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Arlington TX Police Dept PatchOn Saturday night (12/27/2014) after a previous police accountability event, many of the attendees participated in a cop watch patrol, including some who were open carrying. In spite of the fact that they have a right to peacefully assemble, observe and record people (including the police) in public view, and bear arms, evidence of heavy surveillance by the Arlington police was observed throughout the night. This culminated in several instances of harassment against those involved and the eventual the arrest of two people taking part in the subsequent cop watch patrol, including Jacob Cordova, which can be seen in the embedded video.

Jacob was initially charged with illegally carrying a firearm, based on Texas’ restriction on carrying a handgun outside of your own private property. However, the pistol he was open carrying at the time is an antique pre-1899 black powder pistol, which is exempt from those restrictions. After being kidnapped and held against his will, the charge was changed to “disrupting police business.” That is equivalent to the more common charge of interfering with an officer or obstructing an investigation/justice, which is clearly not the case based on the video evidence included below. That charge and similar charge, such as disturbing the peace, are often used as generic charges whenever the police want to arrest someone, but they haven’t actually done anything.

Details on the arrest of Jacob Cordova, via The Free Thought Project:

In a show of blatant disregard for the law, two officers with the Arlington Police Department arrested cop watcher, Jacob Cordova, for open carrying a civil war era black powder pistol while filming a routine traffic stop. Which, according to Texas law, is completely legal.

As seen in the video below, Cordova is clearly being arrested for open carrying the legal firearm. The officer states, “You are not allowed to have a firearm out here,” to which Cordova replies, “It’s a pre-1899 black powder pistol. Read the penal code.” Cordova then asks to see the officer’s supervisor; a request that the peace officers completely ignore.

Cordova is then arrested.

When taken to jail, Cordova learns that the charges were changed from what he was initially told, and that he was being held with the charge of “disrupting police business.”

In a statement given to The Free Thought Project, Cordova says, “It’s a pending investigation and they ended up changing charges from a fire arm charge to a ‘disrupting police business’ charge that is a class B misdemeanor. We have great evidence and I will fight it till the end.”

Outfit Involved: Arlington, TX. Police Dept.

Ways you can contact them:

Additional background  on the harassment by Arlington PD employees and the arrest, via Kory Watkins of Texas Cop Block and North Texas Cop Block:

“Saturday in Arlington, Texas we had an event against police overreach and brutality. We stood peacefully on the sidewalk at a busy intersection for about two hours in very cold windy weather. We noticed once more and more people started showing up that there were SUV police vehicles pulling in behind a building across the street. A few of us went over to check out what was going on. They had a few squad cars, nine SUV vehicles, one van and one enormous patty wagon that a very large amount of people could be stuffed in.

After the event some of us went cop watching. We had 6 cars full of people with cameras, scanners, and communication. We went to one stop and after that Arlington Police went psycho. They followed us around, pulled one cop watcher over for not using a blinker within 100 feet of a turn, arrested another for interfering when he was clearly not, and then arrested a second cop watcher for having his pre-1899 black powder revolver on him, which is 100% legal. They clearly did not like being out numbered and out armed.

Why do the Arlington Police hate freedom so much?”

Known Texas-Based Police Accountability Groups

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72 Comments

  1. just keep digging pigs. the public will let you know when it’s deep enough.

  2. You wanted attention, you got it. Hours of activism but only 2 minutes of recording?

    I’ve always wondered, what does the activist think is going to happen when they demand to see a supervisor? Is that equate to grabbing the jungle gym and declaring oneself “safe?”

    Seems Jacob likes the attention.
    http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/11/12/open-carry-advocates-arrested-after-protest-at-texas-capitol/

    There must be 10 videos of them interjecting themselves into situations.

    http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2014/09/arlington_police_department_kory_watkins_arrested_cop_block_peaceful_streets_project.php

    1. CS:
      That can’t e true. According to the CBer nitwits….they NEVER interject themselves into any situation. You must be making it up.

      Now…..I also find it strange that all that CBing and CWing…..with multiple people and cameras…..and they only put up this little bit of footage. Huh.
      It’s funny…..good old “Ray the doofus” was just remarking on a different thread that this kind of things doesn’t happen. And yet….here is the proof that it happens all the time. The truth must pain him so.

      1. And are they really surprised when they are hooked up? Not really. They want to be.

        1. They make quite a bit of money because stupid cops obligate the tax payers to pay large settlements.

          1. cork:
            Not really. Few lawsuits move forward. And cities insure for all kinds of lawsuits.
            It’s the cost of doing business.

