Posted on 03/20/2008 9:35:47 AM PDT by swampdweller
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - The owner of a home vandalized with a spray-painted racial slur was cited for assault Wednesday after police said he pushed a city worker who was removing the graffiti.
A 43-year-old graffiti abatement worker was trying to get rid of the bright red paint on the home's white garage doors when Broderick Gamble interfered. An officer stationed nearby saw Gamble assault the woman, said Lt. Blake Miller, a spokesman for Arlington police.
Gamble was accused of assault by bodily contact, police said. He faces a $500 fine. Gamble disputed the account, telling Dallas-Fort Worth television station KTVT, "actually they touched me." Attempts by The Associated Press to reach Gamble by telephone were unsuccessful.
Code enforcement workers had a warrant signed by a judge to remove the offensive words from the home, Miller said.
City officials sought to get rid of the graffiti by filing a lawsuit earlier this month against Gamble and Etha Kay "Silk" Littlejohn, the black homeowners. Since Gamble and Littlejohn did not file an appeal, the city was allowed to remove the graffiti, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported on its online edition.
The graffiti was spray painted on the couple's house in late December, days after a white neighbor allegedly struck Littlejohn in the head with a 2-by-4.
The couple rejected some of their neighbors' requests and the city's offer to remove the racist graffiti. Gamble said he wanted people to see the stark symbol of hatred.
Earlier this year, KSKY radio host Mike Gallagher and his wife pledged $500 and then raised nearly $4,000 to replace the graffiti-covered garage doors. Although Gamble picked up the new doors, they were not installed, the station has said.
The couple said they placed a tarp over the racial slurs. But city officials said an ordinance required them to remove, not just cover, the graffiti, The Dallas Morning News reported on its online edition Wednesday.
"Our patience has run out," Mayor Robert Cluck said. "We have every right to do what we've done this morning. We gave them every opportunity to abate the graffiti."
Police haven't found who spray painted the words "Kill." "Die (N-word)." The case remains open, Miller said.
Grace Head was charged for the attack on Littlejohn and faces aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and criminal mischief charges. Both were filed as hate crimes.
What a class act.. wanting to leave that profane, threatening graffiti on his home and attacking a woman...
Many cities are leaving the OBEY Obama posters up across the country even though they are publicly posted in the same place where the other OBEY posters have gone up and been removed.
There is not equal enforcement of such laws.
They are attempting to milk the victim-thing for everything it’s worth. If you saw the newscast it would make you want to earp.
Have there been any freedom of speech people arguing he should be able to keep those words up under his first amendment rights? He shouldn’t have pushed the lady, thats for sure.
If someone painted something like that on my property, I'd be out there that morning cleaning it off. I do as much when slackjawed punks tag the benches near the courts at our nearby park.
Class Act?
Since when is it the courts duty to repaint someone elses home?
Seems to me Texas isn’t quite as fond of individual property rights as they market themselves to be.
This wasn’t a health or safety issue, so why is the court mucking with his property?
Several years ago in the Detroit area two such incidents were reported by the TV news. In one case a black couple had just moved into their new home then somebody trashed the inside and spray painted racial remarks. Another incident where the homeowners garage was spray painted with racial obcenities.....
In both cases, it was discoverd that the homeowners were the perps.........
They need to check this guy’s supply of spray paint.
Since when is it the courts duty to repaint someone elses home?
If it is a local government standard/law, then it is protected under the 10th amendment. Don't say I agree, butt he guy was a jerk, especially for attacking the woman.
I’ll go ahead and say it. maybe he’s the one that put it up there to start with.
Dude was attacked by a neighbor with a 2x4 and then had a racial slur painted on his garage.. He decided to leave it there so the rest of the neighbors would see what kind of crap goes on in their own neighborhood to shame them.
Again I ask, who the hell is the government to decide it can repaint someones personal property? This was not a health or safety violation.
The “attack” alledge by him was simply that he put hands on her... I doubt he took a 2x4 to his head like this guys neighbor had done.
You either respect private property or you don’t.. and given the specifics of this situation, I’d say Texas’s reputation for respecting personal property rights is grossly exagerated.
I guess I didn't see it this way. I was seeing it as he was leaving profanity up, against city ordnances, and against a court order and attacked a woman who was just doing her job.
who the hell is the government to decide it can repaint someones personal property? This was not a health or safety violation.
If the city has a profanity ban for signs and other displays or it has a code of standards, that is a local issue and is Constitutionally protected. The local citizens do have the right to govern their community standards as they see fit. (10th amendment)
[snip]
The “attack” alledge by him was simply that he put hands on her
Gotta be consistent. I do not know that this man attacked the graffitti abatement worker. I also do not know that this man was hit by a neighbor with a 2x4. I also do not know who painted the graffitti on his garage. All I do know if that this man likes his garage the way it is and wants people to stop cleaning up his handiwork garage.
I’ll jump in to defend the rights of the property owner to post (or leave posted) any message on THEIR property they want. More intrusive government busybodies. Apparently Arlington has no real crime to prosecute and an awful lot of extra money. Perhaps tax rebates are in order.
Charges against black homeowner filed as "hate crimes"....case dismissed.
I remember that movie! They Live!
Is the N-word profanity? According to Wikipedia: ‘Profanity can be a word, expression, gesture, or other social behavior which is socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude or vulgar, or desecrating or showing disrespect toward an object of religious veneration.’
Even in Obama’s church I doubt African-Americans are objects of religious veneration.
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