Woman Accused Of Punching Cop Over Political Sign

Myway News ^ | 11/06/06 | Unknown

[Froufrou]

A 69-year-old woman who was charged with assaulting a police officer has turned around and filed a complaint against him for the incident, which stemmed from a political sign she had put up.

The incident started last Wednesday when Marion Munk, a ceramics instructor at a community college, said she noticed a handmade political sign she'd left on a street corner near her house was knocked to the ground.

Munk said she stopped at the corner, where Public Service Electric & Gas Co. crews were working, to find out why her sign, which was against incumbent Democrats, was down on the ground but two signs in favor of the Democrats were up.

"I asked them, 'Who did this?'" Munk told The Star-Ledger of Newark for Saturday's newspapers. "But they just wanted me out of the way."

Munk said Sgt. Wayne Vakulchik, an officer who was there directing traffic, grabbed the sign from her, at which point she "pushed him out of the way."

In the police report of the incident, Vakulchik said Munk punched him in the chest and that the sign was in the way of the PSE&G workers so they took it down, police said.

Munk, who was charged with disorderly conduct and assaulting a police officer, said she was handcuffed to a wall at police headquarters for more than four hours after her arrest. She's filed a complaint with the police department.

Vakulchik "just yanked me around," Munk told the Home News Tribune of East Brunswick.

Capt. Richard Ivone of the Piscatway Police Department said an internal affairs investigation would be conducted on Munk's complaint against Vakulchik, which cites excessive force. Ivone said the utility workers at the scene witnessed the whole incident, "so we should get this wrapped up pretty quickly."

Munk is scheduled to appear in court next Thursday.

[Froufrou]

She's a Republican, so you can bet it'll be front page tomorrow.

[I still care]

Rule number one - never hit a cop.

[Paladin2]

I don't think you can post signs in the public right of way. It has to be well back from the curb on your own property.

[CaptRon]

Here in New York you're not supposed to post them on utility poles, which belong to the utility company.

That being said, it does seem odd that the Dem posters were not in the way.

In any event, there were other ways to handle it besides pushing a cop.

[eleni121]

two signs in favor of the Democrats were up.

---

That's the point. Hers-down---theirs - still up. Unionists doing mischief. And the cop way overreacted. Probably union too.

[paratrooper82]

........ unless your a liberal democrat!

[padre35]

Don't laugh, as I pulled into the polling station today two sheriffs were having a discussion with two people over a fight that they had gotten into.

Don't hit the officer, hand him campaign literature...;)

[blues_guitarist]

"Marion Munk, a ceramics instructor at a community college"

Wow, I guess the GOP is making inroads. I would expect someone with these credentials to be a dem.

[Blue Jays]

Hi All-

I'm still getting over the shock that a college ceramics teacher supports Republican candidates!

~ Blue Jays ~

[Hildy]

You're all missing the biggest and most surprising part of this story: A COMMUNITY COLLEGE CERAMICS teacher is a REPUBICAN!!!!

[sully777]

I was reviewing some NJ newspapers last night: Articles on Dems concern their angel wings and fairy dust; articles about Republicans are about their corruption and how they fell to the earth. I counted a 5:1 ratio of coverage as well as various stories about how people can't understand why corporations are going bankrupt as they try to do business in socialist nirvana.

[wideawake]

I'm sure she posted the sign on a telephone pole or a streetlamp pole near her house.

People put political signs on these as a matter of routine.

Her sign was down, but two Democrat signs were up and three union members - one armed - were on the scene.

[mrsmith]

'the [union] utility workers at the scene [who tore down the sign and left up the Dem ones] witnessed the whole incident, "so we should get this wrapped up pretty quickly." '

Yeah, even Inspector Cleusceau couldn't mess this one up...

[Froufrou]

No surprise here. I'm glad our only paper is fairly even-handed or I'd have to move.

[SittinYonder]

Munk, who was charged with disorderly conduct and assaulting a police officer, said she was handcuffed to a wall at police headquarters for more than four hours after her arrest.

If you punch a cop you get handcuffed to a wall for four hours. Tough.

Unless you're a crazy-a$$ Democrat Congresswoman from Georgia, then you get Katie Couric commenting on your hair-do for weeks.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Rule number one - never hit a cop...... but a Congresswoman ( Freak ) can punch a security guard.

[Frank_2001]

That IS interesting!;)

[SittinYonder]

She's a Republican, so you can bet it'll be front page tomorrow.

Just because her sign was against incumbent Democrats doesn't make her a Republican. More likely she's Green ... ceramics prof at community college.

[Froufrou]

Thanks for pointing that out. You're probably right.

[auntyfemenist]

Well, I took art in college. I am a designer with my own private ceramics and weaving endeavors. I spent many hours trying to convince fellow students and professors that photographs of woman's private parts shellacked to plywood didn't really didn't qualify to be respected as "art."

Didn't work, but I did try to fight the good fight while I was there. I used to ask everyone in this small art department how so many people could be so depressed when the student art shows came around. They pretty much foster students generating horrible, gory and stupid stuff in the name of art.

I will tell you that my ceramics professor was pretty conservative.