WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.360 --> 00:00:04.599 It's Night Side with Dan Ray on w b Z 2 00:00:05.120 --> 00:00:06.360 Boston Radio. 3 00:00:06.879 --> 00:00:10.279 Thank you very much, Dan Watkins. Want to talk tonight 4 00:00:11.480 --> 00:00:13.679 with someone who have known for a long time. He's 5 00:00:13.679 --> 00:00:18.120 the former chief of police in Milton, Massachusetts. Currently now 6 00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:22.039 he represents that fine community at the state House state 7 00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:25.800 Representative Richard Wells. Representative Wells, welcome to NIGHTSID. 8 00:00:25.839 --> 00:00:28.320 How are you believing, my friend? 9 00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:31.359 How are you Dan doing? Great? Richard? You're a Democrat 10 00:00:32.200 --> 00:00:35.359 in the majority up there, but you're working with a 11 00:00:35.479 --> 00:00:42.799 Republican from another part of the state, Uh, which Marty 12 00:00:42.840 --> 00:00:50.399 Eggs areus? I believe how we represent from yah Republican. 13 00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:55.119 The common ally that that you have is that Representative 14 00:00:55.880 --> 00:01:01.159 Zarius uh has spent forty years in the the Armouth 15 00:01:01.159 --> 00:01:05.200 Police Department. And what we're concerned about, frankly, is a 16 00:01:05.239 --> 00:01:09.439 piece of legislation that I know was adopted in Florida. 17 00:01:09.480 --> 00:01:11.640 Has it been adopted in any other states that you're 18 00:01:11.640 --> 00:01:12.040 aware of? 19 00:01:13.000 --> 00:01:16.159 I'm not aware of it. It was adopted in Flarta 20 00:01:16.200 --> 00:01:18.959 I bloemd just before I entered the legislature, which was 21 00:01:19.959 --> 00:01:21.799 that the year I'm a freshman up and it was 22 00:01:21.840 --> 00:01:25.159 adopted last year, right, be honestly, It's not something I 23 00:01:25.159 --> 00:01:27.920 have a thought of, but it's badly what a point 24 00:01:27.959 --> 00:01:33.799 then in the career and a first professional first responders 25 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:36.040 was something I needs to be enacted. 26 00:01:36.640 --> 00:01:40.239 Well, I mean, we saw some craziness in Worcester the 27 00:01:40.280 --> 00:01:43.920 other day. I think back to what went on in 28 00:01:43.959 --> 00:01:46.599 the wake of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis 29 00:01:46.599 --> 00:01:49.120 and in other cities around the country a few years 30 00:01:49.159 --> 00:01:53.599 ago Seattle, there was a period of time where they 31 00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:58.359 had a zone out there, so called autonomous zone. Here 32 00:01:58.400 --> 00:02:03.280 in Boston police office have been confronted not only in 33 00:02:03.640 --> 00:02:08.240 demonstrations at night by the Boston common but there was 34 00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:12.879 a demonstration a few years ago when some of the 35 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:16.159 right wing knuckleheads wanted to have a march in downtown 36 00:02:16.199 --> 00:02:19.080 Boston and they were doing something at the bandstand, and 37 00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:23.199 the police were there to simply protect their right to 38 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:26.080 express themselves and a lot of folks ended up in 39 00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:30.159 confrontations with the police. Firefighters in New York City have 40 00:02:30.199 --> 00:02:33.280 been pelted with bottles at different times when they have 41 00:02:33.400 --> 00:02:35.520 tried to respond to fires, and I'm sure there are 42 00:02:35.560 --> 00:02:39.560 other instances that I can't recall on If there's anything 43 00:02:39.560 --> 00:02:42.520 that you want to add to it, being a first responder, 44 00:02:42.879 --> 00:02:47.240 a police officer, a firefighter, or an EMT can be 45 00:02:47.319 --> 00:02:50.879 First of all, it's very serious business. It's dangerous business, 46 00:02:51.080 --> 00:02:53.240 and if you have to have eyes in the back 47 00:02:53.280 --> 00:02:59.039 of your head, that can cause real problems. Would this 48 00:02:59.159 --> 00:03:05.240 piece of legislation would do It would protect officers from 49 00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:10.439 people interfering with them as they're attempting to, you know, 50 00:03:10.520 --> 00:03:14.000 to do their job. You describe it better than me, 51 00:03:14.120 --> 00:03:17.560 but feel free to let our listeners know what you 52 00:03:17.599 --> 00:03:21.639 think the legislature should pass so clearly. 