Grandma Arrested At McDonald's Called Officer 'Evil,' Report Says

MSNBC ^

[HD1200]

CLEARWATER - The 75-year-old grandmother who was arrested Thursday at a McDonald's on a charge of disorderly conduct gave an officer lip, according to a police report. Jean Merola swore at the officer and said, "You are an evil man. Your wife is going to divorce you. Your kids probably hate you too. You are going to hell," according to the report.

Officer Matthew Parco was behind Merola in line and had received his drink; he asked her to move up so he could get around her but she didn't respond. Parco spent about 20 minutes asking Merola to move the car before she was arrested.

[KJC1]

Here, here! Awesome post!

[Millers Cave]

You’re asking the police to enforce YOUR selfishness.

It's MY selfishness? Not the lady who blocks traffic for 20 minutes?

You're right -- everyone else should gladly spend their lunch hour sitting in the drive thru waiting on some unselfish woman to unselfishly decide that all those people behind are are selfish.

[OCCASparky]

Other people’s freedom annoys you, doesn’t it?

Depends on your definition of freedom. Remember, the "freedom" to swing your fist ends where my nose begins.

[La Enchiladita]

I quote: ""You are an evil man. Your wife is going to divorce you. Your kids probably hate you too. You are going to hell."

That was funny. You have no sense of humor.

[OCCASparky]

Prove me wrong or retract. I have no time for lazy folks.

Nope--you make the accusation, you provide the proof. I have no time for bomb-throwing fools.

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

That was her crime - insulting the gestapo.

[driftdiver]

“She was legally obligated to move from that point on.”

She moved forward when they asked her to. She evidently refused to move later but that was after the cop had already started yelling at her. At that point she could not move. The cop was behind her and the curb was in front.

“The fact that the cop continued to try to get her to move instead of arresting her on the spot for refusing both the employees and his orders shows some restraint, not the other way around.”

The cop asked her to move when she was there legally (up to that point).

Why is everyone skipping past the fact that this lady paid for a product and was simply waiting for it to be delivered. Perhaps old people should just stay in the back room and not be seen or heard.

[La Enchiladita]

In the last 10 years, I have noticed a considerable decline in the quality of police officers... Yes, many are now “jackbooted thugs” that take the job to show their power. It is an entirely different class from what I knew in the past.

I have seen this too. I have also noticed where and how the LAPD are doing their recruitment and it makes me shudder.

[Millers Cave]

And, oh, when I spoke of “being in the way,” I wasn’t referring to driving.

I wasn't either!

[OCCASparky]

That was funny. You have no sense of humor.

Yeah, I'm sure she was saying that with a wide crap-eating grin on her face, too. You two should get together, take your act out on the road or something.

Just make sure you stay away from McDonalds. Besides, Burger King is better anyway.

[logic]

I don’t see any new information. Same selective info used to incite 600+ responses against the officer who did very little if anything wrong, an update would be the copy of the police report with the full details and follow-up investigation, and even that should be posted in the body of the comments or added to the original post via edit...

[mountainbunny]

I went to answer your post & realized that I had read a different article than the one posted (actually, I read both), and was thinking of the first, which included more information. I wasn't there, of course, but I can see at least two reasons to arrest her:

In the first article I read (http://www.sptimes.com/2008/01/22/Northpinellas/Flip_side_is_told_in_.shtml" from the St. Petersburg Times) the police officer said that she approached him with fists clenched (which may be construed as threatening), and refused to move for 20 minutes or so after being asked (illegally detaining the police officer, since he couldn't move his vehicle).

The McDonald's manager backed the officer's version of events. Another witness seems to back the woman later in the article, but left before things escalated and admits that the police officer was upset because he was unable to move his car because of her car blocking it. So her best witness doesn't really help her as there is no right to prevent others from leaving when they ask a person to move.

A young man walking toward an officer with fists clenched, refusing to follow a lawful order to not trap the police officer's car after being repeatedly asked not to do so for 20 minutes would be arrested. It was right that she was, too.

[OCCASparky]

Will you quit making sh*t up?

[driftdiver]

“It’s easier to measure distances using a bird’s eye map that’s right in front of you rather than trying to measure distances from a streetlevel memory in your head.”

Like I said its better to trust a picture taken from space and a legend that has a completely unknown level of accuracy then to trust someone who has been there. Ya keep beating me. Man take it easy.

[La Enchiladita]

That is probably why I have never punched anyone in the nose.
:-)

[1rudeboy]

The article spins it to make it sound as though the cop was abusing his authority.

Nah . . . ya think?

[wideawake]

You have no sense of humor.

There's nothing funny about saying crap like that to someone.

Just because you enjoy such classless invective (vide your disgusting grandmother comment above) doesn't mean that it's funny or acceptable.

There are obviously reasons for your self-proclaimed eremiticism.

[gunnyg]

“I think some of the anti-cop folks are kinda wishing she had been... :)”
**************
Yep....

Old Saying:
Wish in one hand
Crap in the other....
Which hand fills up first?
-Author Unknown

;)
Dick G
**********

[Old North State]

I wonder what would have happened if a private citizen was behind her and called 911 to get her moved, of if someone had flagged down a passing cop and asked to get her moved? Don’t you think they would have been told to calm down and just wait? I think that’s what irritates so many of the commenters on this post. The cops will take care of themselves and the rest of us can piss off, or as Bob Dylan said, “The cops don’t need you and man they expect the same.”

[La Enchiladita]

Okay, I apologize re the grandmothers remark. That is how you were coming across.