Cops hit a language barrier in arrest

Times-Picayune ^ | June 26, 2007 | Jeff Muskus

[BBell]

Language barriers hampered Slidell police Sunday night when officers responding to a 911 call about a knifing had to wait nearly half an hour for an interpreter before they could question a suspect.

Officers arrived at the scene in the 700 block of Walnut Street shortly after 9:20 p.m., when the distress call was logged, police said.

They were met by a man who said Santos Lopez, 36, of nearby Cypress Street, had approached him after exiting 736 Walnut St. and said he had been cut by a man named Isaac.

The officers arrested Isaac Ramirez, 33, about 9:35 p.m., police said.

They had to wait for Reserve Officer Sam Hernandez to arrive to serve as an interpeter because Ramirez -- who, like Lopez, spoke only Spanish.

According to the man who said Lopez had passed him earlier, police said, Lopez and Ramirez had been in Ramirez's living room watching television when Ramirez began arguing with his wife, slashing Lopez when he attempted to intervene.

But with Hernandez translating, Ramirez said he was preparing to confront Lopez about deprecating statements regarding Ramirez's wife when Lopez approached him suddenly from behind.

In either case, police said, Ramirez did not dispute that he slashed Lopez with a box cutter, making a cut about 7 inches long across his chest.

Ramirez was booked with aggravated battery. Lopez was treated at Slidell Memorial Hospital and released.

[BBell]

Before Katrina we had very few Hispanics in our area who didn't speak English. We had very few Hispanics. After Katrina we were flooded with them. The article doesn't say wheather they are legal or not.

[Red Badger]

Que?.......

[ConservaTexan]

That’s what happens when groups refuse to assimilate.

[Hazcat]

In either case, police said, Ramirez did not dispute that he slashed Lopez with a box cutter, making a cut about 7 inches long across his chest. Ramirez was booked with aggravated battery. Lopez was treated at Slidell Memorial Hospital and released.

Dang it! CUT DEEPER (and we could have had a twofer!)

[massgopguy]

At last count we have 14 spoken languages in my City. The Emergency numbers answer in only one, ENGLISH. I suggest the other 13 learn it. Officer Babelfish is out on disability.

[Niteranger68]

The police know exactly how figure out who “hablas”. One officer will simply say out loud to another officer, “Let’s arrest the one with the dirtiest shoes”. Then, just count the ones who look down at their shoes.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Aprende Espanol, tu estupido Americano!

[Churchillspirit]

Bet they know the words welfare and food stamps

[Hegemony Cricket]

“Slash one for English...”

[Gideon T. Reader]

When I first became a Police Officer back in 1964, I was issued a small pocket booklet called “Spanish for Police”.
It had lots of simple phrases in phonetic Spanish and was a pretty easy thing to use.
Soon phrases such as !NO SEM WAYVA! (Don't move!) or Mano Arriba! (Hands up!) or VASSEE SUS BOSEEYOS!(Empty your pockets) became fixed in out memories and our everyday speech.
If the accent sucked; it was understandable to the recipients of the orders. The book still exists and there are more and updated versions.
many departments pay extra for language skills.

As for this particular case, it does not take much to determine what happened, and the formality of an arrest is not so great that a wait of a half an hour or even a few hours will effect the prosecution.(if one is even made)
This story is make work for some “journalist” with an agenda or too much time on his hands and very limited skills in his field.

[xp38]

Are you from Barcelona?

[Red Badger]

That would be a fawlty assumption, senor.......

[Exit148]

See! See! See! That what happens because we haven’t made
Spanish the national language!!! </sarc>

[Disambiguator]

The police know exactly how figure out who “hablas”. One officer will simply say out loud to another officer, “Let’s arrest the one with the dirtiest shoes”. Then, just count the ones who look down at their shoes.

LOL

[trumandogz]

Someone in New Orleans has got to be willing to do the recovery work and from what I can tell the immigrants seem to be working the hardest.

Furthermore, New Orleans now has some great Taco Trucks around town. I recommend the Taco Truck on Claiborne at the Jefferson Parish line, just before you get to the Lowes. Great tacos, has a few for breakfast this morning.

[dvan]

For ENGLEEEZ PRESS 1

[2harddrive]

Celebrate Mardi GRACIAS!

[2harddrive]

Celebrate Cinco de Bayou! LOL.

[real saxophonist]

I saw something like that on ‘Cops’ several years ago. Guy claimed to not speak English. Cop said, ‘Is that your $20 bill on the ground?’ Of course, the guy looked down. Cop said, ‘Yeah, you speak English.’