Posted on 03/01/2005 11:04:12 AM PST by socal_parrot
AURORA, Colo. -- Aurora police are reviewing a weekend incident in which a man accused of stealing salad from a Chuck E. Cheese salad bar was hit with a stun gun twice by officers.
The incident began at 4:05 p.m. Sunday when officers were called to the restaurant at 145005 East Exposition on a report of a larceny in progress.
Police talked to the Chuck E. Cheese manager who told them that a customer had refused to show proof that he had paid for food. The manager said the man was seen "loading" his plate at the salad bar.
The officers confronted Danon Gale, 29, who was at the restaurant with his children, aged 3 and 7. Patrons said the popular kids pizza parlor was packed with children and families at the time.
According to police, Gale was asked to step outside to discuss the incident.
"According to witnesses (Gale) refused to cooperate with police and a struggle ensued," said Larry Martinez, a police spokesman. He said that Gale became argumentative and shoved one of the officers, a fact disputed by another patron.
"One of the officers kept poking the gentleman in the chest," Felicia Mayo told the Rocky Mountain News.
She was there with her 7-year-old son. She told the newspaper that Gale told the officer "You don't have to do that." She said Gale never put his hands on the officer who was confronting him
The argument escalated until Gale was shoved into the lap of Mayor's sister, who was sitting two booths away, holding a 10-month-old baby. That's when police pulled out a Taser stun gun to subdue him.
"They beat this man in front of all these kids then Tased him in my sister's lap," Mayo told the newspaper. "They had no regard for the effect this would have on the kids. This is Chuck E. Cheese, you know."
Gale's two children were "screaming and hollering and crying" as Gale was tasered with two times with the stun gun.
Police arrested Gale as his children and other customers watched. They took him outside, leaving his children inside the restaurant.
Gale was arrested for investigation of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and trespassing.
His two children were picked up by a relative.
The manager of the restaurant declined comment and Gale said he couldn't talk about it, after hiring an attorney.
Well justice was served then fortunately---it just took the long road and a sore side for the poor father. Good story, thank you.
"Yes officer, no officer, always works. If you did not pay for the goods you are a thief. If you did, say so and offer to show proof."
Well, based on idisarthur's freepmails, he ignored my plea. Some people just can't help putting in the extra effort....
The salad bar and the front counters in most stores are right next to each other, and you pay first then get your plate.
Last Saturday we had some people come up to the salad bar just using the plates we give out to serve the pizza on, we didn't demand to see if they paid for their salads, we just handed them regular plates, truely the few cents we lose on the salad bar is better than a confrontation like happened in this case.
That's because they never never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever will admit they did anything wrong.
Never.
They didn't arrest him until he was tasered. They didn't tell him to step outside because he was under arrest so therefore he wasn't resisting arrest. We are not required to do everything a police office asks us to do. For instance I have had cops ask to enter my house without a warrent and I refused, do you think they had the right to taser me for refusing? No, and they didn't have the right to shove and manhandle this person for refusing to go outside. Simply telling him he was under arrest would have done.
I am not saying this version of the story (the article) is right or wrong but if it is right is sure puts the bad guy behavior onto the cops not the accused.
Once again, we are not legally obligated to do everything a cop says or asks us to do until they actually tells us we are under arrest. We are not a police state, at least not yet.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You've seen too many episodes of Dragnet.
All I need to know is does the cop have a shaved head, pimples and black leather gloves.
The manager had a legitimate complaint and had the right to have the cops remove him from the premises when polite requests failed. This guy chose to go out the hard way. Sometimes in life you get exactly what you ask for and deserve.
Please note that they only published statements from the single witness who disputes the statements of the other witnesses.
Or, did I misread, and it was Felicia Mayo you were referring to when you wrote, "Where do they find these @$$holes?"
I don't trust the story either but as written we're told that the witness, who is named and on the record, says that the guy wasn't arguing with the police, that he never touched the police, that the cop was poking him in the chest and pushed him on top of another customer beofre tasering him. I can't believe the number of people on this thread think that kind of behavior by police is ok. At a minimum I think we should wait to hear more about what happened before we declare that the guy deserved what he got.
No witness is supporting the police CYA flack. And the only "prove his manhood" type seems to be the Thug in Uniform
The nerds that get picked on always grow up to be cops.
No charge of larceny, witness that only one making the scene was the cop, not yet determined if the order was lawful.
All you got is "don't provoke cops, they'll go enforcemental and endanger the public"
Short term maybe. longterm, purge the force
Well, what witnesses?
I suppose Mayo could be lying, but what's in it for her? If she's lying then we know who the @$$hole is. If she's telling the truth then....
I've had plenty of experiences with great cops who've helped me when my car's broken down, who didn't give me a ticket for speeding when I deserved it, etc. I've also had a SWAT team bust into my house with their weapons drawn looking for a drug dealer who lived down the street. I wasn't home, but my wife and children and friends of the children were there at the time. If I'd been home there's no telling what might have happened. Anyone who thinks that LEO's don't cover for one another
Anyone who thinks some LEO's don't cover for one another is blind.
Squirrel PING.
There is not not one word in the article that says the man pushed or even touched the cop
The weasel copspin was "(Gale) refused to cooperate with police and a struggle ensued," They assaulted him.
What "other witnesses"? We don't know, because the 'reporter' didn't tell us. That is a real sticking point.
It is not that we know if she is lying or not; she may well be telling her version exactly as she saw it; it may be that the reporter has an agenda, choosing to only present her statements.
Then again, she may be upset because the guy "landed in her sister's lap", at their table "two booths away" and she only saw the last part of the incident, like maybe AFTER he pushed the cop.
What we do know is that we have heard only one side, and automatically it is the cops' fault. I merely point out that it could also be the single, dissenting, quoted witness that is wrong.
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