53 00:03:22.120 --> 00:03:26.039 You know, my life has been dedicated to the professional 54 00:03:26.080 --> 00:03:29.960 policing and I'm very humble to now be a member 55 00:03:29.960 --> 00:03:32.919 of the Master's' Legislature. It's next to being a cop, 56 00:03:32.960 --> 00:03:37.639 which is probably the thing I identify with the most professionally. 57 00:03:38.919 --> 00:03:41.479 I find what takes place in the legislature each and 58 00:03:41.560 --> 00:03:44.120 every day among so many men and women to be 59 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:46.840 truly honorable work. You know, you may not always agree 60 00:03:46.879 --> 00:03:49.520 whether I'm a nortre. They listen to everyone to watch 61 00:03:49.599 --> 00:03:51.919 them the door, and that's that's pretty admirable. But in 62 00:03:52.199 --> 00:03:55.719 the Hail Act. Since I retired from the police department 63 00:03:55.840 --> 00:03:58.719 almost eight years ago, I've been working as a police 64 00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:01.759 trainer for the karmawealth of them for police training communion. 65 00:04:02.039 --> 00:04:05.199 I've traveled, I travel extensively across the callon Wealth, teaching 66 00:04:05.199 --> 00:04:08.680 the police academies in all the various regions. But the 67 00:04:08.759 --> 00:04:13.960 halo actors created because even though police officers understand today 68 00:04:14.199 --> 00:04:15.879 when they walk out the door, you know, not only 69 00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:18.560 are they wearing a body camera probably now, but they're 70 00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:22.600 on camera every day, you know, everywhere the issues that's 71 00:04:22.639 --> 00:04:27.079 happened now with touch a degree of frequency, it's almost 72 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:32.120 become a sport. Is that when an officer or a firefighter. Recently, 73 00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:35.439 I watched the case where two fire ms personnel working 74 00:04:35.519 --> 00:04:38.120 I think was a stabbing victim, was a very hectic 75 00:04:38.120 --> 00:04:40.360 at night seeing they were trying to and people were 76 00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:43.639 just harassing them, getting in their face, taunting them, and 77 00:04:43.959 --> 00:04:47.040 the camera sometimes is part of it. Sometimes it isn't 78 00:04:47.439 --> 00:04:49.480 you know, officers first response as they say it used 79 00:04:49.480 --> 00:04:52.040 to being videotaped. This has nothing to do with the 80 00:04:52.040 --> 00:04:54.680 first amount of videotaping people. But when you get to 81 00:04:54.720 --> 00:04:58.959 the point that you're active, actively interfering with them in 82 00:04:59.000 --> 00:05:01.920 the course of their duty, the point that someone could 83 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:04.759 get hurt or potentially lose their life. That's where there 84 00:05:04.759 --> 00:05:07.399 has to be some type of deterrent, you know, as 85 00:05:07.399 --> 00:05:09.399 it's something that's going to be used every day. No, 86 00:05:09.639 --> 00:05:12.120 but and I'll bring it in. Just look at and 87 00:05:12.439 --> 00:05:15.160 I probably took six or eight incidents just from the 88 00:05:15.160 --> 00:05:18.279 Saint Patrick's Day Parade in Boston just this most reached 89 00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:21.800 of March, and there were so many incidents that I 90 00:05:22.279 --> 00:05:25.040 couldn't even count, to the point that it was you, 91 00:05:25.199 --> 00:05:27.759 the media who was reporting on these incidents. That's how 92 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:29.319 they came to mind, or that's how I started to 93 00:05:29.319 --> 00:05:30.199 pay attention to them. 94 00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:32.519 So what you're saying at the Saint Patrick's Day parade, 95 00:05:32.560 --> 00:05:37.240 some people were disorderly and police officers approach him, and 96 00:05:37.279 --> 00:05:39.639 I assume you're describing a situation where the crowd then 97 00:05:39.720 --> 00:05:40.639 turns on the police. 