Associated Press – July 10, 2007:
A woman who was injured and arrested during a struggle with a police officer over her brown lawn said she wants to move. “Since this has happened, I don’t want to live in Orem anymore,” Betty Perry said Monday. “I know now that I’ll never see another winter” in the Utah County city.
Perry, 70, refused to give her name to an officer who visited Friday to issue a ticket for failing to take care of her front yard. She fell and hurt her nose as he tried to arrest her.
Perry was taken to a jail, where she spent more than an hour before officials decided custody was inappropriate. The officer, whose name has not been released, was suspended.
“What happened was not the way that we prefer to do business,” Lt. Doug Edwards said. “But clearly she did some things that were wrong, too, in not just saying her name.”
Betty Perry
Lets see,
I live North about 200 miles from this lady.
The upper snake river needs a GOOD flooding to clean things out.
My BASIC water starts at $40 per month.
I use about 1500 gallons per month…YES Im cheap and dont have a Clothes washer, and dont water my Lawn.
Its about $0.01 per gallon…And they Over estimated my water usage last winter by about 80,000 gallons, WHICH I havent used up YET.
NOW, Think about what this person is going thru…On a limited income of about $600-800 per month.
This in inexcusable. I’ve seen this article online before; the poor woman’s face was all scraped up. It looks as if she did a face plant.
The officer(s) involved should not be allowed to be police officer(s) any where. Anyone with judgment as poor as this should not be allowed to carry a gun.
Keep your eye on the ball. The incident reveals defective command and control. Odds are, the only business they prefer otherwise is for their inept thugery to come to light. “That is clear.”
@2, Rasco, send them an email with that sentiment.
This is the future of mormon women who don’t spit enough babies through the c*nt.
#2
It is now SOP for police to lay you down on the ground and jump onto your back with their knee every time they take someone into custody. Everyone gets the treatment, from the lowliest jaywalking scofflaw to the bank robber serial killer. It is all about officer safety. Everyone who complains about ‘the treatment’ gets an obstruction of justice charge added on.
If the guy were a civilian, he would be looking at 6-18 for aggravated assault. Instead he is getting a paid vacation.
Also, suck it up, because this is the police force we will have for the next 20 years because of republican tampering with the judiciary.
You should talk to a cop sometime and see the absolute contempt they have for ‘civilians’. Add that in with a judiciary that is giving the police carte blanch to conduct their business (war on terror and all that) and this is what you get.
Worst part is, these stories make it sound like it is isolated, and it is not. In my county here in Michigan we are currently embroiled in a scandal where the police did this to a 63 year old woman for mouthing off to a cop about a seat belt violation.
During the 4th of july celebration in Toledo I video cammed three separate incidences of police, all within a 2 hour period, of police taking compliant suspects, setting them on the ground, giving them the knee to the back in an attempt to cause injury, and hand cuffing them.
Not unlike those early videos we saw of prisoner treatment at Gitmo.
You gotta love the spin. She was not arrested for refusing to water her lawn. She was arrested for refusing to cooperate with the police.
If people don’t want to cooperate with police then they need to be prepared to pay the consequences. Period. If people are mistreated then they can take recourse, but letting people just do as they please and disrespect the people who make the country safe is not excusable. Period.
Obviously there are problems here that need to be taken up with the government, but the police are just trying to do their job.
7. “She was arrested for refusing to cooperate with the police.”
Cooperate with the police for her failure to water her lawn. The underlying arrest occurred because she failed to water her lawn.
“If people don’t want to cooperate with police then they need to be prepared to pay the consequences. Period.”
So you think that police have absolute and unquestioned authority over everyone. God, I hope you’re not a cop.
“Obviously there are problems here that need to be taken up with the government, but the police are just trying to do their job.”
If the police was just trying to do his job, then why was he suspended? Answer, because he was not just trying to do his job, he was just trying to be violent prick and fully succeeded in doing so.
She can sue the officer and I hope she does. Adult Protective Services must be contacted and felony charges should be filed against this ape. It is a felony to assault the elderly.
All police should be tested for steroid use as well as given a psych evaluation. Many of these pigs are the bullies we grew up with on the playgrounds across this country.
#7,
When the police show up at my door and want to talk to me without an arrest or search warrant they are TRESPASSING. When they attack me for not complying with their orders, it is felony assault, in all 50 states.
For some reason, the police are not getting trained in these most basic constitutional guarantees.
Furthermore (for you gun nuts) when the police don’t leave on your order to leave, make sure you shoot them in the face, as they wear body armor. Although I dont want to be the receiving end of that particular bit of litigation.
#10
For some reason, the police are not getting trained in these most basic constitutional guarantees.
They take an oath to uphold the Constitution and they don’t have a clue as to it’s contents. Take a look at this FBI pamphlet.
http://www.welfarestate.com/pamphlet/
These are some of the activities under which the FBI will classify you as a terrorist:
1 Those who “Make Numerous references to US Constitution”
2 Those who “Request authority for stop”
3 Those who are “defenders of the US Constitution”
Can I ask something…
The only thing I see..Is money out of a city budget going to Lawyers, and claimants..
Even if the Officer is taken to court, the City is responsible…. That means that Every person that pays taxes will end up paying.
#12
Even if the Officer is taken to court, the City is responsible…. That means that Every person that pays taxes will end up paying.
