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Men videotaped vandalizing sign
Akron Beacon Journal ^ | 09 October 2004 | Marilyn Miller and Andale Gross

Posted on 10/09/2004 8:10:00 AM PDT by Deadeye Division

Men videotaped vandalizing sign

Summit elections official catches culprits tearing down Bush-Cheney poster

By Marilyn Miller and Andale Gross

Beacon Journal staff writers

Two men who tore down a Bush-Cheney sign and urinated on it were caught on videotape by Summit County Republican officials early Friday morning.

The videotape shows the men sneaking into the yard of a West Market Street home and bending the sign to the ground. The men struggled to rip the sign out of the ground by shaking it and pulling it but couldn't get it off the posts, so they knocked it down. Sounds heard on the tape suggest the men urinated on the sign. They were white males, about 30 to 35 years old, well-dressed and well-groomed. They parked across the street in what police think was a foreign car, a Toyota or Honda.

The homeowner, Steve Kotsatos, who is also assistant to the director of the Summit County Board of Elections, called Akron police dispatchers at 10:38 a.m. Friday and told them about how his campaign sign was vandalized.

He said he caught the vandals on a night-vision camera he had installed the day before.

``A couple of days ago my neighbor's sign was set on fire with a blowtorch so I figured I might be next,'' Kotsatos said. ``This is not only criminal damaging but a safety hazard.''

The large 4-by-8-foot, red, white and blue sign was tipped over in Kotsatos' yard about 1 a.m. Friday.

John Kerry's name was scrawled across Bush's name in black marker on one side of the sign -- the work of previous vandals, Kotsatos said.

He discovered the bent sign at 6:45 a.m.

Police took a report of the incident and retrieved a copy of the videotape to review. No arrests have been made.

Akron police Lt. Sylvia Trundle said depending on the amount of damage -- officials estimate the sign's value at $200 to $400 -- the culprits could be charged with vandalism, but if the value is $500 or more they could face criminal damaging or criminal mischief charges. They are all misdemeanors and would carry a maximum sentence of six months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.

Local Republicans and Democrats say the stealing and damaging of campaign signs has been worse this presidential race than in past races. In some cases, the signs have been shredded and burned.

According to the Summit County Republican Party, about 3,000 of the 4,000 signs the GOP has handed out supporting Bush and Cheney have been taken from yards or damaged.

More than 1,000 signs backing Sen. Kerry, D-Mass., and running mate Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., have been taken from yards, according to the Summit County Democratic Party.

Both parties deny taking part in any sign stealing.

Even political leaders like Summit GOP Party Chairman Alex Arshinkoff and Summit Democratic Party Finance Chairman Wayne Jones have seen their signs targeted.

Officials in Medina, Wayne and Portage counties also have reported thefts of campaign signs.

Area police departments say they investigate sign theft complaints when they get them. They say it's best when a description of the vandals or their vehicle can be given.

Kotsatos said he had a Bush sign in his yard four years ago and nobody bothered it. The Republican Party is looking into a possible $1,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the men.

Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or 800-777-7232 or mmiller@thebeaconjournal.com. Andale Gross can be reached at 330-996-3743 or agross@thebeaconjournal.com.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Ohio
KEYWORDS: 1stamendment; aclumia; akron; antifreespeech; brownshirts; brownshirtsforkerry; bush; bushhaters; caughtintheact; cheney; civilwarii; democrats; democratsarescum; dncnazism; fdemocrats; firstamendment; freespeech; howtostealanelection; intimidation; ohio; ohiovoters; protectedspeech; publicindecency; publicurination; summitcounty; usefulidiots; videotape; voterintimidation
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To: Deadeye Division

I would not just be waiting with a night vision camera.


21 posted on 10/09/2004 8:43:15 AM PDT by BJungNan (Stop Spam - Do NOT buy from junk email.)
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To: BenLurkin
the funniest thing about the video is how much trouble they had getting the sign down.... What a couple of girlie-men!

If you are to incompetent to rip a cheap-ass sign out of the ground, please don't ask me to let you run the war on terrorism.
22 posted on 10/09/2004 8:45:14 AM PDT by The Hollywood Conservative
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To: buffyt
To see the movie, I had to register with their website. I went to this page:

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/9876845.htm

On the far right side of the article is a video screen with a still photo of the sign. Underneath this, I clicked on the link called "Watch the video of the sign being torn down"

23 posted on 10/09/2004 8:46:50 AM PDT by Old Lady
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To: Deadeye Division
Maybe what would have been good...Have a bunch of identical signs in the garage. Let them take the sign down. The second they leave, put a new sign right back up.

They would drive by scratching their heads, didn't we just tear that sign down?