98 00:05:41.319 --> 00:05:43.639 Well, this is even more than that. This is where 99 00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:46.199 the officers are now decided to take an action where 100 00:05:46.199 --> 00:05:49.000 they're either trying to disperse someone, lose someonere actually and 101 00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:52.439 too often is where they go to have to make 102 00:05:52.439 --> 00:05:54.879 an arrest and go to take someone into custody. And 103 00:05:54.920 --> 00:05:58.399 that's where many of these cases are. From the point 104 00:05:58.439 --> 00:06:02.279 of a first responders, they start to work on someone else, 105 00:06:02.480 --> 00:06:05.600 they're trying to take action and they're suddenly surrounded where 106 00:06:06.199 --> 00:06:08.199 people are right in their face, tous and them. I 107 00:06:08.240 --> 00:06:09.800 don't know if you saw that video a couple of 108 00:06:09.800 --> 00:06:13.199 weeks ago to Boston police officer doing nothing, just assigned 109 00:06:13.240 --> 00:06:16.560 to a scene whose standing is completely surrounded, taking no 110 00:06:16.680 --> 00:06:20.319 action at all, just being harassed, called every name in 111 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:23.560 the book, just as they say. It's I'm a sport 112 00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:28.480 and you know we have twenty mine hours school zones. 113 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:31.879 In a speedless in the school zone is a deterrent 114 00:06:31.879 --> 00:06:34.959 to speeding badly would come to the point where there 115 00:06:34.959 --> 00:06:36.800 has to be some type of determ. It's not in 116 00:06:36.920 --> 00:06:40.199 arresting offense. It's a fine, and it only would would 117 00:06:40.279 --> 00:06:43.800 kick in after being ordered by the first responder to 118 00:06:43.879 --> 00:06:45.000 get back to stand back. 119 00:06:45.079 --> 00:06:50.079 While that is the analogy for me, representative is you 120 00:06:50.120 --> 00:06:53.319 and I go to a ballgame at Fenway Park and 121 00:06:53.360 --> 00:06:55.040 we think to ourselves, you know, I could do a 122 00:06:55.040 --> 00:06:57.560 better job than that third base coach. So I'm going 123 00:06:57.639 --> 00:06:59.519 to jump onto the field. I'm not going to interfere 124 00:06:59.560 --> 00:07:01.319 with anybody, but I'm just gonna stand next to a 125 00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:04.360 third base coach and when somebody you know, hits a double, 126 00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:07.519 I can wave the runner in or you know, I 127 00:07:07.560 --> 00:07:11.519 mean that sounds like a like a crazy idea, but 128 00:07:11.959 --> 00:07:15.120 obviously that third base coach is gonna wait, who are you? 129 00:07:15.199 --> 00:07:18.160 What are you doing here? Or you know, I'm going 130 00:07:18.240 --> 00:07:21.040 to walk into some doctor's office and when the doctor 131 00:07:21.160 --> 00:07:24.199 is calling the next patient in, I'll walk in with 132 00:07:24.240 --> 00:07:26.160 the next patient and just say, gee, doc, I want 133 00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:28.040 to see how good a job you do. I mean 134 00:07:28.600 --> 00:07:32.279 that this is insane. I mean, you know, or when 135 00:07:32.279 --> 00:07:34.399 there's a fire, maybe I want to climb up the 136 00:07:34.439 --> 00:07:37.240 fire ladder and see what it's like to go up 137 00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:40.279 that fire ladder and feel the heat of those flames 138 00:07:40.319 --> 00:07:43.399 coming out the window. I mean, there are people who 139 00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:47.399 were just I hate to use a technical term here representative, 140 00:07:47.720 --> 00:07:51.959 but there are people who were nuts, you know. I 141 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:53.680 mean it's like the guy that runs out on the 142 00:07:53.680 --> 00:07:56.480 football field in the middle of a Patriots game and 143 00:07:56.639 --> 00:07:59.680 you know, some linebacker decides to knock him down. I mean, 144 00:07:59.720 --> 00:08:02.839 the you know what, right, just because you buy a 145 00:08:02.879 --> 00:08:05.399 ticket to a sporting event doesn't mean you could run 146 00:08:05.399 --> 00:08:08.519 out onto the field. We all understand that. And just 147 00:08:08.560 --> 00:08:10.600 because you happen to be in a neighborhood and come 148 00:08:10.680 --> 00:08:13.600 upon a police officer or an EMT or a firefighter 149 