The Jack-Booted Thug(s) of the Week...

... are the members of the Philadelphia Police Department who have been continually harassing 24-year-old licensed security guard and concealed-carry permit holder John Solomon, merely due to his insistence on carrying his holstered firearm while waiting to catch his regular bus, a perfectly legal act in that city.

The Philly cops arrested Solomon two days in a row last week over his refusal to not carry at the bus stop and have once again confiscated his pistol (the one that was just returned to him from another unlawful confiscation last August) and guard license, yet they haven't seen fit to charge him with a crime in any of the incidents (mostly because he isn't committing one, save for possibly carrying while black, something that's still all-too-common in today's America).  Oh, and Solomon claims that during this latest roust the cops erased pictures of other bus-riders he had taken at the time from his cell phone.  Can anyone say "evidence-tampering"?

Special mention has to go to department spokesman Sgt. Ray Evers for his utterly poor attitude when discussing his department's unlawful actions:

"Police think that Solomon was being insolent and used poor judgment, including by showing up armed at the same bus stop at which he was arrested the previous day.

"If he's that defiant, should this guy have a gun?" said Sgt. Ray Evers, a police spokesman."

Gee, Sergeant, we didn't realize "defiance" and "insolence" were against the law, especially when they take the form of refusing to obey an illegal order from a random uniformed goon.  We actually think that's showing some pretty decent judgment on Solomon's part, to be perfectly frank.

If what Solomon's doing is so wrong, by the way, then how about charging him with a crime?

"Evers said that Solomon has been 'evasive and uncooperative' and that police had every right to take his guns and permits.

Solomon has the right to not answer questions from a passing officer, and asserting that right is also not against the law.  Boy, one sure doesn't have a lot of rights in Philadelphia, at least according to their cops.

"'The gun has been taken because when you go through the process of arrest, we have the right to take your gun and secure it and you have to fight to get it back,' he said."

Again, that's perfectly appropriate, assuming the person is subsequently charged with a crime.  Solomon, we remind everyone, has not been given so much as a ticket, despite all of these obviously bogus collars and his many hours of sitting in a holding cell.  

Solomon's attorney must be absolutely licking his or her chops at the size of the large civil-rights claim they are no doubt preparing at this very moment.  Too bad the award will come from the pockets of the city's peasants rather than directly from thugs like Evers.