Heroic Rafter Humiliates Cops, Is Arrested

by Ryan W. McMaken, LRC Blog
Jun. 13, 2010

While the sheriff and his buds were busy consulting their how-to books, a heroic rafting instructor jumped in to help a 13-year-old girl. Since this made the cops look bad, the rescuer was arrested. I like how the owner of the rafting company is unrepentant:

“To jump into water and navigate a river in a swiftwater rescue is common. You get into the river and swim. You have to do it,” Branford said. “The fact these guys don’t understand that is disturbing. Making contact immediately with your victim is essential. It’s not about who is in charge. It’s about the safety of a 13-year-old girl. You are going to do everything in your power to insure the safety of your guest, and if that means in Idaho Springs you get arrested, well I guess we’ll just get arrested.”

The rescuer is guilty of the worst crime imaginable: making the government look bad.

And people wonder why sometimes people are robbed, beaten, or raped in public while other people nearby do nothing. Obviously, to help a victim of a beating or rape 10 feet away would be vigilante behavior and must not be tolerated.