00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:16.639 doing their job. You don't have a right to crowd 150 00:08:16.680 --> 00:08:19.600 them and to distract from them as they're doing their job, 151 00:08:19.759 --> 00:08:21.399 any more than you have the right of walking into 152 00:08:21.439 --> 00:08:24.920 an operating room while surgery is going on and say, well, look, 153 00:08:24.959 --> 00:08:26.600 I want to scrub up here. I want to watch 154 00:08:26.600 --> 00:08:29.279 the surgeon make sure he doesn't make a mistake. People 155 00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:32.600 are nuts. People are nuts. How tough is it going 156 00:08:32.679 --> 00:08:35.639 to be to get the legislature to get behind something 157 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:38.039 like this, Richard, I don't know. 158 00:08:38.120 --> 00:08:40.480 I did look today. 159 00:08:40.519 --> 00:08:40.799 I was. 160 00:08:41.480 --> 00:08:44.399 I mean, I'm brand new, and I understand I'm brand new. 161 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:46.600 I'm not a chief and the legislature. I'm not the 162 00:08:46.679 --> 00:08:50.360 chair of the selectable, and I am a freshman legislator 163 00:08:50.440 --> 00:08:54.279 who I describe very much in an active apprenticeship, trying 164 00:08:54.279 --> 00:08:57.919 to learn things every day. I am. I know that, 165 00:08:58.600 --> 00:09:02.759 as you know, to pass legislature is a very difficult 166 00:09:04.039 --> 00:09:07.200 ill amount of climb, maybe amount of climb I'm mature, 167 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:10.840 but I do worry that I will say this to you. 168 00:09:10.840 --> 00:09:12.960 You know, I do sit in the Public Safety Committee, 169 00:09:13.000 --> 00:09:17.080 and I every day you meet with different constituencies that 170 00:09:17.159 --> 00:09:18.919 come before you, and one of the things that truly 171 00:09:18.919 --> 00:09:22.120 does bother me today that concerns me, and I felt 172 00:09:22.120 --> 00:09:24.679 this a little before I got there, But it's I mean, 173 00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:31.399 these types of assaults and interferings with not just police officers, 174 00:09:31.440 --> 00:09:36.799 firefighters and EMTs. It's emergency on nurses, mental health worker 175 00:09:36.840 --> 00:09:43.159 is probatient, it's correctionally, it's everywhere. I listened to testimony 176 00:09:43.360 --> 00:09:47.120 a couple of weeks ago from a professional medical group 177 00:09:47.159 --> 00:09:51.759 that like one every twenty seconds a hospital workers assaulted 178 00:09:51.799 --> 00:09:54.720 in a hospital in the common Like that's who think 179 00:09:54.799 --> 00:09:59.159 that would even be, you know, a possibility. But I 180 00:09:59.240 --> 00:10:01.559 often say in my causes that I teach in the 181 00:10:01.600 --> 00:10:04.679 police and my dad is the greatest terry nation. A 182 00:10:04.720 --> 00:10:08.559 lowatu guy or the police department. In nineteen forty nine, 183 00:10:08.600 --> 00:10:12.039 he was issued a revolver, a six bullets, a pair 184 00:10:12.080 --> 00:10:15.919 of handcuffs, and a twelve in nightstick. About a year later, 185 00:10:15.960 --> 00:10:20.679 I think he went to the police academy for two weeks. 186 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:23.080 In nineteen eighty four, I came on the job, I 187 00:10:23.159 --> 00:10:25.480 was issued to revolve a speed over as a can 188 00:10:25.480 --> 00:10:29.600 of pepper spray, and I was the police academy for 189 00:10:29.679 --> 00:10:32.879 twelve weeks. Today, a police officer in the United States 190 00:10:33.240 --> 00:10:36.720 come into the profession that issued everything from a body 191 00:10:36.759 --> 00:10:41.039 camera to a pistol to the days that all these things, 192 00:10:41.240 --> 00:10:43.480 all types of equipment, and they go to the police 193 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:49.159 academy almost over six months now, you nor I any legislation. 194 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:52.919 None of us made that happen. That's the complexity of society. 195 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:54.960 And look at I wish they didn't have to be 196 00:10:54.960 --> 00:10:59.399 a Hale act, but I've watched so many of these incidents, 197 00:10:59.600 --> 00:11:03.679 and the officers and the first responders, the firefighters, the 198 00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:06.879 mts have to have some type of ability. It's not 199 00:11:06.919 --> 00:11:10.080 the nice You want a videotape, videotape, videotape from twenty 200 00:11:10.080 --> 00:11:13.360 five feet a window, don't be five inches from their face. 201 00:11:13.440 --> 00:11:15.799 Yeah, well, that's the point with the camera. 