Police Defend Arrest Over Loud Cell Phone Call

The Washingto Post ^ | 9/28/04 Go Figure | By Lyndsey Layton

[freebilly]

Sakinah Aaron was walking into the bus area at the Wheaton Metro station several weeks ago, talking loudly on her Motorola cell phone. A little too loudly for Officer George Saoutis of the Metro Transit Police.

The police officer told Aaron, who is five months pregnant, to lower her voice. She told the officer he had no right to tell her how to speak into her cell phone.

Their verbal dispute quickly escalated, and Saoutis grabbed Aaron by the arm and pushed her to the ground. He handcuffed the 23-year-old woman, called for backup and took her to a cell where she was held for three hours before being released to her aunt. She was charged with two misdemeanors: "disorderly manner that disturbed the public peace" and resisting arrest.

[5Madman2]

It was not a false arrest in accordance with the law. Your personal interpretation of things doesn't count. I repeat myself below.

The majority of the time, most police officers won't act on something like this unless a citizen complains. Many times the penal code/city ordinance and department policy are set up to ensure no action is taken unless there is a citizen complaint.

Quite bluntly, most cops won't act on stuff like this unlees there is a complaint becasue of the potential negative press/liability issues like shown here. I'm gonna go with the cop got a copmplaint, tried to get voluntary compliance, and when she gave him no choice, he dealt with her as shown in the article.

If I get any reasonable information to the contrary, I can shift my views on it, only because I know I'd rather deal with other things than a loud mouthed idiot

[5Madman2]

And I see you're the typical, all cops are jack booted pigs type. The only thing that can wind you tighter is the Grand Masonic Conspiracy to take over the world

You and your type used to amuse me. Now you bore me. You have the same Utopian ideas as the liberals, you're just more deluded in some ways.

Go play on DU. You may find the drones there think much like you

[TheCrusader]

"I'd say its more likely, and more telling, that they were both probably born in the city. Those who are born in barns act more civilized than this."

Good point.

[Lazamataz]

Pregnancy Alert!

[TheCrusader]

"With all due respect, I read the entire article."

I read what was posted, the link provided didn't work for me. In any case, I could care less if she was cursing on her cell phone, a pregnant woman does not need to be thrown to the ground and kneed in the back because of that alledged "crime". As other freepers have wisely pointed out, YOU just try throwing your pregnant wife to the ground and when the cops show up just tell them she was cursing loudly in public. Then after your arrest for assault and battery let me know when they release you.

[monday]

"And I see you're the typical, all cops are jack booted pigs type. "

Not at all, only cops who believe it is their duty to police manners and enforce courtesy. Most cops have better things to do.

[killjoy]

Chris Rock presents: How to not get your a$$ kicked by the police!

[mudblood]

"Chapelle..."

Absolutely :)

[stainlessbanner]

Quit being a dumbass, it just makes life harder.

See tagline

[TheCrusader]

"No. You get arrested for screaming obscenities into your cell phone (bothering the heck out of innocent bystanders), refusing to shut up when a cop tells you to, then fighting with the cop. If I were the DA in that town, I'd add endangering a child (her fetus) to the charges just for lagniappe."

Good thing you're not the DA, I hear it takes a little intelligence to get that job.

[YOUGOTIT]

Sounds the same as the assistant chief here who was going to have a mother arrested for running her generator after going without power for 12 days due to the hurricane. Another abuse of power by low IQ people who should not be in the police force, and give the great (99.8%) policemen bad names.

[asgardshill]

Good thing you're not the DA, I hear it takes a little intelligence to get that job.

The FR equivalent of I Know You Are But What Am I. Did we not get our juice box at school and we're all mad now?

[asgardshill]

Good thing she wasn't committing a real crime like jaywalking.

Yes, that is a good thing. Disturbing the peace then assaulting a police officer are bad enough.

[antceecee]

The officer could have warned her and if she continued, ticketed her. He could have then requested her to leave the area. I don't see the purpose in knocking her to the ground and cuffing her. The show of force was not the appropriate answer to the infraction.

[asgardshill]

Honestly, I don't know why I bother

Me neither.

[Sthitch]

I have a feeling there are more details to come. I have had interactions with Metro Transit Police and have found them to be quite perfessional. More so than many of the officers from the surronding juristictions. I just doubt that it went down like she said. I have a feeling that when he went to arrest her she fought back. And as to the idea of ticketing her, it is not an option in in Maryland for disturbing the peace. By the way, it is defined as: Prohibited
(c)(1) A person may not willfully and without lawful purpose obstruct or hinder the free passage of another in a public place or on a public conveyance.
(2) A person may not willfully act in a disorderly manner that disturbs the public peace.
(3) A person may not willfully fail to obey a reasonable and lawful order that a law enforcement officer makes to prevent a disturbance to the public peace.
(4) A person who enters the land or premises of another, whether an owner or lessee, or a beach adjacent to residential riparian property, may not willfully:
(i) disturb the peace of persons on the land, premises, or beach by making an unreasonably loud noise; or
(ii) act in a disorderly manner.
(5) A person from any location may not, by making an unreasonably loud noise, willfully disturb the peace of another:
(i) on the other's land or premises;
(ii) in a public place; or
(iii) on a public conveyance.

I think that she meets several of these.

[5Madman2]

Once again-

Most cops would rather scrape their head with a cheese grater than deal with this type of crap call.

Never mind-go back to your happy world

[5Madman2]

Line from another Freeper

"Evolution Stops when stupid is no longer terminal"

[JSteff]

My post was concerning the posting that "When a cop asks you to do something, you do it. The consequences of noncompliance can be a bitch." DUI check points was only an example of another way our rights are interfered with.

That lady may have been too loud, and I don't doubt that, put forcing a pregnant women (no matter what type of b_tch she might be) to the ground is just a tad excessive... or don't you think so?

The statement the poster made about "When a cop asks you to do something, you do it." is totally ridiculous. Where in the constitution does it say we must blindly obey authorities? Where does it even suggest that? Have you forgotten that our country would not be if the braver among the colonists HAD NOT obeyed the authorities repressiveness. And no I am not saying the colonist disliked DUI check points but they did not like encroachments on their freedoms.

[freebilly]

Disturbing the peace then assaulting a police officer are bad enough

OK, so I'm an attorney in court cross examining the officer.

"So, Officer Saoutis, you say this woman was disturbing the peace by talking loudly.?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Just how loudly was she talking?"

"Very loud."

"Very loud? About how many decibels?"

"I don't know how many decibels."

"You don't know how loudly she was talking then, do you?"

"She was talking very loud."

"Did you have any device that measured how loudly she was talking?"

"No."

"Was there automobile traffic going past while the woman was speaking on the phone?"

"Yes."

"So, Officer Saoutis, it's possible that a person speaking on a cell phone would have to raise their voice in order to be heard."

"I don't know. I don't have a cell phone."

"You don't have a cell phone? So you really don't have any idea how loudly someone has to speak in order to be heard on a cell phone, do you?"

"No...."

Any attorney worth a $h!t will eat the officer's lunch....