I’m happy to say that you are wrong. An individual can sue a police officer. She should take him to the cleaners. With a judgment against him it will be very difficult to hide this incident. It is true that she will get more money if she brings suit against the police department.
12—Sounds like you have an interesting premise. Go ahead and ask your question.
#13,
In most cases you’re wrong. Although she may sue the individual officer, he is protected by being on duty and in the course of his job at the time. The Police force and city or country will foot the bill. Regardless that he was out of line, the worst thing is he will be out of a job.
The cop had no reason to arrest her on her own property. As pointed out, he had no warrant and was not in pursuit of a crime. He had no good reason to require her name. It is the property owner that is responsible for maintenance, not the person living there. For a property offense, the proper way would be to send the notice through the mail to the property owner, whether it was this woman or not.
Opps, we’re now under water rationing here in Northern California. I wonder what will happen when my lawn looks like her’s since I shut off the sprinklers that I ran once a week.
WTF do they get all the water? Why do they waste it on lawns?
Last time we had to save our bath/shower water to flush the johns..
I kid you not…
She learned a valuable lesson about our American peace officers. Just goes to show you can teach an old dog new tricks.
16,
Long ago I sent a letter to my congressman, and the state and the pres…
suggesting a West to east Underground artificial aquifer, 1 accross the North and 1 across the south.
To bring the flood water into the system to be sent to those areas and farmers that needed the water…
AS IF, they would think it a good idea.
#7, here are a few Periods for you.
Another cowboy Dudley Do-Rite slamin’ grandma around. Period.
These are not cops ‘doing their job’, these are police who shouldn’t be police. Period.
These type of cops are adrenalin junkies (drug users). Period.
These asshole cops are giving cops who are fair and professional a bad reputation. Period.
If you want respect you respect others, in this case, inalienable rights. Period.
This cop totally handled the situation wrong and he deserves jail time and anger management classes for it. Period.
He can spend his jail time reflecting on his criminal behavior and brushing up on the Untied States Bill of Rights. Period.
The only one ‘spin’ing anything here is Lt. Doug Edwards, check his other comments to the press. Period.
A policeman who comes on private property can demand NOTHING without a warrant, or in the pursuit of a felon. PERIOD.
And in case you forgot:
‘What’s begun in anger ends in shame.’ – Benjamin Franklin
Period.
18–I’ve often thought about that. Just not cost effective? The aquafers run North to South and whats needed is East to West??
I “suspect” that some sort of deep ocean facility will ultimately prove to be cost effective for energy and fresh water production. From Deep Water to the Surface there is a pressure and temperature gradient. Lots of potential there.
If every one who owns a house (and where feasible) put in a cistern for rain water collection to water their lawns there would be little or no issue. Our ancestors 100 years ago would do have done so if possible just to have accessible drinking water. The roof run off into my system during a average rain generates 2 gallons of water every 2 to 4 min. During thunderstorms the system sometimes has to cut the feed because of the amount of water.
We have to start building and thinking smarter.
As for the Officer – there has been a marked drop in police professionalism for two reasons – the recent calls to “put more police on the streets” & the fact they don’t get paid shit. You get what you pay for.
It seems to me that some sort of personality defect or disorder must be present in anyone who even WANTS to be a Law Enforcement Officer. After all, you would be making a living from behavior that most people outgrow in kindergarten (sooner than that if one has older siblings). Basically, “Gasp! That’s against the rules.. I’M TELLING!!”
Additionally, it requires a desire to control others, who, under any other circumstances, would not pay you any mind, if they noticed you at all.
This is the sort of mentality that leads to the concept of victimless crimes.
Gone are the Andy of Mayberry types, alas.
This guy can probably get a promotion if he moves to Atlanta.
And now for the rest of the story…
In the local reporting of this, the woman was too well coached to be believable, and was using too many buzzwords to be taken seriously.
I got the vibe that this woman’s son is putting her up to this, and taking advantage of her “advanced age” (code for “slow mind”) to make some money.
I’m shocked this community would so readily accept any source’s reporting without a little digging first.
#24 Your proof?
#24
Hey Jim, maybe if idiot cops didn’t provide opportunity for vibe emitting sons to make money off slow minded mothers, we here in the community wouldn’t shock you so much.
Interesting how ‘And now for the rest of the story…’ is only your opinion, tell us where can we look up your opinion before posting? Tell ya what I’ll look in the dumpster for your insight before I post anything again.
And since I can’t resist Jim, remember,George Washington smoked marijuana.
#15
he is protected by being on duty
As usual, you’re wrong. Being on duty does not give a police officer the right or protection to abuse someone.
#28
“As usual, you’re wrong. Being on duty does not give a police officer the right or protection to abuse someone.”
True, but I believe he is financially protected by the liability policy of the police department. No matter what the outcome, the ones who always benefit are the lawyers.
20,
It would be nice if there was a deep water desalination plant, that could Blow moisture into the air, and spread Clouds above…
21, Ummm
1/3 of the western USA is DESERT, if not more… The region im in, is in drought, and the southern part of Cali, Threw AZ, and NM… We aint seen 1″ in a good storm sense February. Its not the water for JUST the grass…I live in the upper portion of the snake river, and this area could DRAIN the snake for the farms, but the fish would really hate us. And so would those below, as this is part of the Columbia river. Which include about 4 dams that supply Power to all these homes. I wont mention that the Aquifers her have been drained to below 50%, and they are getting abit RANK.