202 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:16.519 Just don't do it. 203 00:11:16.759 --> 00:11:19.519 That's why you need this piece of legislation. What my 204 00:11:19.679 --> 00:11:25.799 concern is is that the legislature does not prioritize not 205 00:11:25.840 --> 00:11:31.320 only the safety of police officers, firefighters, EMTs, but also 206 00:11:31.440 --> 00:11:38.000 prioritize the safety of individual citizens. I mean, the problems 207 00:11:38.039 --> 00:11:40.799 like this can occur at the drop of a hat. 208 00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:44.960 You had that guy who went into a Chick fil 209 00:11:45.000 --> 00:11:50.679 A was it last January on Boylston Straight and got 210 00:11:50.679 --> 00:11:54.240 into a gunfight with an off duty police officer. I'm 211 00:11:54.279 --> 00:11:57.399 sure the police officer didn't start the gunfight. He finished it, 212 00:11:57.440 --> 00:12:01.840 But I didn't start the gunfight. Just don't know. There 213 00:12:01.840 --> 00:12:04.440 are a lot of people out there who feel as 214 00:12:04.480 --> 00:12:08.039 if they have the authority to basically take control of 215 00:12:08.080 --> 00:12:12.120 a situation, and I just hope the legislature doesn't look 216 00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:15.000 at this as some sort of a piece of legislation 217 00:12:15.440 --> 00:12:21.600 which is going to prohibit or restrict First Amendment activities 218 00:12:21.600 --> 00:12:25.080 of individuals, all of us who are lawyers, and I 219 00:12:25.080 --> 00:12:26.600 believe you're a lawyer as well. 220 00:12:27.000 --> 00:12:34.360 I know, okay, a graduate school appeal instead of going 221 00:12:34.360 --> 00:12:35.000 to a lot of school. 222 00:12:35.279 --> 00:12:38.279 Okay, well, master's and urban. 223 00:12:38.039 --> 00:12:40.279 Affairs and of administration, so. 224 00:12:41.399 --> 00:12:46.600 Okay, well, look, look, I'm an absolutist in the First Amendment. 225 00:12:47.039 --> 00:12:51.279 But however, however, I don't have a right to walk 226 00:12:51.320 --> 00:12:54.159 into the Red Sox broadcast booth someday and take over 227 00:12:54.200 --> 00:12:56.519 the microphone. I don't have a right to walk up 228 00:12:56.519 --> 00:12:58.360 to you in the middle of the street and insult 229 00:12:58.440 --> 00:13:03.399 you and your HEROD and your family tree. That's what's 230 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:05.960 called fighting words. I don't have the right to go 231 00:13:06.879 --> 00:13:09.159 and yell fire, just for the fun of it in 232 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:12.559 the theater and see how people react. There are limitations. 233 00:13:12.639 --> 00:13:17.200 I can't defame you, you know. There are limitations on 234 00:13:17.240 --> 00:13:19.759 the First Amendment, and this is one that I think 235 00:13:19.879 --> 00:13:24.240 is justified. There's a buffer zone at abortion clinics here 236 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:28.240 in Massachusetts, which I think most members of the legislature 237 00:13:28.279 --> 00:13:30.279 have supported, so that people want to go in and 238 00:13:30.279 --> 00:13:34.080 avail themselves of the services. However strongly some of the 239 00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:38.360 protesters might disagree. They don't have the right to impede 240 00:13:38.840 --> 00:13:43.080 the person, just as the students at all of these 241 00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:45.559 schools and universities in the last year or so don't 242 00:13:45.559 --> 00:13:48.519 have the right to impede other students. Richard Wells is 243 00:13:48.519 --> 00:13:52.159 my guest, the state representative, former police chief in Milton, Massachusetts. 