Posted on 04/08/2020 5:11:45 AM PDT by USA Conservative
However you feel about social distancing measures, I think most of us can agree that in some places around the country things are going way too far. Not a good look at all…especially with no response given by the police when asked by reporters.
Man in Colorado was arrested while playing tee-ball with his 6-year-old daughter in the park for alleged violation of the social distancing order.
KDVR reports:
Matt Mooney feels Brighton police owe him a huge apology. The 33-year-old says he was handcuffed at Donelson Park in front of his 6-year-old daughter Sunday afternoon after police told him he violated the state’s social distancing guidelines.
Mooney told the FOX31 Problem Solvers he refused to provide his identification to three police officers because he was confident he wasn’t doing anything unlawful by playing tee-ball with his wife and daughter at the park.
“She’s like, ‘Daddy, I don’t want you to get arrested.’ At this point, I’m thinking, ‘There’s no way they’re going to arrest me, this is insane.’ I’m telling her, ‘Don’t worry, Daddy’s not going to get arrested. I’ve done nothing wrong. Don’t worry about it,’ and then they arrest me.”
Video below:
“She’s like, ‘Daddy, I don’t want you to get arrested.’ At this point, I’m thinking, ‘There’s no way they’re going to arrest me, this is insane.’ I’m telling her, ‘Don’t worry, Daddy’s not going to get arrested. I’ve done nothing wrong. Don’t worry about it,’ and then they arrest me.”
Video below:
And just like that our Civil Liberties disappeared. Maybe Child Protective Services will be next to take the little ones away from the parents not practicing ‘safe distancing’. The sign at Donelson Park said “Closed” but in smaller print reads, “in groups of no more than 4 persons, parks remain open for walking, hiking, biking, running and similar activities.”
Mooney was just there with his wife and daughter. He said it was the officers who were violating social distancing guidelines.
“During the contact, none of the officers had masks on, none of them had gloves on, and they’re in my face handcuffing me, they’re touching me,” he said.
The Brighton Police Department apologized Tuesday to Matt who was handcuffed at a park on Sunday.
On Tuesday, acting Brighton City Manager Marv Falconburg called Mooney to try to arrange a meeting with BPD Cmdr. Frank Acosta to offer an apology on behalf of the police department.
“Falconburg conveyed an apology, however, Mr. Mooney has declined the offer for an in person meeting,” BPD said via email.
According to police, about 4:30 p.m. Sunday, officers were dispatched to the park because a citizen was concerned about a “large group of people.”
When officers arrived, there was a group of about 12-15 people who appeared to be playing softball at the park, according to police.
“Although the officers asked them to disperse due to the park being closed, which was incorrect, disbursement was needed due to the state’s public health order regarding group gathering. The Brighton Police Department is currently conducting an internal investigation into what led to officers detaining Mr. Mooney while responding to the complaint. While the investigation sorts through the different versions of what took place by witnesses who were at the park, it is evident there was an overreach by our police officers,” the police department said.
BPD said officers have to interpret several changing state public health orders and local closures, and there may have been a misunderstanding about the park closure.
“It is imperative that we improve communication with our front line first responders so they are up to date on the latest rules in place regarding COVID-19 for addressing public safety. This is an opportunity for us to come together and do better for the community. We are deeply sorry for the events that took place on Sunday and the impact on Mr. Mooney, his family, and the community,” BPD said.
But what about the child that saw his father getting arrested in a situation n which they clearly defy our constitution!
This is more than inappropriate. It is the quintessential example of false arrest. I hate the sue-happy society we live in, but suing this police department and these officers individually [if possible] would be absolutely appropriate.
Please share this article wherever you can. It is the only way we can work around their censorship and ensure people receive news about issues that the mainstream media suppress.
So he was playing softball with his family and not observing the 6 ft spacing rule, from people with whom he lives.
Cam Common Sense be taught? A couple of Cops wielding power without discretion.