24 posted on 10/09/2004 8:47:11 AM PDT by BJungNan (Stop Spam - Do NOT buy from junk email.)
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To: Deadeye Division
shaking it and pulling it

Democrats are wankers

25 posted on 10/09/2004 8:54:11 AM PDT by Ben Chad
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To: G Larry
Motion detector, 12 guage blanks fired from a pump shotgun...

Just the unique sound of a shotgun shell being chambered hooked up to a motion sensor is enough. Years ago I thought this would make a wonderful burglar alarm that could be left on all the time but then I considered how the typical cop would react to it. Too dangerous.

26 posted on 10/09/2004 8:55:09 AM PDT by Reeses
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To: fizziwig

My son got it to play for me. Too bad this owner didn't sic his dog on them


27 posted on 10/09/2004 8:58:06 AM PDT by buffyt (You don't create terrorists by fighting back. You defeat the terrorists by fighting back. ~GWBush~)
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To: Chad Fairbanks

My son got it to play, no Apple here.


28 posted on 10/09/2004 8:59:08 AM PDT by buffyt (You don't create terrorists by fighting back. You defeat the terrorists by fighting back. ~GWBush~)
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To: Deadeye Division

They probably met over at the "Beer Hall" and discussed the 'putsch' before wrecking the sign.


29 posted on 10/09/2004 8:59:10 AM PDT by Crawdad (I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no class.)
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To: Old Lady

I keep my signs up close to the house with lights on them all night. When I used to put them out by the sidewalk, they got stolen and knocked down.


30 posted on 10/09/2004 8:59:59 AM PDT by buffyt (You don't create terrorists by fighting back. You defeat the terrorists by fighting back. ~GWBush~)
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To: Deadeye Division

Way to handle it ... take ball bat to perps car ... let them call the police.


31 posted on 10/09/2004 9:00:25 AM PDT by clamper1797 (This Vietnam Vet is NOT Fonda kerry)
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To: clamper1797

Too bad the owner didn't come running out there with a flash camera also.


32 posted on 10/09/2004 9:01:06 AM PDT by buffyt (You don't create terrorists by fighting back. You defeat the terrorists by fighting back. ~GWBush~)
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To: Deadeye Division

"Two men who tore down a Bush-Cheney sign and urinated on it were caught on videotape "

This is why the DNC thugs are so angry, they have severe mental issues WITH NO OTHER OUTLET thus act out like the first stages of potential serial killers do by defecating or urinating on things. Wow their mind set is worse than immature. Note: Retarded people have better decorum than these lunatics.


33 posted on 10/09/2004 9:07:15 AM PDT by SunnySide
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To: Thud

ping


34 posted on 10/09/2004 9:08:11 AM PDT by Dark Wing
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To: clamper1797
When we were kids a bigger kid came over while we were playing baseball in the front yard. Our game was already well underway so we didn't let him play. He got mad and slugged my brother hard in the gut. Since this guy was a foot taller than me, I went over to his brand new bike and started whomping on it with the ball bat. That big bully was reduced from threats to tears.
35 posted on 10/09/2004 9:09:46 AM PDT by Hebrews 11:6 (Look it up!)
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To: clamper1797

As therapuetic as that would be, and it would be very satisfying, it would be sinking to the Dimwit's level.
Which is annoying since we cannot act the same, their behavior would be ignored.


36 posted on 10/09/2004 9:09:52 AM PDT by Darksheare (The Mods demand sacrifice, your pennance shall be "UNNNGH!!")
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To: BJungNan

"I would not just be waiting with a night vision camera"

I would get one of those paint guns with dye paint...heh heh heh ... the perps would be walking around for days with unwashable paint on them. Expose the sneaky cowards.


37 posted on 10/09/2004 9:10:50 AM PDT by SunnySide
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To: Deadeye Division

I haven't heard of any signs being stolen in my town, here in Democrat laced Manchester, Connecticut. Although I have seen many times people slowing down there cars only to start flailing there arms up in the air in anger. It's precious moment's like that, that brighten my day. Extra signs are on hand in case it gets messed with. I really hope they catch those pathetic morons and make an example out of them.


38 posted on 10/09/2004 9:12:01 AM PDT by rightgrafix
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To: buffyt

You can play the video with the Quicktime player.


39 posted on 10/09/2004 9:16:20 AM PDT by KingNo155
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To: Reeses

Great minds .... me too. I thought about it when my husband said that a criminal, hearing that sound, would hurt himself going through a window, a door, a wall, anything, trying to get away.


40 posted on 10/09/2004 9:17:39 AM PDT by Tuscaloosa Goldfinch
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