06/30/2009
Cops Arrest Host, Use Pepper Spray at Candidate's Fundraiser
A fundraiser at the home of a lesbian couple in Encinitas, California for Francine Busby, a Democrat seeking the 50th Congressional District seat in 2010, was interrupted on Friday night over an apparent noise complaint:
"It ended with Barman, 60, being arrested and jailed on suspicion of
battery on a peace officer, and resisting, delaying and obstructing a
peace officer. Pam Morgan, 62, a Rancho Santa Fe resident and one of the
guests, also was arrested and taken to the Encinitas Sheriff's Station,
where she was cited for resisting, delaying and obstructing a peace
officer. Other partygoers were doused with pepper spray, and seven
deputies, a sergeant and a helicopter were dispatched to the
neighborhood of expensive homes."
There were between 30 and 50 people at the fundraiser, and the only noise came from a megaphone Busby said she used for approximately half an hour. Neighbors said they slept through it.
However: "During Busby's speech, Barman said in a statement yesterday, a man on the property behind her house shouted 'disparaging remarks' about Busby and gay people. Barman lives in the house with her partner, Jane Stratton, 55. After her talk, Busby said, people chatted. 'It was a quiet home reception, disrupted by a vulgar person shouting obscenities from behind the bushes,' Busby said."
But it was Deputy Marshall Abbott who attacked guests once he responded:
"When Abbott arrived, [Sgt. Thomas] Yancey said, he told Barman about the complaint, and she uttered an expletive about a neighbor. Abbott asked Barman for her birth date so he could issue a noise warning, but Barman refused to give it, he said. Barman tried to walk away, Yancey said, and Abbott grabbed her. The guests took Barman away, and Abbott used pepper spray on them. In the chaos, someone kicked the emergency response team member, a woman who is 5-foot-2, Yancey said. 'He was pepper-spraying the faces of anyone who tried to talk to him,' Busby said. 'People were stunned. It was something that none of us has experienced.' In her statement, Barman said she asked the deputy why he needed her birth date, because he knew her name and where she lived. 'He told me I was under arrest, grabbed my right arm, twisted it behind me and threw me on the ground,' she said."
Apparently the use of tasers was threatened as well.
Busby said she will demand an investigation.
Posted 8:56 AM EST by Andy Towle in Law Enforcement, News, San Diego | Permalink
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Seriously, just unbelievable.
There is just so much misdirected anger and I hope she sues the hell out of the San Diego sheriffs department.
Posted by: RONTEX | Jun 30, 2009 9:00:17 AM
This must be that 'new professionalism' phenomenon among the police force. Lovely.
Posted by: TikiHead | Jun 30, 2009 9:18:54 AM
"...seven deputies, a sergeant and a helicopter were dispatched to the neighborhood of expensive homes."
Because, of course, there is nothing more terrifying than an unruly crowd of 60-year-olds at a Democrat fundraiser in someone's home.
I hope they sue the shit out of that police force, receive the helicopter as restitution and use it to fly Deputy Abbott to his new job as a security guard at a dog kennel.
Posted by: David D. | Jun 30, 2009 9:25:15 AM
Seems to me there are three stories right now about terrorizing/defaming over anti-gay issues. 1) TX ABC extreme raid on the Rainbow Club - a newly opened gay bar in Ft. Worth where excessive force was used because "there were drunk people in a bar"! One man still in coma.
2.) Posters defamed at the DOJ (I could have the wrong agency) that celebrate Gay Pride.
3) This story of a gay supporter's democratic fundraiser being interrupted by extreme overkill for noise violations.
I think the trend is apparent. The far right is over reacting.. and to their detriment I might add. For the truth is out there now. This is a civil rights issue and President Obama will have to deal with this if we hammer this home.
Posted by: RONTEX | Jun 30, 2009 9:26:46 AM
Hasn't the SD sherriffs dept popped up often in the past 2 yrs being excessive with force towards non repub non heteros?
Posted by: jimmyboyo | Jun 30, 2009 9:35:15 AM
If this is acceptable police behavior it's a wonder the police can get any resprect. Pepper spraying elderly women who were unlikely to be a threat to anyone's safety--stupid and dangerous on the deputy's part. He shouldn't have the authority to issue citations to anyone much less carry a weapon.
Posted by: rayrayj | Jun 30, 2009 9:57:59 AM
This is a civil rights issue and President Obama will have to deal with this if we hammer this home.
POSTED BY: RONTEX
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I guess you missed the news, Obama could not give a shit about us, it's open season and the right wing is having a ball.
Posted by: patrick nyc | Jun 30, 2009 10:15:11 AM
Heterosexuals are troublemakers.
Posted by: Bill | Jun 30, 2009 10:25:53 AM
Some cops are really the worst kind of human being. "Authority" is a dangerous thing.
Posted by: Ryan | Jun 30, 2009 10:29:56 AM
Homophobia runs rampant in most police departments and obviously this one is no exception. Police are always on the wrong side of the civil rights struggle. Their homophobia gets intense workouts whenever the LGBT community is the object of their "sweeps". I noticed here in NYC at the Pride celebrations on Sunday that the cops I saw monitoring the crowds did so with barely-disguised contempt. It wasn't my imagination either. My group of friends decided to leave the Village because we thought the cops were going to get nasty.
Posted by: mike | Jun 30, 2009 12:36:51 PM
Someone trespasses on her property, disrupts her event, then runs and calls the cops about noise...This wasn't some frat kegger, it was a political fundraiser. Using pepper spray? I'm surprised they didn't want to quell the gay movement with some tasers too.
None of the real neighbors complained. Just some freak in the bushes. Why does he have the right to break the law?
When will we finally have enough and really start fighting back?
Posted by: Nathan | Jun 30, 2009 2:08:29 PM
Andy, can you obtain and post a copy of the police report? Im having a difficult time understanding how an unsubstantiated civilian noise complaint could possibly result in a LEO issued 'noise warning' to a group of ladies having a lawn party. Also hard to believe the highest ranking officer, at this so-called disturbance, requiring helicopter support, was a mere Sgt.
Posted by: Grego | Jun 30, 2009 3:39:52 PM
Disgusting. Welcome to the U.S.S.A where criminals and bigots are rewarded and law-abiding citizen/taxpayers are dragged away at the whim of the insane.
Posted by: Roger Ramjet | Jun 30, 2009 4:11:10 PM
This was in San Diego, where the firefighters won a lawsuit for having to attend a Pride parade. Obviously these police officers were forced to deal with the same sort of depravity, and responded accordingly before their tender sensibilities were assaulted.
Wouldn't surprise me if the police file a lawsuit. Morons.
Posted by: Paul R | Jun 30, 2009 5:00:16 PM
I chose to honor Shari Barman, the homeowner who was pepper sprayed and arrested, by making a donation to the fundraiser she was hosting for Francine Busby and would encourage others to do the same:
https://www.completecampaigns.com/public.asp?name=Busby&page=28
Posted by: Richard Salzman | Jun 30, 2009 8:21:17 PM
I guess you missed the news, Obama could not give a shit about us, it's open season and the right wing is having a ball
Posted by: wedding | Jul 1, 2009 4:43:05 AM