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(TN) $1.9 Million Lawsuit Says City Officer Got Mad When Driver Tooted At Her At Green Light
The Chattagoonan ^ | 04/24/2011 | The Chattanoogan

Posted on 04/24/2011 7:29:00 PM PDT by The Magical Mischief Tour

A $1.9 million federal lawsuit has been filed against the city police department and a city police officer alleging that the officer got mad when a motorist behind her tooted his horn after she did not move when the light turned green.

Larry Ballanger filed the suit that names Cristina Henderson as a defendant.

The suit alleges false arrest and false imprisonment.

The complaint, filed by attorney Curtis Bowe, says Mr. Ballanger was on his way to work on the afternoon of April 23, 2010, when he got behind a patrol car driven by officer Henderson.

It says the light at 6106 Lee Highway turned green and three cars passed, but the officer kept looking down. It was then that Mr. Ballanger blew his horn.

The suit says the officer immediately pulled off the road and got behind the Ballanger vehicle. She followed him over two miles to the entrance to the Brainerd Walmart, then engaged her blue lights and stopped him.

(Excerpt) Read more at chattanoogan.com ...


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1 posted on 04/24/2011 7:29:03 PM PDT by The Magical Mischief Tour
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To: The Magical Mischief Tour
All charges were dismissed in Criminal Court.

Seems to always be the case... pointing to cops unlawfully overreacting.

2 posted on 04/24/2011 7:30:25 PM PDT by The Magical Mischief Tour (With The Resistance...)
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To: The Magical Mischief Tour

Why does this sound like an officer getting pissed off over being “disrespected”?


3 posted on 04/24/2011 7:32:55 PM PDT by PapaBear3625 ("It is only when we've lost everything, that we are free to do anything" -- Fight Club)
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To: The Magical Mischief Tour

This is just weird.


4 posted on 04/24/2011 7:33:40 PM PDT by svcw (Non forgiveness is like holding a hot coal thinking the other person will be blistered)
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To: The Magical Mischief Tour

I got pulled over for honking at someone who slammed on his breaks in 40 mile an hour traffic to let a cop merge in (from a stop sign)

I was ‘lucky’ to not get cited for using my horn in a non-emergency situation and I told the guy abusing his power, err the officer just keeping the public safe, that unexpectedly going from 40 to 0 is an emergency. Then i remembered that correctness had nothing to do with the traffic stop and “Yes Sir”ed until he was done letting me know who the boss was.


5 posted on 04/24/2011 7:35:40 PM PDT by tfecw (It's for the children)
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To: The Magical Mischief Tour
The 61-year-old Ballanger was then taken to the county jail, booked and had to post bond. His picture was in the "Just Busted" magazine, the suit says.

Can we see a photo Officer Henderson, preferably a mugshot?

6 posted on 04/24/2011 7:37:08 PM PDT by Gena Bukin
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To: The Magical Mischief Tour

Dont you know who i am!


7 posted on 04/24/2011 7:37:29 PM PDT by Nooseman (mutt)
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To: The Magical Mischief Tour

Suspend the female officer!


8 posted on 04/24/2011 7:41:08 PM PDT by rawhide
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To: The Magical Mischief Tour

I toot in her general direction.


9 posted on 04/24/2011 7:41:56 PM PDT by MARTIAL MONK (I'm waiting for the POP!)
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To: The Magical Mischief Tour
Mr. Ballanger got a police escort to easy street.
10 posted on 04/24/2011 7:46:55 PM PDT by Navy Patriot (Sarah and the Conservatives will rock your world.)
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To: PapaBear3625

I read this story and hand to God, I do make this up.

Three nights ago I am driving home. The are working on our road at night. Traffic one way, then the other....not a problem, I get this.

So I’m stopped and for twenty minutes...NOTHING! No traffic coming at me, nothing. It was very late, I wanted to get home. I could understand them closing a lane, leeting one side go, then the other. But they stopped me yet nothing was coming the other way. twenty minutes!

So I shout at the guy with the stop sign...hey, I was probably loud, and a bit angry, but I asked him when he was going to let us go. did not cuss, did not call him names, shut up after he answered with the silly response that he would let us go after last car came from other lane as NO , cars were coming from other lane, which was my complaint.

State cop there on side of road, saunters up to me. Got an attitude like a man put on a uniform and became all powerful, all knowing. He indicates for me to roll down my passenger window, which I do. He asks me what am I doing. I tell him I am asking the traffic guy a question, is this against some kind of rule?

Mr. Big Man In a Uniform, all powerful with a swagger can be seen a block away, launches into a lecture about how I would be the first to complain if the road were left potholed, how I shouldn’t yell at the poor man directing traffic. Big cop man then tells me to pull over to the side and now I’m really mad.

But I do, I maneuver in and out of the traffic cones. He wants my license, registration, proof of insurance. By now I’m feeling really mistreated. i call husband, say very loudly how I got a big cop here mistreating me, that I’d committed no crime. Husband on cell phone telling me to calm down, that this guy could shoot me like cops like to do to dogs that bark at them...pet dogs.