244 00:13:52.840 --> 00:13:55.360 If all the Democrats were as levelhead as as Richard 245 00:13:55.399 --> 00:14:00.559 Wells would be in a much better shape to stand 246 00:14:00.600 --> 00:14:03.279 that I have. It was me that said It was 247 00:14:03.440 --> 00:14:04.360 me that it said that. 248 00:14:04.919 --> 00:14:05.039 Uh. 249 00:14:05.399 --> 00:14:07.879 But I and I think that some of the legislators 250 00:14:07.879 --> 00:14:10.879 in Massachusetts can get off the fence, uh, and they 251 00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:13.159 can go ahead, uh and support you on this one. 252 00:14:13.240 --> 00:14:15.080 Let's let's take a break. I want to get some 253 00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:16.799 phone calls. Can I can you stick with me for 254 00:14:16.840 --> 00:14:19.879 a while here and take some phone calls there? Yeah, yeah, 255 00:14:19.919 --> 00:14:24.120 six one, seven, two, five, four ten thirty six one seven, nine, three, 256 00:14:24.200 --> 00:14:27.000 one ten thirty. Coming right back on Knightside of State 257 00:14:27.080 --> 00:14:30.480 Representative Richard Wells with the piece of legislation that I 258 00:14:30.519 --> 00:14:33.840 think is long overdue. 259 00:14:33.639 --> 00:14:38.080 Night Side with Dan Ray. I'm telling you Bes Boston's 260 00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:38.799 News Radio. 261 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:40.559 All right, we're going to try to get to as 262 00:14:40.639 --> 00:14:43.080 many people as possible. I think this is a piece 263 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:46.720 of legislation that is long overdue. With me as state 264 00:14:46.799 --> 00:14:50.919 Representative Richard Wells represents, do you represent the entire town 265 00:14:50.960 --> 00:14:52.399 of Milton or do you have other. 266 00:14:53.360 --> 00:14:57.519 Other Milton and a big piece of Randolphs as well. 267 00:14:57.799 --> 00:15:01.440 Okay, two great towns. Let's go Tom. Tom, you were 268 00:15:01.480 --> 00:15:03.720 next on night Side with Richard Wells talking about the 269 00:15:03.759 --> 00:15:05.120 idea of a Halo Act. 270 00:15:05.120 --> 00:15:10.519 Go right ahead, Hey, Dan, I just want to inform 271 00:15:10.600 --> 00:15:16.519 you I changed my voter registration in twenty twenty. I 272 00:15:16.600 --> 00:15:20.879 own two pieces of property, one in Brockton, Massachusetts, one 273 00:15:20.919 --> 00:15:26.279 in West Virginia, Massachusetts. I gave up on a change 274 00:15:26.360 --> 00:15:31.600 voter registration. However, I'm going to change it back to Massachusetts. 275 00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:37.399 I support this legislation, and can I mention my state 276 00:15:37.480 --> 00:15:43.240 rep in Brockton about the George Floyd police reform about uh. 277 00:15:44.840 --> 00:15:47.919 Stay community, I'd rather stay talking. 278 00:15:47.799 --> 00:15:52.480 About Dan Dan All right, well I won't I won't digress, 279 00:15:52.919 --> 00:15:57.039 thank you. But here's the bottom line. We we need 280 00:15:57.080 --> 00:16:04.279 to have police officers and firemen and emergency medics that 281 00:16:04.480 --> 00:16:10.279 don't need armchair quarterbacks screaming up at them at the 282 00:16:10.360 --> 00:16:14.440 time of there's an incident that gets settled in a 283 00:16:14.519 --> 00:16:18.919 court of law, and I would support this. I am 284 00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:22.919 going to tell you one thing. When I reregister in 285 00:16:22.960 --> 00:16:26.960 the state of Massachusetts, I will register as an unenrolled 286 00:16:27.559 --> 00:16:32.080 and there is absolutely no way I'm going to vote 287 00:16:32.080 --> 00:16:37.279 for my current state representative who will remain nameless, as 288 00:16:37.360 --> 00:16:43.399 well as the current sitting governor, because in my opinion, look, 289 00:16:43.480 --> 00:16:51.559 all right, I'm done. I'm done with the Democratic Party. 290 00:16:51.840 --> 00:16:52.679 That's all I can tell you. 291 00:16:53.080 --> 00:16:56.200 This is a Democrat who is supporting this piece of legislation. 292 00:16:56.440 --> 00:16:59.679 Just remember that Tom Saalo to forman Milton police. 293 00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:04.200 Hang on, hang on. This is one Democrat that has 294 00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:07.680 some common sense that is not the case and the 295 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:11.079 majority of Democrats in Massachusetts. 