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 .
I might want to save this comment for use the next time we discuss illegal aliens stealing taxpayer funded services.
Ouch! That's gonna leave a mark.
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. It was a lawful order. He refused to comply. Gale had the choice of doing it the easy way or the hard way. He obviously chose to do it the hard way.
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. I've been in situations where it has taken 5-6 people to get a man under control. 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. I sure wish we'd had tasers in the state prison system I retired from. It would have been an easy way to restrain a combative inmate, saving officers and the inmate from being severely injured. All they had was forms of tear gas, and it practically took a proclamation to get approval to use it. Unfortunately, it would probably have been the same way with tasers.
The incident escalated because Gale wanted to be a dick. I bet when they got him down to the station he cried like a baby. Most of these morons are big and brave when they have an audience of their peers to entertain, but they become cry babies once you get them alone.
While I realize there are some cops, correctional officers, etc., who overstep the boundaries, they are not all abusers. It does get a little old when each incident is second-guessed by people who have never done the job, or weren't there to know what actually happened, but base their opinions on what is written by a member of the press who most likely is only telling part of the story.
Why didn't he pay for it?
Why didn't he go outside when asked?
Why did he become combative?
(This is some serious crime here.)
You are correct, theft is a serious crime.
(Should arrest the manager for false police call)
Sorry but there was nothing false about that call.
Must admit i like your name there, not many even know what that is.
A case of petty theft, at best.
This sounds way too much like a police state. Police forces attract sadists and are not very careful in screening them out. As a kid iin the Navy in WW2 I had an opportunity to observe sadistic behavior in some of those assigned to police Navy brigs as security forces. Their presumed duties were to maintain order. In general, the sadists seemed to have control and were extremely cruel.
Good post.
This will probably be Greta's "Breaking News" this evening. Can't wait for her breathless report.
This is actually the best point made by anyone here.
" How to destry your business for a head of lettuce"
by Chuck E. Slease.
Yeah, by the press.
So let me understand you correctly (without putting words in your mouth). The manager saw someone helping themself to something they did not pay for. The person was uncooperative with the manager, so the manager calls the police.
The police arrives, and not wanting to make a scene in front of the children ask the person to step outside to discuss it.
The person refuses.
Ok to this point?
Now, if I understand you correctly, the police are just to walk away because either A. Children are present, B. The man is un-cooperative, B. The value of the property being taken is too small to be concerned with.
What would you suggest the manager do if they see someone taking something without paying for it (and the cost of the item does not matter, it is not theirs to take without paying for it)?
What would you suggest the police do if a person refuses to cooperate, or are you of the idea that a citizen is under no oblication to answer any question at any time from a police officer.
If there was a misunderstanding it could have been cleared up before the police were called, and certainly once they arrived if the man would have simply showed his receipt or offered to pay for the salad.
You are too quick to blame the police officer, me, I would wonder about the stability of anyone when question by a store manager would not want to clear it up before the police had to be called.
Disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and trespassing were the charges; not larceny. IMO the manager got bent out of shape because the man was "loading" his plate with more salad than he deemed appropriate.
ROTF!
Don't you hate it when you make a nasty comment about "silly crap", and then find out that the other guy was right, and you're wrong?
Well, guess what, NC: he's right, and you're wrong.
"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
But she did comment on Gale's behavior...
"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.
I agree, there are likely many fact missing from this story. But I can't imagine there was no other alternative to apprehend this fellow than to taser him. Moreover, before going to the police, if there was some question as to whether he was stealing salad, the manager could have checked his register receipts, taken a look at a video tape (assuming they tape their transactions), conferred with his employees to see if any of them recall stamping the guy's hand (as some have stated is common practice at C.E.C.).
Will someone please go to the Chuckie Cheese in AURORA, Colo. and find out if you have to pay in advance, do you get a receipt, are your hands stamped, and, if possible, ask the manager what happened.
Thanks
Agreed. The guy should have disscussed this outside with the officers instead of causing problems right there next to children.
"If they couldn't drag him out the door of the joint they could've at least got him off that woman's lap and handcuffed him on the floor"
Once again that reads, "Fight with him on that women's lap" IMO.
"And if they couldn't, they're worthless as LEOs."
Well maybe you know more about law enforcement than I do.
The guy didn't go outside, on his own, so the cops had a limited number of options. You can't physically force him there because of the kids, same goes for pepper spray. I think taser was, sadly, an OK option from what limited info we have to go on.
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