          2. I agree until they start to become large 6 figure settlements. That’s not the cost of doing business. That logic will suggest there is no valid lawsuit against the police since everyone complains. The 784k settlement to the gentleman beaten by the Denver PD is a great example. Go read the story. It was settled due to 1 major police inconsistency and the fact some had bad reputations. Glik’s 170k was not the cost of business nor was the 200k to the journalist who was wrongfully arrested by the Sulfolk county Officer who lost 30 days, wrote a letter of apology.

            It is part of the job to say we will get sued or complained on a lot but paying money to cover misconduct is not the price of doing business. Same standard applies in the medical industry. People sue for anything but it is not the cost of doing business to write a check due to a surgeon removing the wrong kidney. That is flat out incompetence!

            So, I do agree with you. 25K here or 50K there is a go away and call it good but when a check is scratched and that total can buy a house, we have moved beyond the cost of doing business.

          3. Lawsuits are just as much a part of life now as anything else. If the burden of proof in a civil suits rise to “clear and convincing” or even “beyond a reasonable doubt” – there would be hundreds of lawyers out of work.

          4. It’s funny that this is the mentality of cops. Their towns just have to pay out lawsuits for their abuses of power because “it’s just a part of life now.”

          5. Qualified immunity and the repercussions of good intentions.

          6. CS,
            Except civil lawsuits are not about putting someone in prison. There would also be hundreds, if not thousands, of lawyers put out of a job if criminal was determined by a “preponderance of the evidence” rather than “beyond a reasonable doubt”. Want to go for that?

            Just because lawsuits are “just as much a part of life now as anything else” doesn’t make all lawsuits equal. When you see large amounts awarded by court or settlement against police action, maybe, just maybe, there is actually something there that can’t be dismissed.

            As an aside, your stance on lawyers that don’t work for the government reminds me of that idiotic phrase when someone criticizes police: “if you hate police call a crack whore when you need help”. Get my drift?

          7. Ray:
            Ah…..but that’s the key. You don’t see that often. Thousands and thousands of lawsuits get dismissed immediately because they are frivolous. Few of the cases awarded by juries stand up on appeal. Settlements are generally made on a cost analysis basis. That’s not just suits against the police….that’s against governw,ends, businesses and even individuals.

            As for your second paragraph….what a complete mess of crap thinking that is. Not shocking that you wrote it.

          8. Not very shocking that you wrote the the stupidly obvious and shied from the complexity.

            Blah, blah “frivolous”, blah, blah “appeal”, blah, blah “cost analyisis”, blah, blah “not just suits against police”. Blah, blah.

            Cloistered, just cloistered.

            When you get into civil settlements above the local cost (see the complexity?, fighting a civil case in Bumfuck, OK, is less than in Phoenix, and Phoenix is less than NYC), you go from the cost of doing business to the cost of losing. Low dollar settlements are the cost of doing business, high settlements are the cost of losing. Pima county, Oro Valley, and Marana, are an example of settling by the cost of losing. Large settlements are just that. So what’s large? A quarter of a million or 50,000? You pick.

            And of course my second paragraph was crap thinking to you. You think settlements are just the cost of doing business and refuse to understand that there is also that other metric, the cost of losing.

            Oh, wait, you’ll now claim you knew that all the time, you just didn’t bring it up because you were only writing on the cost of doing business.

          9. Part of that cost analysis is…”are we going to lose this in court” and not all…..what is the cost to litigate this!

          10. Litigation is a business and it has made many wealthy. The issue I take with the positions you and t take is the attempt to dismiss a settlement as not a big deal. A settlement that is reached that awards someone 100k isn’t much in the larger picture of dollars but when you look at the circumstances, in many cases it makes sense. Take a look at the cases involving persons awarded monies for being arrested after giving the cops a finger salute or some “f” bombs. Rude? Yes! Inappropriate? Yes! but totally free speech. Those settlements are valid. Hell, the most recent PINAC case where the homie was awarded 15k is a great example. The PD had to create a policy on the rights to film cops. A totally valid settlement.

