Posted on 01/22/2008 6:14:54 AM PST by HD1200
According to Parco's report, the first detailed account offered by Clearwater police, the officer was behind Merola. He tried to drive around her but the Town Car blocked his way. Seeing her window open, he called out for her to move the car.
After she did nothing but turn and give Parco a look, the officer approached and again asked her to move, according to the report.
Parco said she was immediately belligerent, telling him she could not move because the McDonald's people told her to wait there. She then warned Parco about the way he was speaking to her, the report states, and suggested he had better watch out because she knew the police chief.
Parco said Merola continued to yell after receiving her food, demanding that Clearwater police Chief Sid Klein respond to the scene. He pleaded with her to move for about 20 minutes, but she refused to budge, Parco said.
All the while, she flung insults his way, saying "You are an evil man," and "I hope you're a Christian, because you are going to hell!" according to the report.
(Excerpt) Read more at sptimes.com ...
How many lessons do people get that the first media story is never the most accurate.....
Don’t the cops have better things to do than patrol the McDonalds and the Dunkin Donuts?
Anyone with half a brain knew the lady was blocking the business. They were just arguing to argue.
Thank you.
uh, cops get lunch breaks, too.
I figured there was more to the story.
So she sat there fore 20 minutes after receiving her fries and still refused to move?
nananananaaanaaa
Parco said he told Merola she was causing a disturbance that could potentially cost McDonald’s business, then gave her the option of going to jail or moving along. She continued to be combative, so Parco cuffed Merola and put her in his cruiser.
A McDonald’s manager backed Parco’s account, according to the report. Laura Nicholson said Merola refused to move her car, was rude to Parco and told the officer he could not arrest her.
Some mentally-ill bully broad blocking everyone. They could not go around her nor could they order while she held command over the drive thru.
Don’t you know it doesn’t matter - it’s all the cops fault no matter what happens, because all cops are evil.
I wondered the same thing. Something does not add up here, unless the cop was blocking her in? I still think the cop was very impatient and he was in the wrong.
True, but a story of a cop allegedly harassing "Sweet Ol' Granny" sells more papers.
McDonald’s seems to back up the policeman.
Yesterday the thread about her arrest got about 600 responses; many of them berating the police for taking her in. I was stunned at how many here would pile on the police without the facts.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1957167/posts
"In Merola's account, things got off to a poor start when Parco repeatedly honked his horn at her. She remembers wondering why he was honking at her and being angry that Parco didn't first come up to speak to her if there was a problem.
"Parco's report doesn't mention any honking. But Ann Lansberry remembers it.
Lansberry and her daughter were in front of Merola in the drive-through lane that afternoon. After getting their double cheeseburgers, they pulled into a nearby parking space to eat.
Lansberry, 60, said she heard someone behind her laying on the horn, then looked back to see Parco at Merola's window. She could hear the gruff tone Parco was using and his raised voice, but not his precise words, she said.
"He could have approached her nicely, in my opinion," Lansberry said. "He was a little hyper because he couldn't get his car out."
Lansberry and her daughter left a few minutes later and didn't witness the remainder of the dispute. "
Exactly, and I thought more people here would realize the media hypes any story just to do that; sell more papers. I was stunned by how many believed the media reports and/or just wanted to pile on the police.
This is the city’s spin after having 24 hours to spin it. I have no doubt that the lady was cranky, but the officer escalated the situation. In an argument, one person has to be level headed and I suspect neither were. And if the police subscribe to Eric Cartman’s “questioning my authoritaay” mentality, you’ll always end up with something like this. It’s the reason so many taser incidents are being reported, some resulting in deaths. Police should be more like Sheriff Andy Taylor is such cases. They are there to keep the peace, not escalate the situation just to demonstrate authority. It’s not like you had an armed terrorist or something.
This story does nothing to verify your position of yesterday. You should read the story again if you think todays version is more accurate.
I still laugh every time I see some idiot say that just before they get cuffed.
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