Dear Channel 9 News:
I purchased my 2005 Ford Mustang in 2008 a year after the
first Transformers movie came out in theaters. Being a huge fan of this
blockbuster movie I decided to “transform” my car into a Decepticon: Barricade,
a police car. I started in the redesigning process of my car not too long after
I bought it. Every emblem, the light-bar, & all of the badges/tags are an
exact replica from the movie car and as well does not specify any city, county,
or state law enforcement agency. Stephanie Baldwin called the sheriff office in
Hamilton Ohio to find out if having a functional light bar on my car was okay.
The Clerk told her that as long as I don’t operate it on public roads that it
would not be a problem.
In July of 2012 my father,
Stephanie, and I took my mustang and my father’s mustang (as well is an ’05) to
Myrtle Beach, SC to the annual Mustang Week. Where mustangs from all over the
United States convene to show off the vast collections of these amazing cars
from all over. The three of us had to drive through 6 different states to get
to this car show; we had no conflict with city, county, or state police during
our travels.
October 5, 2012 around 1:00 PM, I
was pulled over by a Butler County Sheriff to talk with me about my car. He
asked me if I had talked to anybody about the decals and the light bar I told
him that we called the sheriff’s office and checked. He asked me details about
what I have done to the car and if he could see everything turned on. He said
that my car was pretty impressive that I was able to do all the upgrades myself
and that he really liked it; he sent me on my way without a ticket, warning or
suggesting that I take anything off.
Then on October 13, 2012, my father (Robert Selby), and girlfriend
(Stephanie Baldwin), and I attended a car show in Xenia, Ohio. I was in a car
accident right after the car show and a State Highway Patrol Officer, Timothy
Bullock, was called to the scene. The Officer at the scene told me that he
would have to check into the car to see if what I had on my car was ok to
drive. He came back and stated that everything was fine and that there were no
laws being broken.
My car had not been driven from
October 13, 2012 until January 2013, due to being in the shop for repairs.
I had my car back for maybe a few
weeks in early-mid February, when I was on my way back from watching my niece
and was pulling right out of McDonalds parking lot onto Washington Boulevard. I
went up to the light on the corner of Washington Boulevard and Eaton Avenue in
the Left turning lane with my left turn signal on. It was right around midnight
when I was sitting at the red light a Butler County Sheriff pulled up behind
me, and a Hamilton City Police officer to my right. Sitting at this light for about 3 minutes when the Hamilton
City P.D. backed his car up to the Butler County Sherriff and talked. When the
light turned green I proceeded to turn. The Hamilton Police Officer pulled
behind the Sheriff and the Sheriff and Police Officer pulled me over. I put my
flashers on and pulled into the Hamilton High School parking lot so that we
were out of the street. All of a sudden I noticed that there was five police
cruisers at the scene, 3 Hamilton City Officers and 2 Butler County Sheriffs. I
felt like they thought I had just committed a serious crime and I still had no
idea why they were all pulling me over. All of the cruisers had their
spotlights on my car and myself.
Officers were reaching inside my car and banging on the light-bar and
one even said, “Off the record I like your car,” and the Hamilton City Officers
stood by taking pictures of my car with their cell phones. The Sheriff was
shining a flashlight on my light bar trying to see what color the lights were.
When I was asked to get out of my car, the Butler County Sherriff gave me a
“pat down” looking for weapons, or paraphernalia which took him about 10
seconds. I complied with everything that was asked of me, all but permission to
search my car. I remained calm when answering all of the interrogating
questions that were extremely random. I was harassed by five police officers
that night for no reason at all. I was not doing anything wrong! Then the
Sheriff wrote me a ticket for a CRIMINAL CHARGE that was still under a minor
misdemeanor and threatened to tow my car if him or his fellow officers ever
seen it on the road again. As well it took this officer a good 10-15 minutes to
actually write this ticket. Our
community is trying to prevent bullying and that was all that they were doing.
I was sent to court on February 28, 2013 where I pled Not Guilty to
the charge. From there they set a court date for April 2, 2013 where
it was continued, due to the magistrate having another case to hear. It was
then continued to April 9, 2013 where it was then continued to May 14, 2013 do
to the Officer who wrote the ticket did not show up. While all this time I was
unable to drive my car. Then on May 14, 2013 the Officer who charged me did not
show up to court again so the case was dismissed. State Trooper Timothy Bullock was summoned to court on my
behalf to testify that my car was not illegal to drive at all two hearings, as
well he appeared all two times and was happy to help me out in this
predicament.
May
20, 2013 three officers came to my house to take a family member into questioning,
before they had all left they stopped and talked with me about my car. They
stated that there was nothing illegal about my car and they complimented me on
all of my hard work and heart that I have put onto the car. They even said that
they would rather have my car to patrol around in, than the cruisers they
currently had.
On
May 22, 2013 I took my girlfriend to her moms work to pick up her check that
was sent to her moms house. On our way there I passed THREE cop cars; 1st was directly behind me going towards the
Hamilton Freshman building coming from New Miami then drove beside me and did
nothing. The 2nd one was Turning at a light coming towards me and did nothing.
