Posted on 08/16/2013 10:00:44 AM PDT by rawhide
A photo of police forcing an off-duty firefighter to the ground has gained national attention after it was revealed that the police action was taken after the man waved to the officers.
George Madison Jr., an African American firefighter and youth pastor in Evansville, Indiana was threatened with a taser by police when he committed no crime.
Madison says that he was riding his bike when he saw a police car approaching the same intersection.
Through his work on the local fire department, he is familiar with a number of the police officers in Evansville and he thought he recognized one of the men in the car so he waved.
That is not how the police interpreted it, however, as they claim that they thought he was flicking them off.
The officers stopped Madison, and, according to Madison, they were getting confrontational.
He then took out his phone and went to call the police chief, Billy Bolin, who he is friends with. The officers told him to hang up the phone and get on the ground.
When he hesitated before listening to their order, The Courier Press reports that the officer took out his taser.
'It was literally maybe inches from my face. I immediately threw my hands in the air. What he asked me to do I was more than willing to do,' Madison told the paper.
'I said "Please don’t hurt me." The next thing I know I’m laying down the ground and they cuffed me.'
The officers only began to back off after they learned that Madison was a firefighter and youth pastor.
Now there is an internal investigation underway within the police department and Madison's friend Chief Bolin is involved.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Since when is flipping off the cops a crime enough to be handcuffed and almost tazed?
That’s what I wondered. Free speech right there if there ever was any.
Doesn't sound like the chief is as good a friend as George thought he was...you can't just break the "thin blue line."
What made this moron cop really get pis*ed was that there was no dog to shoot.
Somewhere along the line I’d read that there are court rulings stating that flipping the bird is ‘’protected speech’’. He could have a civil rights charge to boot! But, he probably won’t and some other schmuck will be a victim some other time.
You are not supposed to aim the taser at someone’s face. Imagine those little darts in your eyes!
It’s not.
hum?
Not saying this not the case, is there more?
I remember a motorist flipping me off when I passed him after he FINALLY got over after pulling in front of me when I was pursuing another vehicle...of course I lost that vehicle due to waiting - but the guy who flipped me the bird - got a ticker for “Improper Hand Signal” and he paid it!
I don’t what happened in Evansville - used to live there a long time ago...seems to be a growing community w/ low crime...
silence
Or how about "they were only following orders"
more silence
Just part of the 95% who give the other 5% a bad name.
Methinks those cops gonna be patrolling the unemployment lines fairly soon.....................
:: they thought he was flicking them off ::
Dudes! You are sooooooooo hosed on this one. The “street-thug-tactics” will only work against you.
Cut a check and shut up.
That’s what I wondered. Since when is it against the law to flip the bird at Police?
I suppose right after they passed the law that a clown cannot wear an Obama mask.
What? You mean Madison didn’t start screaming “racism” like “certain” “other” people did?
‘roid rage!
Since now for one. That is next to the question,”Why did they do that?” The answer is because they can. Not meaning to give you a short answer but it is better now for your health if you stay as far away from the cops as you can.
Since we let them get away with it.
Cut them some slack man.... this post probably caught them with the mouths full.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.