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Woman Appears In Court For Eating Candy At Metro Station
nbc4.com ^ | 10/8/04 | AP

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 ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; US: Maryland
KEYWORDS: dcmetro; law; transitpolice
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To: skyman

Coming soon to So Calif. - once they force us all out of our cars and onto mass transit.


141 posted on 10/08/2004 1:50:23 PM PDT by antceecee (God Bless President Bush. FOUR MORE YEARS!)
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To: Poohbah

"In each case, the perp escalated the situation to the point where an arrest was necessary. It's BPOC Syndrome."

So why are the officers being trained to de-escalate the situation? I think they have much better things to do than being distracted by gum-chewers and loud-talkers.


142 posted on 10/08/2004 2:03:02 PM PDT by Kirkwood (I think, therefore I am Republican!)
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To: Kirkwood; Poohbah

Whoopsie... I meant to say:

So why AREN'T the officers being trained to de-escalate the situation? I think they have much better things to do than being distracted by gum-chewers and loud-talkers.


143 posted on 10/08/2004 2:06:53 PM PDT by Kirkwood (I think, therefore I am Republican!)
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To: Owl_Eagle
I take a LOT of public transportation and there's a small but loud percentage of people who have no idea how or no inclination to follow the rules of basic decorum. I don't want to slip on a dropped french fry, sit in a spilled soda or listen to a loud, stupid cellphone conversation.

You haven't quite figured out this "freedom" thing that we have in the United States have you?

144 posted on 10/08/2004 2:10:57 PM PDT by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: Kirkwood
So why AREN'T the officers being trained to de-escalate the situation?

De-escalation takes two people committed to the task; escalation only requires one.

145 posted on 10/08/2004 2:13:52 PM PDT by Poohbah (SKYBIRD SKYBIRD DO NOT ANSWER...SKYBIRD SKYBIRD DO NOT ANSWER)
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To: FreedomCalls
You haven't quite figured out this "freedom" thing that we have in the United States have you?

I wish to use your vehicle as a restroom and trash can. You OK with it?

146 posted on 10/08/2004 2:14:51 PM PDT by Poohbah (SKYBIRD SKYBIRD DO NOT ANSWER...SKYBIRD SKYBIRD DO NOT ANSWER)
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To: Owl_Eagle
When I pay my fare, I'm agreeing to abide by those rules as is everyone else. As a conservative, I think these rules should be both abided by and enforced.

Fair enough.

147 posted on 10/08/2004 2:15:07 PM PDT by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: Poohbah
I wish to use your vehicle as a restroom and trash can. You OK with it?

Sure. Come on over.

148 posted on 10/08/2004 2:47:48 PM PDT by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: Poohbah

Not from what I have seen in my city. Cops here are trained to control people without having to arrest them. Other cities send their cops here to get that training. I've seen it work many times and you would think all hell was about to bust loose and in the end the person apologizes. It is all about respect and understanding human nature. It is also about having the same cops in the same neighborhoods so they know the people they serve and the people know them. With the brute force method you seem to advocate, there is only one result and that is an arrest that eats up valuable patrol time and only reinforces resentment in a community and the stereotypes about gestapo-like cops.


149 posted on 10/08/2004 2:56:23 PM PDT by Kirkwood (I think, therefore I am Republican!)
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To: Kirkwood

It's damn near impossible to de-escalate a case of BPOC Syndrome.


150 posted on 10/08/2004 2:57:24 PM PDT by Poohbah (SKYBIRD SKYBIRD DO NOT ANSWER...SKYBIRD SKYBIRD DO NOT ANSWER)
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To: Poohbah
You seem to have the mistaken idea that the officer plays no role in escalating a situation. How wrong you are. If I were a DC police captain and one of my officers escalated a response to chewing a mouthful of candy while entering a subway platform all the way up to an arrest, I would likely demote the officer. Common sense tells you that the officer lost control of a situation that merited nothing more than a citation, if not a simple warning. If the officer repeated this tactic, I would put him or her on disciplinary probation and possibly suspension. If it continued to happen with other officers, I would have a serious chat with the captain of the training division. I want my patrol officers making good arrests and preventing crime, not eating up valuable time with arrests that do absolutely nothing to make the city a better place to live, and are going to get dismissed anyway. I can't begin to tell you all the times I've been disrespected while wearing a badge, but it doesn't mean you escalate the situation so you wind up arresting the person in order to get even or to prove some point. A cop has to learn to deal with his or her emotions and hopefully they will get the appropriate training to learn how to effectively deal with the emotions of the public.
151 posted on 10/08/2004 3:41:55 PM PDT by Kirkwood (I think, therefore I am Republican!)
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To: Kirkwood
You seem to have the mistaken idea that the officer plays no role in escalating a situation.

Nope. I'm saying that the officer can be absolutely committed to de-escalation, but that said commitment will be useless if the person being cited is committed to being a belligerent a$$hole.

152 posted on 10/08/2004 3:52:36 PM PDT by Poohbah (SKYBIRD SKYBIRD DO NOT ANSWER...SKYBIRD SKYBIRD DO NOT ANSWER)
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To: Poohbah

Well then maybe the officer should just give the person the citation and walk away, even if they are being "disrespected". Sometimes walking away is the BEST way to de-escalate a tense situation.

