NYPD ‘Loses’ the Occupy Wall Street Wikileaks Truck

[Huey P. Long]

NYPD ‘Loses’ the Occupy Wall Street Wikileaks Truck
By Adrian Chen

Nov 22, 2011 2:24 PM

Life can be difficult when your vehicle has a huge Wikileaks logo and "Top Secret Mobile Collection Unit" emblazoned on the side. An artist's Wikileaks-themed U-Haul truck is missing after being confiscated by the NYPD.
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But last Thursday morning—the morning of Occupy Wall Street's big day of action—Stoeckly was pulled over on Broadway and Cedar Street near Zuccotti Park. The cops used the fact that his license plate was crooked, and that he turned on his windshield wipers without his lights as pretense to pull him over, Stoeckley told us in a phone interview. (New York law requires drivers to use headlights "whenever you are using your windshield wipers to clear rain, snow, sleet, etc.")

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His arresting officer gave him a handwritten slip of paper with contact info for a place called Mike's Towing, saying he could pick up his truck there. But when Stoeckley was released from jail Saturday, Mike's Towing said they had never received the truck, which incidentally also contains all of Stoeckley's possessions. "I think this is over the NYPD's head," said Stoeckley, ominously. It's not the first time the truck has gotten him in trouble: He's been hassled by NYPD a couple times in New York, and when he parked the truck outside the White House in March, he said, Secret Service searched it and questioned him about any ties to Wikileaks. A Mike's Towing representative confirmed they had no clue about the Wikileaks truck when we called today. "I definitely would have noticed something like that," he said.

So, where's the truck? Stecklow, said the truck wasn't at the city impound, either. But he's been in contact with the NYPD legal department and is trying to track it down. "My hope is that the NYPD is going to locate it, and explain why it disappeared," Stecklow said. Said Stoeckley: "I want my truck back immediately. It was illegally taken from me and it is illegally being held from me. That is not courtesy, professionalism or respect."

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http://gawker.com/5861916/nypd-loses-the-occupy-wall-street-wikileaks-truck

[sabrina 1]

1. Lol, he's a character. Love that truck. But why should he be

questioned about Wikileaks, an award-winning News organization?

Then again, they are arresting journalists in NYC, so I guess any kind of journalism is a threat to them.

Now everyone should paint their trucks like that!

And he should definitely sue them if he doesn't get it back.

Why do they have to lie so much, especially since the lies are so easily exposed?

And why was he arrested and jailed? For a minor traffic violation?

[Eric J in MN]

6. The cops charged him with "Obstructing Governmental Administration."

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Police demanded to search the vehicle, and when Stoeckley refuse they arrested him for "Obstructing Governmental Administration."

Stoeckley's lawyer, Wiley Stecklow, said he's concerned Stoeckly was arrested "unlawfully," simply for "refusing to consent to a search."
===

http://gawker.com/5861916/

[sabrina 1]

9. They violated his Constitutional rights. Looks like he has

a good case against them. But it's clear the constitution is now nothing more than a piece of paper. Without a warrant or a reason to search the truck, they had no right to do so. Good for him for refusing.

[PoliticAverse]

17. Wow, just wow. n/t

[Fire Walk With Me]

7. Wikileaks is inconvenient to the TPTB, who wish to remain unaccountable.

This goes to show just how upset are TPTB.

It means we're winning.

[sabrina 1]

24. I agree, they are lashing out which shows fear. The people of

the world are awakening and joining forces, that is frightening for them. They liked it better when we were mostly asleep.

[rhett o rick]

26. I assume your questions are rhetorical. nm

[Fire Walk With Me]

2. Fourth Amendment!

[backtoblue]

3. Why was he arrested for having a crooked license plate?

And not having his headlights on while running his wipers? Come on, man, that is ridiculous.

How in the hell do you "lose" a freaking truck?

[The Straight Story]

13. Police demanded to search the vehicle, and when Stoeckley refuse they arrested him(nt)

[qb]

4. Question for the NYPD: Paranoid much? It's a political statement, not a mobile terrorist cell

you boneheads!
:banghead:

[EFerrari]

5. NYPigD continue down their swinish road. nt

[formercia]

8. NYPD needs time to install GPS trackers and listening devices.

IMHO.

[Eric J in MN]

11. The truck owner posted on Twitter

...where can I get my truck scanned for eavesdropping devices when I get it back?

[RKP5637]

10. NYPD must look so stupid to the rest of the world IMO. n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. Good going boys and girls

This is how you win hearts and minds. :sarcasm:

[Cali_Democrat]

14. I love that truck!

:headbang:

[themadstork]

18. That is one awesome vehicle.

[Rex]

15. With all that is going on, didn't he actually believe we live in a 'soft porn'

police state? Guess he will know now not to be so reckless inside a police state nation! That truck would have been safe in Egypt.

[starroute]

16. The National Lawyers' Guild is on the case

https://twitter.com/#!/NLGnews/status/139069356742148096

@NLGnews NationalLawyersGuild
#NLG attorney Wylie Stecklow is representing @WikileaksTruck which has disappeared after seizure by NYPD. #4thAmendment

[Gin]

20. I wish he had some secret recording device capturing all of their actions

while they have the truck....like a nanny cam hidden somewhere

[Huey P. Long]

25. Thank you for that info. -eom

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. By the way...I'd say misplaced.

[saras]

21. I'd say stolen. Anything else implies they had a right to take it in the first place.

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. Ah but they are law enforcement

I am betting they know exactly where they misplaced it though. Oh and it wasn't at Mikey's or whatever.

[Liberal_in_LA]

22. what an abuse of power. omg.

[rhett o rick]

27. I think at some point it is no longer "abuse" it is simpley "use" of power. nm

[rhett o rick]

28. Be cool if he had a GPS locating device on it. nm

[Tsiyu]

29. That thing is in an official Chop Shop somewhere

While they pore over every inch of truck.

They're looking in the fuel filter, the brake lines, under the cup holders, inside the tires, and, yes, even on the backside of the windshield wipers for Super Secret Wikileaks Stuff.

They'll put it all back together once they've found nothing.

[Huey P. Long]

30. .