            Even though a lawsuit has a “preponderance of the evidence” standard, how many are decided on that. I will bet you in nearly all cases involving Police brutality, there are factors that stick out like a zit on a teenagers face on prom night that the police can’t explain. I mentioned the 784k awarded to the man beaten by the Denver PD. 2 cops involved that were termed but both got jobs back only to have 1 of them termed in another case. That’s credibility issues there and the inconsistent testimony between the officer who claims he grabbed the female officers gun and her testimony that alludes to nothing of the sort taking place. There is the Frank Jude settlement and the Ibarra Bros settlement. Hell, the measly Glik settlement. Only 170k but the circuit was right in stating reasonable officers would not have concluded a violation had taken place since a man with a cell phone in hand extended away from his body isn’t secretly recording. Some stick out like sore thumbs and more than likely would win BRD or clear and convincing.

          11. YF,
            Always glossed over by the pro-corruption police and their pro-corruption supporters.

            Oh wait, the dialog is only framed in terms of anti-police and pro-police…

          12. Exactly, the magnitude of the settlement moves it from the cost of doing business to the cost of losing. Small settlements are “go away” (that however doesn’t mean the settler wouldn’t lose just that the win or lose would be more expensive), large settlements above the cost of litigation are the cost of losing.

            No entity would settle for $100,000 if it knew it could win for less. The number can be adjusted upward or down for local cost, but the principle is the same. Pima county didn’t settle for around $2 mil in the Guerena case over the cost of doing business but over cost of losing (and they knew they were going to lose and big time; all the dirtying they tried on Guerena backfired with even the largest newspaper in Arizona, the Arizona Republic, calling it fabricated bullshit, but nicely).

            Some here just can’t make the distinction. I can only guess that it’s too jarring by even the slightest challenge to their Weltanschauung. Ahh, even rough men can be delicate flowers. My apologies to Kipling.

          13. Its the current trend. The general public has such a limited knowledge of how things actually work. Naturally they will gain their law degree from YT and CB and suddenly are shocked when things don’t go their way.

          14. CS:
            Oh so sadly true.
            And juries are extremely susseptable to that as well. Then throw in some emotion…..Bada Bing……award for complainant. And that is what it is. As I told Ray above….few judgements survive as is on appeal….where judges follow the law and not the emotions.

            Feeguson is the perfect example of our time. Activists will sue…and likely win at trial….because the police did too much. The business owners will sue….and likely win at trial….because the police didn’t do enough. Same incident…..2 completely opposing views. Welcome to life.

          15. Most large cities do not insure, and the insurance rates for small towns increase when it’s determined that cops aren’t receiving proper training. These activists are currently making money off of this lack of training.

    2. “” I’ve always wondered, what does the activist think is going to happen when they demand to see a supervisor? “” – I’ve watched plenty of videos in which the supervisor schools the cop on the law and allows the citizen to be free to go. I’m sure you require quite a bit of schooling from citizens and supervisors.

    3. …And I bet “Common Sense” is posting “his” inane, face-creasing, comments on every abuse-of-power post, on the “multiple” web services from whom the “attention-jealous” activist is stealing airtime.
      What do you think the point of a “News Feed” like Cop Block is — the comments? You must be a cop.
      Or a cop apologist.
      Enjoy commenting.

  3. Following the police while wearing sidearms. Yeah, that seems like a stupid thing to do. It was funny to watch the guy get arrested. Screaming for a supervisor and swearing at the police only shows the true mentality of what these “copblockers” were really there for a confrontation with the PD. Well, they got it.

    1. “yeah, that seems like a stupid thing to do.”

      Is it illegal?

        1. Actually, this cop might suffer for this incident more than the guy that got arrested. You must HATE knowing that.

          1. No, I disagree.

          2. You disagree that the cop MIGHT suffer for than the arrested guy? It’s funny to watch you try to deny even the possibility of that fact.

          3. What is funny is the guy was busted and in the end, he was still charged. No officer is going to suffer over it. Those are your words.

          4. This attitude is exactly what’s wrong with cops. They won’t suffer, so why should they care if they violate anyone’s civil rights. There has been enough information about the legal carry of black powder pistols in Texas that no judge will ever grant qualified immunity. The taxpayer will pay.

            Cops like JC just say, “oh well, that’s the cost of doing business.” Hopefully, towns start to realize that they can do business cheaper by hiring more intelligent cops that are more willing to follow the law.

        2. You know damn well being arrested has no bearing on what actually happened.

          Go ahead, play dumb…

          1. He was arrested. Simple and to the point.

          2. Nice dodge.

        3. false arrests and cop murder happens all the time. Wake up from your rock and realize that cops are getting away with what they can. That dude was obnoxious and I don’t know what his point was in carrying that ridiculous antique but ultimately, they had NO RIGHT to arrest based on the video’s evidence. Hence why they changed the charges into a “catch-all” charge AFTER THE FACT.