The person can curse about it all they want, they still have to deal with the ticket. It's no skin off the officer's back.

Arresting people for being "belligerent" (which is not a crime), sounds a whole lot like an officer being upset because he was disrespected and teaching that person a lesson.


153 posted on 10/08/2004 4:26:21 PM PDT by DameAutour (The Italians have had two thousand years to fix up the Forum and just look at the place. - P.J. O)
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To: DameAutour
Well then maybe the officer should just give the person the citation and walk away, even if they are being "disrespected". Sometimes walking away is the BEST way to de-escalate a tense situation.

The problem is, you can't give the citation to someone screaming obscenities in your face when you ask their name for the citation.

The person can curse about it all they want, they still have to deal with the ticket. It's no skin off the officer's back.

Arresting people for being "belligerent" (which is not a crime), sounds a whole lot like an officer being upset because he was disrespected and teaching that person a lesson.

It's called "disorderly conduct" and "failure to identify."

Of course, I never have problems like this with the cops; then again, I don't turn everything into a pissing contest with the cop.

154 posted on 10/08/2004 4:30:09 PM PDT by Poohbah (SKYBIRD SKYBIRD DO NOT ANSWER...SKYBIRD SKYBIRD DO NOT ANSWER)
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To: Poohbah

If the person doesn't give their name, that's already a crime. And using profanity in and of itself is not "disorderly conduct".

I didn't see anywhere in this article or in any other article about this arrest where the woman refused to give her name or where she interfered with the officer in any way. It sounds like she was mad because she was getting a ticket. People get mad about that all the time when they feel they've been treated unjustly. I don't see why people shouldn't have the right to express displeasure so long as they do not interfere with the officer in his duties. It is not necessary to arrest people because of this.

It sounds like this officer has a problem.

But since you've already stated people should be shot if they curse at you I have to wonder how far we can really go in this discussion.


155 posted on 10/08/2004 4:39:22 PM PDT by DameAutour (The Italians have had two thousand years to fix up the Forum and just look at the place. - P.J. O)
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To: DameAutour
If the person doesn't give their name, that's already a crime.

And that's what they get busted for.

And using profanity in and of itself is not "disorderly conduct".

Screaming it in the cop's face--or anyone else's--is.

I didn't see anywhere in this article or in any other article about this arrest where the woman refused to give her name or where she interfered with the officer in any way.

We're discussing another incident.

It sounds like she was mad because she was getting a ticket. People get mad about that all the time when they feel they've been treated unjustly.

I somehow contain myself. I don't suffer from BPOC Syndrome.

But since you've already stated people should be shot if they curse at you I have to wonder how far we can really go in this discussion.

Dame, charge up into my personal space and scream obscenities at me, and you're going to die. I expect a similar outcome for me if I were to do that to someone else, which is why I don't do things like that...

156 posted on 10/08/2004 4:51:26 PM PDT by Poohbah (SKYBIRD SKYBIRD DO NOT ANSWER...SKYBIRD SKYBIRD DO NOT ANSWER)
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To: Poohbah
Dame, charge up into my personal space and scream obscenities at me, and you're going to die.

I know I'm probably wasting my time but...

If you shoot or kill an unarmed person who has not made physical contact with you that person will be dead and you will be living a nightmare.

At the very lest you will lose everything you own or will own including your home just to pay for lawyer fees.The life you have now will be gone forever.

You will also spend some time in the shower room of a prison playing their version of "Ring around the Rosie" and guess who will be "Rosie."

For heavens sakes think man!

157 posted on 10/08/2004 5:52:27 PM PDT by mississippi red-neck ( Knowledge and truth does not come wrapped in sheepskin. It comes to those that seek it.)
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To: brivette

"...Need some advice. About 6 months ago I was pulled over for a dui...What should I do?..."
- - -
By all means, post your story on a public forum
and request legal advice from total anonymous strangers.
That shows good judgement...
...just like drinking too much wine and driving a car.


158 posted on 10/08/2004 6:03:02 PM PDT by DefCon
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To: DefCon

Thanks. Good advice! Do you know of any more forums I can post too?


159 posted on 10/08/2004 6:11:50 PM PDT by brivette
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To: DefCon
"That shows good judgement... ...just like drinking too much wine and driving a car."

Drinking too much wine and driving was bad judgement on my part. I paid the price. I'm still paying for that mistake, despite the fact I have had no driving violations for the past 30 years.

But the tone of your response invites my response, to whit:

1) I believe most FreeRepublic posters are honest, intelligent folks whose opinions I respect.

2) I was guilty of a first offense misdemeanor. It's a matter of public record. What's not on the record is the fact that my wife may have had her rights violated.

3) With regard to discussing this issue on a "public forum" and the suggestion that it suggests poor judgement,I would ask you: do you know my name? Where I live? What I do?

However, in the interest of full disclosure, my name is T. Kennedy and I live in New England.

160 posted on 10/08/2004 6:57:04 PM PDT by brivette
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