The 3rd one was at Speedway Gas station on the corner of Washington Boulevard
and Eaton Avenue (the same corner where I was pulled over and harassed by the 3
Hamilton City Officers, and the 2 Butler County Sheriffs) pulling into a pump
right next to me, the officer said nothing to me, as well did nothing to
acknowledge even my existence. It was pretty obvious, myself and my car was not
breaking any laws by simply being.
We
were home for approximately 15-20 minutes, which would make it around 5
o’clock, a Butler County Sheriff pulls into my driveway. The first thing that the Officer asked
me was what agency I had worked for. Not the usual “Were you driving this
vehicle in (blah, blah, blah – listing of the place and time of concern). It
could have been my father driving my car, it’s in his name, or it could have
been my girlfriend, or any of my five brothers and sisters, but no he
automatically assumed that “I” was the one driving because he had a “so called”
witness. But not wanting to cause any trouble or give any suspicion of being
noncompliant, I responded with “I do not work for one sir.” He had to ask me
that because there is NOTHING on my car that has to do with any jurisdiction of
police officers. The officer then
started going on about how he had a “witness” willing to testify that I had ran
two red lights and was doing double or even triple the speed limit in a
school zone by the high school. My girlfriend was in the car with me when I was
accused of running these red lights. Hamilton High School was let out at 1:30
P.M. for an early dismissal. Stephanie drove through this school zone on her
way home from work at Fort Hamilton, when the lights were on, letting cars know
to slow down and watch for pedestrians.
The only school zone that had active school zone lights, was at Fillmore
on Main, Street and I was going with the flow of traffic at 16-18 mph. Again,
my girlfriend was in my car and is a witness to that.
The
Officer that came to my house told me that he was giving me a verbal warning,
as well he asked me if I thought that having the word “Police” on the side of
my car and a light bar made me feel beneficial to all the other citizens by
speeding, doing U-turns and running lights? He had not witnessed me doing any
of that; therefore he has no right to accuse me of it. I told him “No sir I do
not. I have not broken any laws because I did not run through red lights or
speed through a school zone.” I also told him how I wanted to become a Hamilton
Police Officer and tried State Highway patrol but that wasn’t for me. The
officer told me that I will not get anywhere with all of that on my car and
suggested that I take it all off. But he also stated earlier in the
conversation that I was not breaking any laws with what was on my car. So why
would I have to take everything off if he stated that there was no issue at
first? This Officer did not see me commit anything wrong nor did he have the
right to come to my own home to harass me over something that is merely
“hear-say,” again if there was even a witness. The Officer would not even
listen to what I had to say. When I tried to speak, explain, or even ask a
question he always interrupted me by putting up his right hand (as if to stop
me mid statement) and stated that “he knew the law” and I apparently did not.
My
family and I are not putting up with this ridiculous situation anymore. They
are criticizing me as a bad person when I have built this car for kids and the
enjoyment of others. I have taken my car to a middle school where I let kids
see my car and sit inside. This whole idea was for the kids. Kids go to car
shows with their parents all of the time and I figured a replica of Barricade
at a car show would be interesting for kids and it is; parents and teens are
also very interested in my car and I am always receiving compliments. I always
let kids and adults sit in my car because I am doing this for them.
What I don’t get or even begin to
understand is why are the Butler County Sheriffs, and Hamilton City Police
Officers harassing me about my car when there is nothing on there that is
impersonating a police officer and myself having no intention on EVER
impersonating a police officer? Your guess will be as good as mine.
I’m
tired of being hit left and right with an officer saying “Your car is fine to
drive, I see no problem with it” and another officer pulling me over and finding
any and every issue under the sun with my car and writing me a citation for
what is so called illegal. Before any and all modifications were done to my
car, I called and made sure everything I was doing was legal so I wouldn’t face
all the ramifications that I’m currently dealing with. I haven’t been able to
drive my car for well over 8 almost 9 months without dealing with some issue
pertaining to my car. This has gotten old and extremely annoying. My car does
not pose any threats it is for show. It is for children and adults. It is for
the public to share in the fact that the Transformers movies were produced in a
manor that all generations can enjoy. Can Channel 9 News help me shed some
deeper light that bullying occurs EVERYWHERE in our society, even among police
who are to protect and defend the people who pay their salaries for REAL crime.
Thank you,
Tim Selby
May 25, 2013
Update:
Tonight my father, my girlfriend and I went to a car show in Hamilton, at Rural
King – in the Burger King parking lot on Main St. On our way there I was pulled
over by a New Miami P.D. Unit who was headed in the opposite direction and
turned his unit around to pull me over. The officer informed me that Butler
County has a “Be on the look out” label on my car. Once this officer was
finished informing me of this warning that Butler County has on my car, he
advised me that he really liked my car. This officer tried to tell me that I “ran
a red light” and that was the reason for him pulling me over when he clearly
did a “U” turn when I wasn’t even near a traffic light. When I informed him of
his “U” turn before the light he then confirmed with me that the reason he
pulled me over was for “the code” that Butler County Sheriffs has put out on my
car. THIS IS TOTALLY UNPROFESSIONAL, AND BECOMING TREMENDOUSLY MORE THAN JUST
HARASSMENT… IT’S BORDER LINE ENTRAPMENT OR BETTER YET STALKING!!!
I have put together a powerpoint of pictures that I'm trying to attach to the email (but my computer is being stupid)
