am, cpodug said:

    Certainly not in Greensboro

  12. #12
    On April 10th, 2008 at 9:32 am, radio relay said:

    30 pcs of silver said:

    “I’m surprised by the fact that they are surprised by the number of inquiries… Take a look around, the American people are tired. It’s tough to live and let live when anarchy reigns and our laws aren’t being enforced. Yet, when they are enforced it is arrest an old man for placing his hand on the shoulder of an officer. Oh the humanity!”
    =========================================

    I agree, totally!!!

    I still think this whole incident was instigated by Obama operatives that didn’t want an old, patriotic, white guy to be interviewed by the media at an Obama political rally.

  13. #13
    On April 10th, 2008 at 9:34 am, RaisedRight said:

    Gentlemen, Gentlemen, Please! We have to protect our phony baloney jobs!

    Harumph!

  14. #14
    On April 10th, 2008 at 9:42 am, sfrvn said:

    Anybody have “Pop’s” address? I might send him a “Don’t taze me, Bro” T-shirt.

    Seriously, I, like everyone else, can’t fathom a reason why a 78 y/o man, hard of hearing or not, had to taken to the ground (if that is what happened), handcuffed and charged with a crime – but – I don’t think that brush is broad enough to tar every police officer or even the entire Greensboro PD. Right now, the issue is will the department, or the DA, come to its/his/her senses?

  15. #15
    On April 10th, 2008 at 9:46 am, bit_boy said:

    Where are we going? What are we doing?

    Michelle, I have a great deal of sympathy for your Kohanowich crusade but that will quick dissipate if he paints us all as officious cops.

  16. #16
    On April 10th, 2008 at 9:54 am, zorro said:

    “America,” he said. “Who we are as a country. That’s being asked of each and every one of us. I don’t know what right I have, but look inside ourselves. Where are we going? What are we doing? This is 2008.”

    Common sense must prevail.

  17. #17
    On April 10th, 2008 at 9:55 am, zorro said:

    Michelle, were you on FNC this AM? No heads up?

    I look forward to seeing the video clip.

  18. #18
    On April 10th, 2008 at 10:10 am, DesertLover said:

    cpodug said:

    Where are Sheriff Bart and the Waco Kid when you really need them?

    With all the illegals from south of the border maybe they should be looking for …

    The Cisco Kid and Pancho

    (There I go dating myself again … :lol: )

  19. #19
    On April 10th, 2008 at 10:20 am, ThackerAgency said:

    You people really don’t get it. You don’t understand this area, our police force at all.

    Let me repeat. Our police department deals with the NAACP on a DAILY basis amid charges of racism. Why on God’s green earth do you think they are going to be frightened by a few emails from anyone else.

    The bottom line is that these cops aren’t racists. They treat EVERYBODY badly. But when they treat blacks badly the NAACP cries racism.

    Our chief of police is black, our mayor is a black woman, most of our city council is black. . . yet all the NAACP can see is that we are all a bunch of racists.

    I’m sure that the police force thinks this kind of attention is cute. But it is nowhere near the pressure that the NAACP puts on them EVERY DAY. I’m sure they are laughing at this ‘national incident’.

    Do a google search of the Greensboro Klan-Communist shoot out. That was in the 70′s. The NAACP is STILL pressuring the Greensboro police department to apologize to the black community for some sort of involvement on the KKK side.

    Again, I am certain that they think the attention on this story is cute. . . but they don’t care. This ‘controversy’ is meaningless. If he had been black, they wouldn’t have touched him for fear of the NAACP.

    I implore those who might be interested in this stupid town (for whatever reason) to subscribe to the Rhino Times. They are the conservative voice of reason here. Bledsoe (famous author of the book ‘Bitter Blood’) is a regular contributor there.

  20. #20
    On April 10th, 2008 at 10:30 am, docflash said:

    Where are the white women?Free Pop,Free Pop,Free Pop!

  21. #21
    On April 10th, 2008 at 10:57 am, DBNinKY said:

    Good grief, Greensboro, get over it already! You’ve had your fifteen minutes of fame in the national spotlight, now let this poor man go!

  22. #22
    On April 10th, 2008 at 1:04 pm, serfer62 said:

    There are too many cops using their might for political ideals…consider the bizarreckly cops at the code pinkos demo against the US Marines.

    Political cops must be shed…

  23. #23
    On April 10th, 2008 at 1:17 pm, AlohaGuy said:

    Right now, the issue is will the department, or the DA, come to its/his/her senses?

    #14, exactly right. Cooler heads in the DA’s office will hopefully put this to rest. I mean really, an old guy talking to a cop…what he really needed was a Boy Scout to help him off the median and cross the street.

  24. #24
    On April 10th, 2008 at 1:21 pm, novaculus said:

    Link to the update by Jeri:

    http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080410/NRSTAFF/631252098

    I am one of the callers he spoke with and mentioned. Seems like a nice fellow, and his coverage of this story is even-handed.

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