296 00:17:11.680 --> 00:17:16.279 You got it, You got it. Thank you. Tom Richard, 297 00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:18.440 I got to take a newsbreak here. Stick with me. 298 00:17:18.759 --> 00:17:20.480 I want to get some other points of view on this. 299 00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:22.480 I think I want to get people back to the 300 00:17:22.680 --> 00:17:25.559 to the issue at hand, and that is the Halo Act, 301 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:31.000 a twenty five foot barffer zone around police, firefighters or 302 00:17:31.039 --> 00:17:36.200 e mts as they are attempting to execute their office, 303 00:17:36.440 --> 00:17:43.599 whether it's arresting someone, helping someone, aiding someone. We should 304 00:17:43.680 --> 00:17:46.680 we should all understand that we're not the people who 305 00:17:46.759 --> 00:17:50.720 were called into life saving situations. We're not called into 306 00:17:50.759 --> 00:17:53.559 situations to disarm somebody who has a knife for a 307 00:17:53.599 --> 00:17:56.920 gun in a crowd. Let the police do their job. 308 00:17:57.319 --> 00:18:01.720 If they overreact. There's plenty of police officers who have 309 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:06.519 lost their jobs as a consequence and as a result. 310 00:18:06.680 --> 00:18:11.319 I think police today are better trained and probably better 311 00:18:11.400 --> 00:18:14.759 behaved than police have ever been in the history of 312 00:18:14.759 --> 00:18:17.440 this country. And you keep pushing them and pushing them 313 00:18:17.440 --> 00:18:20.200 and pushing them, and now make them the subject of 314 00:18:20.279 --> 00:18:25.200 abuse to which they have no protection. That gets real dangerous. 315 00:18:25.319 --> 00:18:29.960 We'll take a quick break back with State Representative Richard Wells. Folks, 316 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:32.240 I want to hear you on this. The only line 317 00:18:32.279 --> 00:18:33.559 that is open right now if you want to get 318 00:18:33.559 --> 00:18:37.839 through is six one, seven ninety coming right back on Nightside. 319 00:18:38.920 --> 00:18:43.200 You're on night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's 320 00:18:43.240 --> 00:18:43.880 news radio. 321 00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:49.880 All right, my guess State Representative Richard Wells he along 322 00:18:49.920 --> 00:18:53.839 with a Republican colleague, have filed a pretty simple piece 323 00:18:53.880 --> 00:18:58.039 of legislation called the Halo Act. And I hope that 324 00:18:58.400 --> 00:19:02.279 people here in Massachusetts, even in our legislatus, will realize 325 00:19:02.559 --> 00:19:09.119 that this could could prevent injuries not only to police officers, firefighters, 326 00:19:09.119 --> 00:19:14.960 and EMTs, but also to civilians. It's this, this will 327 00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:18.880 only take the temperature down, Steven Cambridge. Steve, to me, 328 00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:22.119 this is a no brain of what says Dan High. 329 00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:26.480 Representative Wells Well, I mean one of the problems is 330 00:19:26.559 --> 00:19:29.640 this is in a public space. It's not in a 331 00:19:29.720 --> 00:19:35.880 doctor's office or a private space. So and in addition 332 00:19:36.039 --> 00:19:37.960 to that, I mean I can see a problem with 333 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:40.319 how do you know that what twenty five feet is? 334 00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:45.480 And I guess my last question or comment would be 335 00:19:45.599 --> 00:19:49.960 for the representative. I assume this does not have anything 336 00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:54.000 to do with speech. This is merely people can must 337 00:19:54.039 --> 00:19:57.920 be twenty five feet away, but they can hurl. Not 338 00:19:58.000 --> 00:20:00.559 that I approve of it, but nonetheless we do have 339 00:20:00.599 --> 00:20:01.319 a First Amendment. 340 00:20:01.480 --> 00:20:02.000 Of course they do. 341 00:20:02.119 --> 00:20:05.960 They can hurrow as many insults as they wish as 342 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:07.720 long as they're twenty five feet away. 343 00:20:07.799 --> 00:20:12.200 Is that correct, Yes, Richard, that's correct. That's correct. So 344 00:20:12.599 --> 00:20:18.000 I know a little bit about your city. That's correct. 345 00:20:18.079 --> 00:20:20.680 This has nothing I mean, I'll be very bud. I 346 00:20:20.759 --> 00:20:24.119 say this publicly in my classes of sent us and speeches. 