So I sit quiet but the cop won’t let me go. He’s got my license registration...sitting in his cop car, doing I don’t know what....punishing me.

This goes on for about ten to fifteen minutes. by now, the hell with it, I’m going to jail if need be because this guy is falsely imprisoning me in my own car, he’d not given me a ticket, I’d broken no law. I dunno, maybe a small lecture was warranted but even that was a stretch.

I start crying and begging the guy....”please let me go home. I’m sixty years old with a heart problem and my husband is sick and needs me.” Which was all true, in fact.

Cop, big man in town....yells “you just sit still and wait until I tell you you can go”. Whole time he’s got my license and stuff, husband on cell phone line begging me to sit quiet, this asshole imprisoning me in my own car with no benefit to me of judge or jury. Damn, he had on a cop uniform...that was authority enough, right?

I’m only a block from home, bear in mind. so I gather my purse, take key out of ignition, get out of my car and start walking. Cop jumps out of car asking me where the hell i was going. “I’m going home. I only live across the road.”

He runs up to me...GRABS ME...and tells me he’ll have my car towed and have me arrested for disturbing the peace. Imagine, walking upon a public road....disturbing the peace. I suppose he could have towed my car but by then I was just so upset I wanted to get home so bad before I punched this guy and really got into trouble.

But he grabs me and forces me back into my car. Only something changed. He went back to the cop car, got my license and stuff, told the traffic guy to stop traffic. He gave me my stuff back and told me to go on but don’t hit any traffic cones. And he asked, gently, why i was so upset.

I think he got scared when I got out of the car and started walkiing but it’s just a guess. But his attitude changed cause what’s he gonna tell his boss? Go with me here, I can write a line or two. That this sixty year old lady, returning home from late choir practice such was the thug she was, actually shouted at a traffic director. Then I’m walking home late at night cause he was falsely imprisoning me then towiing my car, then parked, out of the way, on the shoulder?

I was once married to a Baltimore city cop. While we might not have gotten along, he would NEVER have done such a stunt. this Delaware state cop was a man who thought he had almighty power.

And yeah, I’d have sued everyone on that force but I fought back and I’m glad I did. god knows the joy he was having hearing me sob and beg to go home.

Just an awful experience.


11 posted on 04/24/2011 7:57:26 PM PDT by Fishtalk (http://patfish.blogspot.com/2011/02/freerepublic-ping-list-compilation.html-Freep Ping Blog post)
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To: The Magical Mischief Tour

If this guy is telling the truth, he should sue that bitches ass off.


12 posted on 04/24/2011 8:07:26 PM PDT by mamelukesabre (Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum (If you want peace prepare for war))
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To: The Magical Mischief Tour

Thugcop put too small cuffs on too tight: “Mr. Ballanger said he suffered permanent damage to his right hand.”

Thugcop should have to pay up personally. Instead the taxpayers will pay for her arrogance, power-trip, and stupidity.


13 posted on 04/24/2011 8:17:38 PM PDT by piytar (Talga Vassternich)
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To: Fishtalk

I’m thinking I would have hung up with hubby and dialed 911 and told them that I was being detained by an officer and that he was scaring me by being a bully. . .


14 posted on 04/24/2011 8:18:22 PM PDT by ninergold3 (Let Go and Let God - He IS In Control)
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To: Fishtalk

He GRABBED you?

If he actually put his hands on you, this is assault. And this is why he turned all nice. He realized what he’d done.

I hope you’re thinking about making a complaint. Did you get his name and badge number?


15 posted on 04/24/2011 8:28:22 PM PDT by Auntie Mame (Fear not tomorrow. God is already there.)
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To: The Magical Mischief Tour

Ha! Folks are so messed up. Get 5 no ticket cards and go home. This suit will get tossed.

I understand why you post these things but tell me you have the gall to punch your horn on a patrol officer.......


16 posted on 04/24/2011 8:36:58 PM PDT by eyedigress ((Old storm chaser from the west)?)
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To: Fishtalk

You think what is happening to our local police and the over-reaching of all federal law enforrcement is bad, then just wait until Obamacare starts deciding when you die.


17 posted on 04/24/2011 8:49:48 PM PDT by BereanBrain
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To: The Magical Mischief Tour

“Contempt of Cop”, throw the book at him. Can’t have uppity citizens now, can we?


18 posted on 04/24/2011 8:50:21 PM PDT by doorgunner69
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To: The Magical Mischief Tour

Was the dog shot?


19 posted on 04/24/2011 9:00:32 PM PDT by SkyDancer (I Believe In The Law Until It Interferes With Justice)
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To: PapaBear3625

Sounds to me like that person shouldn’t be a cop.

If a short honk of a car horn sets this jerk off, I’d hate to see what happens in a real crisis situation.


20 posted on 04/24/2011 9:02:07 PM PDT by kschockeynut87 (I regret that I have but one life to give for my GOD, my family and my country.)
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