Posted on 03/22/2002 12:08:49 PM PST by PJeffQ
3/21/02
Clemson prof & consultant arrested for Assaulting Police
Copyright 2002, Palmetto Journal
Thursday's edition of the Greenville News reported that Clemson University professor and political consultant David Woodard (pictured in his police photo at left) was arrested Tuesday following the completion of a SLED investigation of an incident that occurred February 28. He was charged with assault and battery and disobedience to a police officer.
According to the article and police reports, the incident occurred in front of Tillman Hall while a film crew from MTV filmed a segment for the show "Road Rules."
According to the statements and article, Woodard attempted to pull into Tillman Circle through a barricade that had been moved so that a motor home used on the show could enter the circle. Woodard was stopped by a police officer and told that he needed to back up out of the area instead of driving around the circle.
According to Clemson University Police Chief Lonnie Saxon (in the News article), "He told him to back up and go out another direction where he wouldn't go through the filming crew and hurt anybody. He backed up and then went forward. He hit the officer and drove through the crowd like he was instructed not to do."
According to the police reports, Woodard had also asked what was going on in the area behind the barricades. When told it was MTV, Woodard said "I know MTV and they're a bunch of crap too!"
The police reports indicate that when stopped after hitting the police officer Woodard stated "You don't know who you are messing with, I'm gonna make you wish you'd never tried to stop me."
The police reports indicate that there were several witnesses, including Clemson students as well as members of the MTV crew.
A SLED investigation was warranted because Woodard and Saxon are both university employees. Woodard's attorney maintains his innocence throughout the article. His attorney even compared the situation to a parking ticket, which was strongly contradicted by 13th Circuit Solicitor Bob Ariail.
Woodard has received awards for his teaching and authored two books. He is also affiliated with the Strom Thurmond Institute at Clemson. In the past he has worked for candidates including Lindsey Graham and Bob Inglis. The article in the paper indicated that he would be taking a leave of absence from all campaigns he is currently involved in, including the campaign of Gresham Barrett for Congress.
Well, apparently he said, "You don't know who you are messing with, I'm gonna make you wish you'd never tried to stop me," which means he was the one who brought up his politics. Of course, if he had been a Democrat, you'd be saying, "oh, look. It doesn't show his political affiliation. Of course, this means he's a Democrat!"
Trying to run over someone is a serious offense. Disobeying a command from a cop shouldn't be.
Hillary hits cops for the people and commits fraud for the children; big difference.
I wonder what the libertarian perspective is on this kind of situation? Did the police "initiate" the use of force when they stopped the prof from following his normal route, and then he rationally retaliated? Or did the prof initiate the use of force when he charged forward after being told to go back?
Mark W.
But a turncoat nonetheless. I was down in Clemson Monday night. Big Brother is alive and well in South Carolina and it is largely due to this ilk.
Trying to run over someone is a serious offense. Disobeying a command from a cop shouldn't be.
I don't believe that you can take it at face value that he attempted to run anyone over. In the political climate in SC today I believe that he would have been gunned down had he indeed tried to do so. Mammon approacheth and largely due to tu*ds like the one being discussed here. When it comes to standing up for the good in our civilisation they check their nuts at the door.
I also don't believe he said anything attributed to him in the article. People will say that so and so said such and such and they don't even remember what they said themselves two minutes earlier. I noticed that the witness providing the "do you know who I am" attribution isn't identified.
Even though I don't care much for this prof or his buds, I doubt nearly every word of this piece. It was written by someone who wasn't there and who didn't even talk to anyone who was there, apparently.
Where I come from we call this kind of report "He said, She said".
Ell's Great-great Grandpa, Colonel White was as solid a man as ever came out of South Carolina, as was his great Grandpa White and his Grandpa Springs. Graham's people were who?
In South Carolina, that's what the race may very well come down to. Sorry for getting off topic.
That fellow at the Citadel who claimed that he was the only registered Democrat there could probably be declared an endangered life-form.As for as Lindsay Graham is concerned ,I'll decide by election day. However,I hope the Libertarians and the Constitution Party find a good alternative if one is needed.
What you say is true but those men would, IMO, thrash the present day generation for adhering to the vote-buying schemes popularized by FDR.
Graham's a career public tit addict. I won't be voting in the election because I live in Virginia now, but I dread seeing another career boy elected to the Senate from my home state.
Nah, I would have guessed "Hollywood" or maybe Gray Davis ("I kept the lights on at this paper!..."). (^:
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