Teens Threatened with Arrest at Santorum Booksigning - More

[JPZenger]

Last week, a columnist in the News-Journal reported how Santorum's staff and a State cop they rented for the day had threatened a group of teenage girls with arrest at a Santorum booksigning in New Castle County. The story has now been elaborated upon on a national website. The story is even worse than first reported.

The Delaware State Police says "what problem?"

Welcome to the BushWorld of pre-emptive arrest - arresting people in case they might decide to protest.

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0820-20.htm

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Remember the folks pulled out of the social security town meeting in CO?

They were asked to leave because of a bumper sticker on their car. The people asking them to leave claimed they were secret service officers.

The secret service investigated and nothing happened. No one got in trouble.

This will probably end up the same way.

[wli]

2. if it happens to me, I'm calling 911 on my cellphone

I am not involved with political demonstrations and can defend that fact quite thoroughly, even beyond the absence of any and all political activity.

What statutes apply to the inappropriate use of police power? Assault? False arrest? Threat of false arrest? Impersonating a police officer and/or federal agent?

[DBoon]

4. This is where a cell phone camera comes in handy

take some photos and send them right away.

[PurgedVoter]

3. I want to hear Santorum's view.

And if it isn't apologetic and determined to never let it happen again, if he doesn't declare this against all ethic, then he needs to be arrested for promoting public disturbance. Several girls had their freedom of speech sharply curtailed in a crass and dishonest way that could have become violent. This cop was in uniform so his deceit is Delaware's dishonor.

[LynneSin]

5. Main thing to point out is that B&N says that they had no idea...

...that the cop was going to do that to the girls. I've seen threads in other forums where folks are ready to boycott B&N. The local store is doing the 'no comment' thing which probably is for the best, but according to the spokesperson for B&N, they knew the off-duty police officer was brought in as a private guard. This is a smart thing since let's face it - Rick Santorum is a wack job and there are many of us not happy with the idiot. However, the off-duty police officer took it upon himself to threaten the girls with jail time, massive bails and even went so far to say that they were banned from both B&N AND the neighboring Concord Mall. None of this was true.

I'm all for supporting the local bookstores but B&N is a decent blue company and they have also brought in progressive writers for booksignings. The pressure should be on the DelState Police to reprimand the officer for going over the line in his actions with the girls & the one mother