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 .
Stealing Salad? ....He's lucky they didn't use mustard gas.
When refusing to leave your kids and go outside is outlawed, only severely tasered dads will go outside.
This was posted yesterday but somebody PLEASE tell me what the cop SHOULD have done. He was called to an incident, by the business manager, in which the suspect was suspected of stealing. I don't care if it's salad or diamonds, it's stealing and the manager had every right to call the police and have him stopped.
But, no! It's the cops fault for confronting a non-cooperative suspect, at the managers request. God forbid the guy actually comply with a lawful request by an officer of the law. Nah, better to let him steal at will that way there won't be a scene, just like the guy was hoping.
Whan I call the cops, I want something done, not hand wringing and moral relativism.
I was tased some while back, and I still feel the effects from it. I may have told the story on another thread.
Best description is that it feels like walking into a lightsocket.
Oh look, it's FR's little ray of sunshine.
There is no proof that this guy stole the freakin' salad. The shoved him into a woman's lap, and tazered him. What if that tazer had hit the baby she was holding?
This has nothing to do with someone coming into someone's yard and stealing their plants.
You have to pay in advance at Chuck E. Cheese?
If someone tazer'd the big rat I would be happy. Ain't enough money in the world to make me go in the place. EEEK!
Chuck E. Cheese has ANY food worth stealing???
But I'd guess there's more to the story...than the Clymer's are letting us peons know.
FWIW-
To: Mr. Mojo
Larceny is larceny. Supposedly someone who trespasses onto your property but only steals some landscaping and not the safe, well that's all okay, eh?
8 posted on 03/02/2005 10:15:30 AM EST by Cultural Jihad
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I might want to save this comment for use the next time we discuss illegal aliens stealing taxpayer funded services.
Very bad day. In the future, the big rat will replace clowns in children's nightmares.
I think that any restaurant that uses a Rat as a mascot is probably one to avoid.
"IMO, at the very least...the police should have asked the man to step outside to talk to him."
The officer did and the man refused.
Why were you Tased, and what effects do you feel?
what is not said in this story is, was the man getting salad for his kids,or for him self, how long had they been in Chuck E Cheese,all I have to go on is the manager "said" he was refused proof of payment. No I would not leave my young children alone while I went outside for a chat with the cops either.
police state alert.
The "quick-draw McGraw tactics" were brought about by the perps' own actions. He was in complete control of the situation from beginning to end. Conservatives are big on personal responsibility, and we leave the sniveling whining and excuse-mongering to liberals.
Agreed. That guy could have just shown the receipt to the worker or he could have gone outside to discuss the situation with the officers or just shown them a receipt.
There is no right to brazenly steal and then be an ass about it when you are caught.
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