347 00:20:24.519 --> 00:20:27.319 There are no greater protectors of the United States Constitution, 348 00:20:27.480 --> 00:20:30.400 including the First Amendment, than those in the front line 349 00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:33.880 who to do it every single day. And again, you 350 00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:36.599 can videotape from twenty five feet away. You can, as 351 00:20:36.599 --> 00:20:38.880 I said, this case on the boss, the case and 352 00:20:38.920 --> 00:20:40.960 I referred to from a couple of weeks ago. I mean, 353 00:20:41.000 --> 00:20:43.559 they were in his face, calling him. I don't know 354 00:20:43.559 --> 00:20:47.119 how he kept his composure. It goes to the just 355 00:20:47.160 --> 00:20:51.119 how well trained he's done A women are today. But no, 356 00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:53.759 it would not affect speech. But it would not just 357 00:20:53.759 --> 00:20:55.640 be in a public place. If you were in a 358 00:20:55.720 --> 00:20:59.559 doctor let's say something happened. Emergency departments are where things 359 00:20:59.559 --> 00:21:04.000 happen all too frequently. Now it could, It would be depending, 360 00:21:04.039 --> 00:21:06.640 but it would. There are two key aspects to it. A. 361 00:21:06.839 --> 00:21:09.000 The officers in the in the in the courts of 362 00:21:09.079 --> 00:21:12.079 some type of duty action, the other responders have taken 363 00:21:12.200 --> 00:21:15.759 some type of action, and b they make verbal notice 364 00:21:15.759 --> 00:21:18.559 of you to stand back, you know, twenty five feet 365 00:21:18.599 --> 00:21:21.880 with a with a day with a favorite. I don't 366 00:21:21.880 --> 00:21:24.440 know if they'd be able, but being able to tell 367 00:21:24.440 --> 00:21:26.839 them to stand back and stay twenty five feet away 368 00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:30.200 would be a lawful lot. And you know, and to 369 00:21:30.240 --> 00:21:33.480 the point of the other issues in first generational protests 370 00:21:33.480 --> 00:21:35.480 take place each and every day. I mean the stadeoffs. 371 00:21:35.519 --> 00:21:40.640 We am outside of Cambridge, Boston. You've seen countless protests 372 00:21:40.640 --> 00:21:44.720 since the attacks in Israel two years ago now and 373 00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:47.000 very rarely do alloted for us or make any arrests 374 00:21:47.079 --> 00:21:50.640 or any castle raises at all. And this is only 375 00:21:51.400 --> 00:21:54.079 again why you're in the courts of taking some type 376 00:21:54.079 --> 00:21:57.400 of action, be it saving someone's life or taking someone 377 00:21:57.440 --> 00:21:58.359 into customer. 378 00:21:58.200 --> 00:22:02.200 See what what what do you think think about abortion 379 00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:03.440 clinic buffer zones? 380 00:22:05.240 --> 00:22:08.640 No, I think they're reasonable. Of course, you know Dan 381 00:22:08.880 --> 00:22:14.440 that the Supreme Court unanimously struck down a Massachusetts law 382 00:22:14.920 --> 00:22:18.039 where they had the buffer zones the Supreme Court felt 383 00:22:18.119 --> 00:22:21.599 were unreasonable and violated the Amendment. 384 00:22:21.680 --> 00:22:24.480 I'm aware of that, but but I don't think twenty 385 00:22:24.519 --> 00:22:26.519 five feet is a reasonable district. 386 00:22:26.519 --> 00:22:29.920 I mean, twenty five the law sounds great to me. 387 00:22:30.039 --> 00:22:32.279 I think it's a shame that we even think we 388 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:35.200 need such a law, and I think it's a shame. 389 00:22:35.279 --> 00:22:40.759 And I think for people to hurl insults at first 390 00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:45.759 responders is terrible. But unfortunately that is part of the part. 391 00:22:46.160 --> 00:22:47.319 That's part of the first part of. 392 00:22:47.319 --> 00:22:50.079 The bad with the good we get from a first Amendment. 393 00:22:51.359 --> 00:22:53.960 Yeah, what to say, the vast majority of it is 394 00:22:54.000 --> 00:22:56.279 absolutely good. Again, if you and I are walking down 395 00:22:56.319 --> 00:23:00.279 the street and I happened to bump into you inadvertently, ever, 396 00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:03.079 and if I say, gee, I'm really sorry, you don't 397 00:23:03.119 --> 00:23:05.119 then have a right to get right in my face 398 00:23:05.480 --> 00:23:08.440 you look at me. You do this again? If that's 399 00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:11.279 called fighting words, you can't do that. Okay, now you 400 00:23:11.319 --> 00:23:11.799 know more? 401 00:23:11.960 --> 00:23:14.119