Posted on 03/19/2005 9:03:43 AM PST by SwinneySwitch
Gabi Canales says officer harassed her during stop
An officer with the Corpus Christi Police Department filed an offense report Sunday claiming former District 35 state Rep. Gabi Canales made a terroristic threat against another Corpus Christi police officer.
According to a copy of the police report, Sgt. Leopoldo Hernandez stopped Canales' vehicle at about 6 p.m. Sunday at the corner of Saratoga Boulevard and Player Street because she was not wearing a seat belt.
"(Canales) shook my hand and then pointed again at s/o Hernandez. This time she stated 'I hope you are always wearing your bullet-proof vest!' " wrote Lt. Henry Mangum in the report. "I took her last comment as a direct threat against s/o Hernandez. S/o Hernandez told me he took her remark as a threat." S/o stands for senior officer.
Mangum added that Canales, 30, was not smiling or laughing and spoke with a stern, threatening tone while looking Hernandez directly in the eye. Hernandez and Mangum were not available for comment.
Canales, an Alice attorney, said she did not recall having threatened Hernandez.
"All I said was to be careful and be safe," Canales said. "I didn't know that constituted a terrorist threat."
She also said she felt she was being targeted and harassed by the Corpus Christi Police Department.
According to Canales, the reason Hernandez originally gave for stopping her vehicle was that he knew she has had trouble with the law before and wanted to make sure everything was all right.
"I'm filing several suits against the department and they are harassing me because of that," Canales said. "I plan to file a report with internal affairs. I've just been too busy to do that the last few days."
It was only after she had started a conversation with Hernandez that he noticed she was not wearing a seatbelt, Canales added.
"I told him I couldn't wear one because I fell off my bike last week and injured my back," Canales said. "I didn't have the doctor's note with me, but I did have an emergency card from my doctor."
Although an initial report has been filed, it is uncertain if Hernandez will file his own report. Unless he files one, Canales will not be charged with the Class B misdemeanor, said Sgt. John Batz of the Corpus Christi Police Department.
If Hernandez does file a report on the incident, both reports will be sent to the district attorney's office. If the district attorney pursues the charge, an arrest warrant will be issued for Canales, Batz said.
"I told him I couldn't wear one because I fell off my bike last week and injured my back," Canales said. "I didn't have the doctor's note with me, but I did have an emergency card from my doctor."
Can a doctor overrule a state law?
I dont see her party on here so she must be a libby
slippery when wet!
You little people beware!
*koff*
If the police in South Texas are this bored, perhaps we should also have them repair Maytags.
APf
"According to Canales, the reason Hernandez originally gave for stopping her vehicle was that he knew she has had trouble with the law before and wanted to make sure everything was all right."
You can bet they had probable cause with DWI Gabi!
My reading of what she said is that she was simply reminding him about commiting a minor infraction like that for which she'd been stopped.
I don't doubt she's a handful and maybe obnoxious at times, but I wouldn't put it past the cops to harass her to get back at her either.
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