Philly police officer ran criminal background check on Obama

[dancingme]

PHILADELPHIA - August 7, 2009 (WPVI) -- A Philadelphia police officer is under investigation after he allegedly ran a background check on President Barack Obama.

The police department has not officially released the officer's name, but sources have identified him as Gerald Corrento of the 18th District.

Law enforcement officials say the 18th District Officer was in his patrol car which, like most cruisers, is equipped with a Mobile Data Terminal, essentially a mobile computer with access to the National Crime Information Computer System.

Officials say on Wednesday at 7:45 a.m., the officer allegedly entered the president's name into the MDT, punched in the president's date of birth, and attempted to run a criminal background check.

That automatically sent a red flag to the US Secret Service which blocked access to the president's records. Agents alerted the Philadelphia Police.

The matter is now under investigation by Police Internal Affairs.

[quiet.american]

1. I think it's safe to say this police officer "acted stupidly." nt

[DrToast]

11. Why do you hate cops?

;)

[quantass]

22. But..but...cops cant act stupidly.

[Ikonoklast]

27. I agree 100%.

It's not an act.

[havocmom]

2. And THAT, ladies & gentlemen, illustrates how desperate the racists are

They are pretty over wrought about this business of a black man in the oval office. They cannot abide the reality that a resounding majority of Americans put that man in the oval office.

The crackers are mighty brittle and they are snapping.

[dancingme]

3. Exactly

The angry white bigots are losing it.

[wisteria]

13. You can not be sure about what you are suggesting. He could have done this on anyone who is famous.

he could of even did it in the past on some celebrity, but this time because it was the president of the US, he got caught. My suggestion is just a plausible as yours.

[havocmom]

16. Perhaps yours is plausible but there isn't much there to contemplate

There is mounting evidence that a lot of racists are going over the deep edge. I'll stick with my observations.

[krispos42]

30. I'm reall y not comfortable with the cops looking people up without cause.

Regardless of status.

I don't want cops looking up current or ex boyfriends or girlfriends, the guy their sister is dating, or that clerk at the Gas-N-Go that gave him some attitude yesterday.

[Window]

21. Exactly. He's also got the nerve to attempt to better the lives of all Americans.

They are doubly angry because he's good at what he does. Think how much further along President Obama, and the country, would be if the Party Of No would just work with him a little.

We know they won't and are praying for his failure. Democrats must find a way to combat this.

[vaberella]

4. I want to say, "racial profiling" or "acting stupidly" -- but some one DU might defend this ass. nt

[knowledgeispwr]

6. might?

might???

HA! I'd expect an alternative explanation in 3....2....1...

[PopSixSquish]

7. I"ll Say It - This Was Racial Profiling and Acting Stupidly

Anybody feeling frisky tonight?

[wisteria]

14. Why not just doing a stupid things. Really, he could have done this type of thing before on anyone,

only this time he got caught. Why just assume it was racial profiling, when you really don't know the facts.

[PopSixSquish]

18. I Will Assume it Was Just as Others Will Assume it Wasn't

See how that works...

[hileeopnyn8d]

26. I would be more inclined to

take your alternate explanations serious if you didn't come up with them on every thread about racism.

[jonestonesusa]

29. Let's see...you're right, it could have been anything...

Maybe he was tapping unknowingly on his computer keyboard along with the radio and accidentally typed "Barack Obama"...
Maybe he thought his computer was set to "Google" and he was going to write the president in support of health care reform...
Maybe he thought his word processor was on, and he was typing the president a birthday card...

So many possibilities besides racial profiling - let's consider them all.

Wheeeee!
:eyes:

[midnight]

5. Why do police get to investigate themselves?

[Control-Z]

8. Oops.

He's never heard of the Secret Service or how they operate?

Not the brightest crayon in the box.

[Historic NY]

9. Time & time again these idiots are warned but no what do they do...

any one of these systems sends out major flags if you use government or celebrity names. In Ny State one can be fined up to 15k and can lose their job. Note its not a toy or a home internet.

[Hamlette]

10. It was stupid, but I would have on Bush if I could have. n/t

[TTUBatfan2008]

12. Lesson learned for that cop...

You just don't fuck with the Secret Service.

[LiberalFighter]

15. The guy must be news illiterate considering that officers in Georgia got in trouble.

DeKalb County GA, Ray White and C.M. Route are accused of running a background check. July 2009

[Mopar151]

17. Teh stupid, it spreads like a virus

One of these peckerheads gets his unit slammed in the window over something like this, it'll fester with the rest of their gene puddle 'til another one is overcome by the temptation.

[NYC Liberal]

19. What kind of idiot would think this wouldn't trigger red flags all over?

Did he honestly think these kinds of computers aren't monitored, especially for searches like these?

Did he think if he just typed in "BARACK OBAMA" and "8/4/1961" ... he'd find some super secret criminal record that nobody ever found before?

[Politicalboi]

20. Well they found Obama's

"Real" birth certificate from Kenya don't ya know. :rofl: You never know what you might find in these here tubes.

[Tulio]

23. They don't seem to think anything through.

That's most surprising. The footprints they leave. Oy!

[SunsetDreams]

24. Bwahahaha what an idiot!

Here's your sign!

[CoffinEd]

25. Maybe better training will help...

Because obviously it seems that some cops don't understand the full capability of the Mobile Data Terminal. ;)

[smoochpooch]

28. This guy doesn't have the judgment to enforce the law. They should have more stringent requirements