          1. Sounds like he was arrested for a good reason.

      2. Your
        Are to breeding was legal. Clearly it was the stupid thing to do.

        1. Another dodge, huh “t”?

          Was….anything….illegal…… ?

          Go!

          1. Mikey:
            Well now….finally a real topic from you.
            Wow…..let’s see.

            The foul mouthed CWer SAID that the weapon isnt classified as a pistol or even a firearm. Does that mean he is correct?

            But let me ask you……what is the standard needed for the police to arrest someone? Let see if don’t clear up what occurred here for yourself.

            Go:

          2. Mikey: ??? You there????

          4. MiketheCoward:
            See Mikey….this is the problem with you.
            You say that you are interested in taking part in a real dialogue. So you asked me a question and I replied. I then asked you a question a day ago…..and silence.

            And what worse is….on this same thread….just a few comments down….(at the time of this comment it was posted “4 hours ago”)…there you are….ACCUSING SOMEONE ELSE OF DODGING YOUR POINT.
            Hmmm. Looks like it you guy…not everyone else.

          5. Mikey:
            Once again….you have failed to answer the bell for round 2. No mas is what you must have been whispering as you slunk away.

          6. “” The foul mouthed CWer SAID that the weapon isnt classified as a pistol or even a firearm. Does that mean he is correct? “” – He’s not correct BECAUSE he said it. He’s correct because that’s the law.

            What else do you have, t?

    2. Actually when you request a supervisor in most cities it is IA policy to send one. Also in Texas is perfectly legal to carry a rife or a civil war era black powder pistol including replica. The ATF lists them a non firearm 18 U.S.C. § 845(a)(5)
      In fact a “prohibited persons” may own most black power firearms. I also did not see any interjection. It is legal to film the police and or observe. With the current shootings of unarmed citizens,maybe even more observation is warranted..The police need to be held to a higher standard.

      arlington-police-officer-accused-of-giving-drug-dealer-confidential-information/

      An Arlington police supervisor was arrested in a family violence dispute at about 1 a.m. Sunday.

      “Why Are North Texas Cops Preparing For War?”

      Arlington police asked for $1.6 million in SWAT gear and to spend $130,000 for “covert ops.”

      in These Suspicious Dallas Deaths, the Investigations Are Ongoing, and Ongoing, and .
      google the above
      I also find it strange that some people with conflicting viewpoints often resort to insults.

      1. Rowdy:
        Not true. You may….and quite likely….will just be handed a phone number to call a supervisor..
        We don’t, nor does my old PD, nor do any of the several others I am very familiar with…have any policy that we have to respond.
        And why? Because no dept can afford to enslave its officers and supervisors to such time consuming endeavors as dealing with the whiny “squeaky wheel” types who always think they have to talk with a boss.

        And here’s another little rid bit for you to think of.
        I….as a supervisor….can not ORDER an officer to arrest someone UNLESS I will sign or be named as a witness on the arrest paperwork.
        Why? Because…..while I can TRANSFER my PC to another officer (meaning that the second officer would be doing the physical work of transporting and booking the suspect) .i can’t order that officer to have PC of his own of he doesn’t.
        That same goes in reverse. I’m not going to order any officer that they don’t have PC when they think that they do. Now…..that doesn’t mean that officers and supervisors don’t have discussion about things all the time. But actually telling or ordering an officer to arrest or not to arrest is outside my powers and authority…..and it should be.
        That all ties up those supervisors in writing additional reports and then testifying in court…..all major expenses in money and time.
        Think of it like this……
        In Ferfguson MO…..protesters are mad because the police did too much and many have filed lawsuits. The business owners are mad because the police didn’t do enough and they are suing. That same thing reduces down to almost every action the police take. Someone thinks it’s too much….and someone thinks it isn’t enough.

        I do have give this foul mouthed idiot some credit. At least he didn’t fight it out on the street. That’s what court is for so I have to applaud that at least..

        Still though…..why didn’t they post the other 2hours of footage they have from recording the police that night? Why only just this short littl snipet? Heck…..they didn’t even post the totality of this traffic stop. Hmm. Always gotta wonder what they are hiding.

