Police Abuse

Daryl James and Rob Johnson | 8.8.2024 8:00 AM

People have rights—even, or perhaps especially, when the police launch investigations against them—but an out-of-state Atlanta driver got little help from the Constitution when a deputy pulled him over on October 5, 2022, in Cherokee County, South Carolina.

The driver had no warrants for his arrest, and the deputy did not witness any criminal conduct. The driver was stopped for allegedly following another vehicle too closely on Interstate 85 in Spartanburg County, South Carolina.

The Fourth Amendment guarantees the right to be "secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures." It should have protected the driver from a prolonged interrogation, but courts have gradually excused aggressive police tactics on U.S. roads.

Public records from Operation Rolling Thunder show how this escalation unfolds. The annual blitz, which the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office and partner agencies have conducted every year since 2006, turns law enforcement into a competitive sport with a game clock and scoreboard. Afterward, the police showcase seized property like a championship trophy at a post-match news conference.

Hometown Referees

During Operation Rolling Thunder, courts assist law enforcement the majority of the time by acting as hometown referees. The losers are the innocent travelers........

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