Posted on 10/08/2004 9:39:18 AM PDT by skyman
WASHINGTON -- A woman from Bowie, Md., who was arrested for eating a candy bar at a Metro station, had her day in court Thursday, but it was a brief visit.
Stephanie Willett claims she was frisked under her shirt, handcuffed and held for three hours after a Metro transit officer confronted her for eating a candy bar on the escalator.
Transit police claim Willett was "belligerent."
In court Thursday, Willett tried to tell a judge what happened that day, but she was cut off after a few minutes. The judge told Willett her case is over and that it ended when she posted $10 to get out of jail last July.
Willett has a year to appeal the arrest.
The incident gained worldwide attention, and goes on a list of other Metro Transit Police actions that have raised both eyebrows and questions.
In September, a transit officer reportedly forced a pregnant woman down on the floor and pushed his knee in her back, after he claimed she was talking too loud on a cell phone.
In 2002, an officer ticketed a wheelchair-bound cerebral palsy patient who the officer said cursed when he was unable to find a working elevator to exit the system.
And in 2000, an officer handcuffed a 12-year-old girl for eating a french fry on a subway platform.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbc4.com ...
Not because of the insult, but because they were behaving in a manner that indicated extreme irrationality. Unfortunately, to wait until I'm actually attacked would essentially be to bet my life on the other person's sanity--which, as I've pointed out, is demonstrably gone.
"He who shoots first writes up the incident report. He who shoots second is likely to never get a chance to shoot at all."
There are certain things that I don't do because they are likely to convince people that I am out to kill them. Screaming obscenities in their face is one of those things.
I used to live in Bowie, MD -- all you really need to know here is that the "perp" is from Bowie.
I moved away from Bowie.
That's all I'm gonna say about that.
In most states I am aware of, the threshold of lethal force is imminent threat to life or limb. "Behaving in a manner that indicated extreme irrationality" won't cut it, unless of course you're not one of the 'little people'. Then its just a game of lords and peasants, which is what we have in this article.
Yes, she had been drinking. But they wouldn't permit my kids to pick her up. And no, she wasn't belligerent at all.
Doesn't make any sense to me, then.
Officer pulls me over in my Mustang GT on Highway 59 south of Houston... Looks into the car for any obvious infraction... (There were none...)
Begins to write information on a ticket...
Of course, I did not believe that I was going all that fast,
I inquire of the officer, "So, how fast was I going?"
He then looked at me and replied "Well, I am filling out this warning ticket, which doesn't have a space for the clocked speed. If you really want to know, I will write it down on the other kind of ticket for you."
Message received by me, my reply: "Thank you officer, that won't be necessary."
He gave me my warning, and I went on my way. Was I speeding? Probably. The difference in my getting a ticket and not getting a ticket was my attitude.
Just treat people how you would want to be treated, and usually things will work out all right.
And I wish the cops would bust them for doing it. From a personal experience, I once put my briefcase on the floor of the NYC subway. A wad of gum was on the floor in that very spot, which I realized when I picked the brief case up and the gum, which was stuck to the bottom, stretched across my shoes, suit pants, and suit jacket. It looked disgusting and I felt disgusting, but there was nothing that I could do because I was on my way to a very important meeting. I then spend well over an hour later that day picking the stands of gum off my clothes, just so I could send them to the dry cleaner. The resin in the gum, however, left a permanent stain on my shoes and brief case.
The reason why NYC MTA allows eating and drinking on the subway is not because they approve, but because such a rule would be totally unenforcible given the fact that the mass transit system in NYC moves more people every work day than than the the entire population of the nation's third largest city.
That's me, too. 99 percent of the time the cops are due respect. I live next door to a swat cop on one side and the sheriff on the other!! They're good guys.
Still wondering, though, if the woman was arrested for eating or for giving a smart answer to a cop who'd heard it one too many times. If she was arrested for a smart remark, she shouldn't have been.
Here's the final result of the incident Mike Wallace had with overzealous cops. Lousy cops should be fired.
http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2004-08-27-wallace-charges_x.htm?POE=LIFISVA
"an investigation had determined that the inspector who had handcuffed Wallace had not yet received his special patrolman status, which authorizes inspectors to use handcuffs and write summonses.
Both inspectors were placed on desk duty, would be issued warnings and would be required to undergo retraining in conflict resolution, Fromberg said. "
For the record I apprecitate the job our LEO's do.
Sounds like you need to run it by a local attorney.
I guess the point that I'm making is, she was arrested for eating, but probably wouldn't have been if she had been respectful. Not saying that it's right, just that it is probably the case.
I agree with you, that's probably what happened. We agree completely. In that case, I personally think it's unjust and the judge should have allowed her to state her case.
And I would be able to demonstrate it.
Like I said, I don't go around doing the stuff that gets people handcuffed--or killed--by the cops. Yes, I get cited. No, I don't
LOL!
How did I know that your solution to life's little problem like eating a candy bar on a subway is to shoot someone in the back?
It wouldn't be for eating a candy bar or other minor annoying behavior; it would be for saying "F*** you, a$$hole, I'll do what I want" when asked to knock off said minor annoying behavior.
Ever since we got "civilized," and quit shooting people for being a$$holes, we've had a significant oversupply of a$$holes running around loose.
No eating on the Metro - $100 fine. I take the Blue line from the Pentagon to downtown and am always warning tourists to at least be discreet.
>>Are you also belligerent if a police officer who warns you twice when you are breaking the law (intending that you simply obey the law), but you have to have an attitude with the police and open your mouth ?<<
No. And I hope your apparent presumption -- that the headline should read "Woman arrested for ... after fighting with cop over ..." -- is a correct presumption, but I'm confident it is, and hence why this makes me jittery.
>>please turn yourself in to the nearest cop.<<
OK, POOF! I'm a cop! Now for those without magical powers... :^D
That's nice of you.
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