        1. I think we both know why the 2hr wasn’t posted.

        2. “” Because no dept can afford to enslave its officers and supervisors to such time consuming endeavors as dealing with the whiny “squeaky wheel” types who always think they have to talk with a boss. “” – The cops had enough time to arrest someone for doing something that isn’t illegal. They couldn’t even charge him with the crime that they claimed he committed when arresting him. If this department is short of resources, then stop making illegal arrests.

        3. Probably because it’s boring and nobody would want to view it.

      2. Supervisors are not always available to go to “calls”. Who carries a civil war weapon on the streets? Regardless, the guy was out of control and it didn’t help his case at all.

      1. More threats from a circus chimp copblocker.

        1. Tally ho champ ;)

  4. Fuck the Arlington Pig Department. And Fuck the pussy boot licker”s that back up the pigs.

  5. Darren Wilson and corrupt little piggy coppers like him need the death penalty ;)

    1. You are a sick POS. Your BS postings only show your lack of class and the violence of your actions.

      1. Well that is like your opinion….man. Tally ho champ ;)

  6. “In spite of the fact that they have a right to peacefully assemble”

    Peacefully? More like inciteful. Ya got what ya want and now you complain. Typical Cop Block/Cop Watch hypocrisy.

    1. What was being incited? What’s the hypocrisy?

  7. When is Cop Block going to block these police trolls?

    1. Toby:
      Why do you fear a dissenting opinion? Why are your fearful of dialogue?
      Is it that you are fearful of truth? Scarred that the light of truth will chase off the darkness in which you live?

      Why are you scarred?

      1. You are clearly not up to challenge of peaceful evolution. Celebrating peace. Peace is the way. May you find peace eventually.

        1. Garret:
          Wow. I’d strongly disagree.
          Mine is the CONSTANT call for peace.
          But considering the thread we are on…..let me ask: do you not find it incredibly dumb and even inflammatory for someone to follow the police around while flaunting a firearm (the legality of it aside) especially when those people are so openly aggressive and anti-police? You have to remember…..the police aren’t searching you,guys out. You are coming to us. And again….why didn’t they post more video? Why not at least the entirety of this traffic stop?
          Just a couple of simple questions. But look at ithis incident and so many CBer and CWer actions and think….who is really the aggressor, the one who is initiating the issues?

          1. So, you admit that the cops just arrested him because they don’t like being monitored?

          2. cork:
            Wow. 2 goofy comments in a row.

            Ok now…let’s see what your mess was…..
            – Sympathy. Well…..not really interested in “sympathy”. I think you are being really mislead by sites like this one. In most cities and towns in this country…..the citizens love and support their police departments. You think because a site like this one tells you that everyone hates the police….that they do. Sorry to break it to you….but do you wanna know what’s gonna come from all you mislead protesters and activists? More cops. The normal citizens are interested in being protected FROM YOU….they aren’t interrested nor do they care about what happens to you. They gonna gonna scream for more officers in the streets.
            If you are a conspiracy theorist….that might be one to look into or make up. That the progressive liberal left stirred the pot and used you all like pawns so that they could get more cops and more government. And you didn’t just walk into it….you ran as fast as you,could.
            -Illegal Arrests. Hmmm. Not evidence that occurred in this incident. Let me ask you the same thing I asked MikettheCoward…….what is the standard for an arrest?

          3. “” In most cities and towns in this country…..the citizens love and support their police departments. “” – That’s not sympathy.

            “” what is the standard for an arrest? “” – Probable cause of an actual crime.

          4. t, I know that you’re not very bright, but can’t you understand that the cops might get sympathy if they didn’t react by making illegal arrests???

          5. Who gets a paycheck to arrest and rob people for….whatever? There is your aggressor and criminal.

  9. “Why do the Arlington Police hate freedom so much?” Because free people can not be coerced into paying for police and sheriff services. Cops, sheriffs are here to secure the revenue they extract with the use of their guns and they prefer that the gravy train keeps slop in their trough. Simple solution: losethename.com

    Many posters on this board are working overtime to secure the delusion that cops killing and plundering the population is somehow a respectable career. Would hate to fight that losing battle. Carry on revenue agent posters.

  10. …And I bet “Common Sense” is posting “his” inane, face-creasing, comments on every abuse-of-power post, on the “multiple” web services from whom the “attention-jealous” activist is stealing airtime.

    What do you think the point of a “News Feed” like Cop Block is — the comments? You must be a cop.

    Or a cop apologist.

    Enjoy commenting.


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