Posted on 03/02/2005 7:09:34 AM PST by esryle
AURORA, Colo. -- Aurora police have reviewed a weekend incident in which a man accused of stealing salad from a Chuck E. Cheese salad bar was hit with a stun gun twice by officers and said that proper procedures were followed.
The incident began at 4:05 p.m. Sunday when officers were called to the restaurant on a report of a larceny in progress.
Police talked to the Chuck E. Cheese manager, who told them that a customer had refused to show proof that he had paid for food. The manager said the man was seen "loading" his plate at the salad bar.
The officers confronted Danon Gale, 29, who was at the restaurant with his children, aged 3 and 7. Patrons said the popular kids pizza parlor was packed with children and families at the time.
According to police, Gale was asked to step outside to discuss the incident.
"According to witnesses (Gale) refused to cooperate with police and a struggle ensued," said Larry Martinez, a police spokesman. He said that Gale became argumentative and shoved one of the officers, a fact disputed by another patron.
"One of the officers kept poking the gentleman in the chest," Felicia Mayo told the Rocky Mountain News.
She was there with her 7-year-old son. She told the newspaper that Gale told the officer "You don't have to do that." She said Gale never put his hands on the officer who was confronting him
The argument escalated until Gale was shoved into the lap of Mayo's sister, who was sitting two booths away, holding a 10-month-old baby. That's when police pulled out a Taser stun gun to subdue him.
"They beat this man in front of all these kids then Tased him in my sister's lap," Mayo told the newspaper. "They had no regard for the effect this would have on the kids. This is Chuck E. Cheese, you know."
Gale's two children were "screaming and hollering and crying" as Gale was hit two times with the stun gun.
Police arrested Gale as his children and other customers watched. They took him outside, leaving his children inside the restaurant.
Gale was arrested for investigation of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and trespassing.
His two children were picked up by a relative.
The manager of the restaurant declined comment and Gale said he couldn't talk about it, after hiring an attorney.
An Aurora Police spokesman said that the sergeant on the scene wrote a report on the incident and forwarded it to his commander who determined that proper police procedures were followed relating to the use of the Taser gun .
No, I do not. And, you do not know that he wasn't stealing. So what? I still think stealing is a serious crime.
"What if took too many napkins? That would be stealing too."
That would depend on the circumstances under which he took them. If was using them while at the establishment and took a handful with him, I don’t think most people would have a problem that. But, if he was taking whole packages of them and didn’t stop when asked, we might have a crime on our hands.
"This is not a Siberian gulag."
No, not yet.
A good cop would have paid the $2.50 and let everyone be happy and tell the manager not to call unless something is really wrong.
Siberian gulag?
Not a Siberian gulag yet huh?
If we have it your way it will be.
How in the world would he get whole packages of napkins to take?
Maybe he took two paper plates because one gets soggy. Ought to be arrested for stealing whole packages of plates too.
But I have worked in customer service for 8 years (since I started working at 16), and just think the situation shouldn't have escalated to this.
My ten year old pointed that out last time we were there.
"All he had to do was cooperate. That's all. Nothing more was asked of him."
You do not have to cooperate with the police under those circumstances. If the police have enough evidence to arrest you, they may do so, at which point you must not resist arrest, but you do not have to give them any information. Indeed, you would be well advised not to. If the police do not have enough evidence to arrest you, they should leave you alone.
Chuck E Cheese's are franchises. The owner of the restaraunt perhaps does not follow this policy, but at every one I have been to they do indeed check the stamp vigorously. One time after I had been playing with my youngest son, his stamp had sweated off. The guy at the door had to ask my oldest, who was four, is this your brother and Dad? Fortunately he gave him the right answer.
That said, there is obviously something missing with this story, or the store manager is the cheapest bas$$$ard on the planet. That said, many of the franchises where I live in the west Portland metro area are owned by immigrants who seem to be clones of Mr. Crabs from Spongebob.
Anything that happened after the cops were called & showed up, I have no problem with - if he was being uncooperative, then he got what he deserved.
If it helps clear up the matter- I stand corrected, per the link to the article you posted regarding CEC's hand stamping policy, Cultural Jihad did not make up silly crap about CEC stamping hands.
That said, I maintain that I have never had my hand or my child's hand stamped at CEC.
Go ahead, gleefully reply that I am wrong and that I have had my hand and my child's hand stamped while at CEC. But it's simply not true.
Now, to give you something else to chew on, I have not been to CEC is many months and have never attended a birthday party there. Also, the CECs I've been to were in Houston and Fort Worth. So go do some research on that and let me know what you come up with. : )
They always stamp the parents and kids hands at our Chuck E. Cheese. Everytime. A kid can't leave unless their number matches the adult walking them out.
I think all they need is a probable cause. Sounds to me like they had one. The guy should have cooperated.
LOL... So I'm told. Please read further on down the thread for my comments on this topic. I'll state it here again for those that enjoy watching me dig a very shallow hole- I've never hand my hand or my child's hand stamped while at CEC.
At Chuck E. Cheese, they hand you a disposable salad plate when you purchase the salad bar. You also get an itemized receipt, but your plate is usually your "ticket" to the salad bar, just like your cup is your "ticket" to the soda fountain.
I disagree.
If the manager has no proof then leave it.
What were they trying to do; beat the truth out of the person.
Call a detective and investigate the whole situation.
Really poor management tactics.
I hope the place goes out of business.
This logic is used often by totalitarian states - only criminals need privacy.
Frankly, if he was asked to step outside by the cops and he refused, they have every right to use whatever force necessary to get him to comply.
So what you are saying is the police "own your butt" - if they say jump, your only rely should be "how high". Welcome to the police state.
The police can use force if you are suspected of committing a crime. This man was suspected of possibly stealing less than a dollar’s worth of salad.
If there were only two officers, and depending on the size of the guy, it's quite possible they felt they had to use the taser to get the man under control quickly without letting things go on for too long.
Or maybe the police really enjoy pushing people around - a power trip. At this point we don't know. The people authorize the police to KILL PEOPLE therefore I am far more concerned about the actions of the police than the actions of the salad bar bandito.
Using the taser ended the incident quicker than if they had to roll around on the floor with the guy or call for backup assistance.
Actually I think it started the incident.
What source of facts are you using? Blind obedience to the police state?
Nope.
"If we have it your way it will be."
You seemed to be mistaken in what "my way" is.
"How in the world would he get whole packages of napkins to take?"
By going over to where they are and picking them up.
"Maybe he took two paper plates because one gets soggy.
Maybe.
"Ought to be arrested for stealing whole packages of plates too."
Only if he started stealing whole pakages of plates.
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