While the Crowley-Gates issue was getting way too much attention, another story failed to reach the same level of national interest. Another questionable arrest for disorderly conduct begs the question: Are arrests for disorderly conduct done because a law has been violated or is it just a manifestation of the policeman’s disposition?
In Alabama, the police were called when a man who was using the bathroom in a Dollar General store was taking too long. The police knocked on the locked door and called out but when no one responded, they used a tire iron to open the door. At this point their actions made sense to me.
However, on the other side of the door there is also the other side of the story. Antonio Love, a deaf, mentally challenged man was having stomach problems (we all know what that means), and couldn’t rush things. Suddenly he saw the door being pried and pushed open so he pushed back to keep it closed. He thought it was the devil trying to come in and get him (did I mention he was mentally challenged?). Now in all fairness to Antonio, what was he supposed to do – not fight the devil? I mean, as ridiculous as it sounds it’s also logical. Who’s going let the devil just come and get them totally unopposed?
I mean, let’s just take a moment and put ourselves in Antonio’s position. What if it was you in a public restroom with stomach problems, minding your own business while you try to…um …to put it delicately, work things out? Suddenly, someone (and let’s say for argument sake that it’s not the devil) is trying to force their way in. I imagine it would scare the “stomach problems” right out of anybody. It’s not taking a big leap to assume a reasonable response is to try to hold the door closed against the intruder. At this point, I think Antonio’s actions and those of the police are understandable. However, what happens next is hard to reconcile.
The police push in far enough to pepper spray Antonio but then they decided to taser him as well. He was hit in three places – stomach, chest and hand. According to the police, they saw an umbrella in the corner which could be considered a weapon and that was their justification for the addition (and unnecessary) force.
After subduing Antonio, they found a card in his pocket which informed them he was handicapped at which point the cops fully understood that the entire incident was a misunderstanding. Common sense on the part of those sworn to serve and protect should have prevailed and Antonio should have been sent home. Instead, the policemen on the scene decided that undergoing a police raid during a personal bathroom moment, being pepper sprayed, tasered and fighting off Satan was not punishment enough for the deaf and mentally challenged man. They decided that he needed the Alabama court system to teach him a lesson too, so he was arrested for disorderly conduct. The magistrate refused to issue a formal arrest warrant so the cops took Antonio home. Thank goodness the court saw the big picture and didn’t want to waste anymore valuable court time or taxpayers dollars on what amounts to bad judgment.
What happens next? More familiar fallout both from the police and the other (injured) party.
The Standard By The Book Police Behavior: Once an arrest is made the police department will “Tammy Wynette” it and stand by their man (or woman) rather than admit their officers were anything other than absolutely justified in all of their actions. If they get pushback from the community, then they announce they are launching an investigation into the issue. Of course, this “investigation” is simply a stall tactic to get an issue off the front page. Once public attention is successfully diverted, the police department will quietly release their findings which are identical to their findings on the day the original incident too place.
The Standard Other (injured) Party Behavior: Sue