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 .
LOLOL
Thanks. To answer your question...If the "witness" story is correct, then they are falsifying their report that he was resisting and it's certainly abuse of power to use a taser to zap someone while they are sitting on a woman with a baby...wouldn't you think? I'm not willing to condemn the police without a better picture of what really happened. In particular, this account doesn't sound right. The woman makes the police sound...well, very unpolice like. So I won't be rushing to conclusions, but if this is really the way it happened then they were out of line.
I believe that the proper taser policy was followed. BUT, the officers should have never let the incident rise to that level. The perp became agitated to the point whereas the cops were right in the using of the taser, but any cop worth his salt should have been able to talk him, or at least drag this guy, outside and away from the other patrons.
What amazes me about this story is that the police showed up before the guy could eat the salad and leave...Where my business is you have to have a real physical disturbance or weapon involved or you will be waiting at least an hour for the police, if you called dispatch and said someone was stealing a salad they would probably give you an estimated time of arrival of next Tuesday...
My first thought is exessive force was used...apparently he was asked to step outside and discuss the incident, not told to leave the premises or he would be arrested for trespassing...videotapes may be telling...
It will be interesting to follow this story and see where the truth lies...kinda like the cops who shot the family dog when it jumped out of the car after the family was taken out of the car at gunpoint because the guy left his wallet on the roof of the car when he left a restaurant in Tennessee...
Take a look at the poll on the news site..kinda interesting
Try again. There was an ACCUSATION of thief so the comment about "you approve of theft" was silly. If the police were unable to charge him with theft - it is likely he did not commit theft unless you believe people are guilty until proved innocent.
Your statement has very little to do with the known facts (you have filled a lot in from your imagination). There was an accusation of theft yet the police did not find enough evidence to charge the man.
The man could have come up with a receipt, or opened his wallet to pay for the salad, but he chose not to for whatever reason or lack thereof.
When the man says jump, you better say "how high"
I read you loud and clear.
Actually I wish they would 'taze' all thieves. I hate thieves.
Funny ! We'll get to 500 posts easy.
Any establishment reserves the right to refuse service and could do so the following day. One "simple" incident isn't worth all this bad publicity!
But, in all honesty, have you ever been to CEC? The food is S.A.D. Maybe he couldn't digest the cardboard pizza and wanted a salad. Maybe he paid for a salad and was feeding his kids with it. I'm sure they ordered a pizza, which is pretty much worthless, and thought they were entitled to a salad. Who knows - maybe the guy thought the salad bar was free and couldn't understand that it wasn't?
It was a simple misunderstanding, I'm sure, that sparked the whole thing, but it just shouldn't have gone down this way.
Me-ocrat: "But I did pay for all-you can-eat, just that they gave me this small one-trip plate by mistake. Shockingly, she didn't speak English very well."
Manager: "Then please let me see the receipt and we'll get you the proper plate."
Me-ocrat: "I don't need to show you nothin'. It was your mistake and I don't have to help correct it."
Manager: "If you refuse to show me the receipt then I'll have to assume you are committing larceny and I'll call the police to see if they can impel you to be a little more responsible with your actions."
Me-ocrat: "Yeah, right. Make a scene in front of all these kids? I don't think so. Go away and leave me alone! You charge too much for your wilted salads, and your pizzas are cardboard! You rip off the hard-working people of this community and then get off paying corporate taxes while I get the shaft with the IRS! You hire illegal aliens to bus the dishes and then harass me, a law-abiding citizen for wanting to eat! Well, after all I've been through in this wretched nightmare of America, you OWE me one free salad, so go shove it!"
Manager: "That's a shocking thing to say, sir. Just show me the receipt and we'll be done with it."
Me-ocrat: "You want to see shocking? Well, F'you! What are you going to do about it if I start to yell about a worm in my little plate here, eh? Now, THAT would be shocking!"
Then why did he ask for a receipt?
No,,you?
Now, about that information you have which didn't come from the press and which you claim proves there is no dispute as to the facts of what occurred?
Please enlighten me.
You eat at Chuck E. Cheese? I feel bad for you Californians who can't get a decent pizza. Of course, y'all do have In and Out Burger which is better than any burger joint here in the east.
Who should we beleive? The Police State or a citizen?
So, no bottom line is possible. The facts are in dispute. His cooperation or lack thereof is in dispute.
Unless you are privy to some knowledge that no one else here has, if so, please share it.
Yes, I endured one recently, for the sake of some nephews and neices who seemed to enjoy their time there. Luckily there were no Me-ocratic customers out with a chip on their shoulders about how they have all the rights which no one else does.
Police officers aren't citizens too?
Fair-minded people don't make snap decisions about credibility based on simplistic labels they stick on people.
so USING a taser, poking the man in the chest, is all ok, and all this over a salad ,I dont know where your from ,but here, IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, the worst the cops and the manager should have done, was issued a citation, there is a reason we have courts for minor infractions of the law ,and that is to keep cops and over zealous managers from pulling out real guns, like I sayed I dont know where your from.
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