I’m surprised they didn’t hang the Dad from the monkey bars.
Idiocy goes both ways.
I fear the only thing those police learned was not to make a frivolous arrest while an unsympathetic city councilman is recording and it narrating it on his cellphone.
I kissed my son and daughter before they went to bed last night. I felt guilty about it, and immediately called the cops.
Anyone who thinks cops are going to be on our side in the fight to reclaim our Freedom are out of their minds.
How about a meeting with the officers involved, so he could chew their butts off in front of TV camera while they sat there and meekly took it?
My experience is these guy do NOT like it when the tables are turned.
I heard a radio interview with a constitutional attorney this morning. He said that this is all unconstitutional and the lawyers are watching; keeping their powder dry.
I suspect there will be a slew of lawsuits after this is over, and the local to state level governments that have gone power crazy are going to pay out our money in lawsuit settlements.
“Show me your government papers”
“I don’t have to show them to you. They are mine”
“They belong to the government. Here are some government chains to wear to the government building”
Good. I’m no fan of lawyers and frivolous lawsuits, but come on! Cops need to worry about real crimes.
There are three things that people might worry about these days:
1) There is a terrible disease and people are dying
2) The economy has taken a hit and my 401(k) looks bad
3) I suddenly live in a police state
Personally, I try to take the long view. I don’t think it’s about me and my family. And, no, I don’t think it’s about you and your family either.
Diseases come and go. 20 years from now, COVID-19 is not going to be talked about.
Economies go up and down. 20 years from now, the economy will be in a very different place and economists won’t be talking about COVID-19.
But if we slip into a police state, that’s different. Because 100 years from now, people will be saying, “Everything went to sh!t after COVID-19. That’s why we’re in this mess with this totally tyrannical government.
For me, the only thing going on right now that really gets my attention is the destruction of the US Constitution. But a lot of people on this site seem to be pretty OK with it.
The first big clue here was the decision by some of the nation’s worst gun-grabbing governors (Fail Murphy in New Jersey, for example) to unexpectedly reverse their orders to close down gun dealers as “non-essential” businesses. These guys knew that they’d be on the losing end of any lawsuit brought against them by these business owners.
The BPD has a bigger problem:
- Whoever wrote in the Police report there were 12-15 people playing softball wrote a fib.
- Judgement and de-escalation.
- Wyatt Earp Syndrome
I’m surprised they didn’t shoot their dog.
Next, encourage 6 year olds to turn their parents in and then reward them with a free video game account!
Absolutely draconian.
The totalitarian left is preening itself. The ba$tards can almost smell the putrification of The Constitution.
The country is ruled now by unelected public health plutocrats.
I bet gun sales are soaring.
We can’t get rid of the rule by deep state pluticrats soon enough.
What you see is a preview to the deep state “utopia” championed by Schumer, Pelosy, Spanky Obama and his gang.
Just watch them destroy one of the the only hopes we have: Hydroxychloroqine therapy.
Dirty, rotten bastards.
The anti-chrisy must be very pleased with this test run for global sharia law.
It’s kind of hard for the street cop to worry about real crimes when Soros bought and paid for DAs and judges are turning the Bad Guys loose before they finish the booking process.
Those are the ones who deserve our wrath and ire.
That’s just a couple of miles from here. The news said he violated the ‘guidelines’ as if ‘guidelines; are now law and any jackass city council can make law. I would say deprivation of rights under color of law sounds about right.
Please understand, this was a very bad police action. However I put the blame on the on-site superiors and the local city administration. Bad policing frequently comes from bad or vague chain-of-command instructions where the LEO on the street is told to ‘fix’ the situation.
BUT, no matter how they talk of it, the handcuffs? TOTALLY INEXCUSABLE!!!
I just posted something about the rush to fascism! Here’s another instance!
The man should sue, but we have lost the freedom we thought we had.
Civil liberties! What a joke!
Land of the free! What a joke!
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.