Posted on Aug 13, 2015
Florida police officer investigated after challenging US veteran over use of disabled parking space
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Cop Harasses Disabled Veteran for No Reason!
Officer Wilson is going to have some explaining to do.
[Warning: Video has explicit language!]
From: Fox News
A Florida police officer is under investigation after he allegedly ordered an Army veteran to remove his car from a handicapped-accessible parking spot despite the veteran’s vehicle displaying a disabled placard.
According to WPBF-TV, Riviera Beach Police Sgt. Gary Wilson is now on paid administrative leave while he is being investigated by internal affairs following an incident Sunday involving Isiah James, a U.S. Army combat veteran who served nearly 10 years.
The incident, caught on James’ cellphone video, shows an angry exchange between James and Wilson after the officer allegedly asked the veteran to move his Dodge Magnum out of the disabled parking spot outside a Walgreens because he did not look disabled.
Wilson is seen on the video challenging James, 29, saying the veteran is “in the wrong” because he “can walk.”
“What I’m saying is there are people in wheelchairs who can’t get out and you just get out of the car and float right into the store,” Wilson says to James.
“You are not the arbitrator of my disability; you don’t get to decide if I’m disabled or not,” says James, who reveals during the exchange that he served tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. James also explains that he has screws in his leg and suffered a traumatic brain injury.
Wilson, who asks for James’ license and calls in the plate number to check for outstanding warrants, also appears to knock James’ cellphone out of his hand as the veteran records the exchange.
“Move the camera out of my face,” Wilson says.
“You can’t do that, officer,” James says. “You broke my phone.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VkkOMMmQIg
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/08/12/florida-cop-investigated-after-challenging-veteran-over-use-disabled-parking/
From: Fox News
A Florida police officer is under investigation after he allegedly ordered an Army veteran to remove his car from a handicapped-accessible parking spot despite the veteran’s vehicle displaying a disabled placard.
According to WPBF-TV, Riviera Beach Police Sgt. Gary Wilson is now on paid administrative leave while he is being investigated by internal affairs following an incident Sunday involving Isiah James, a U.S. Army combat veteran who served nearly 10 years.
The incident, caught on James’ cellphone video, shows an angry exchange between James and Wilson after the officer allegedly asked the veteran to move his Dodge Magnum out of the disabled parking spot outside a Walgreens because he did not look disabled.
Wilson is seen on the video challenging James, 29, saying the veteran is “in the wrong” because he “can walk.”
“What I’m saying is there are people in wheelchairs who can’t get out and you just get out of the car and float right into the store,” Wilson says to James.
“You are not the arbitrator of my disability; you don’t get to decide if I’m disabled or not,” says James, who reveals during the exchange that he served tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. James also explains that he has screws in his leg and suffered a traumatic brain injury.
Wilson, who asks for James’ license and calls in the plate number to check for outstanding warrants, also appears to knock James’ cellphone out of his hand as the veteran records the exchange.
“Move the camera out of my face,” Wilson says.
“You can’t do that, officer,” James says. “You broke my phone.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VkkOMMmQIg
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/08/12/florida-cop-investigated-after-challenging-veteran-over-use-disabled-parking/
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Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 250
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This video disturbs me in so many ways. I try to back my police department every chance I get. I can't do that this time. I admit that when I see a person stepping out their car who doesn't fit my profile of a disabled person I get perturbed. But never would I question that person. This fat sloppy officer (who in my opinion has screws in his knees to hold his weight) was out of line. My brother in arms (if the story checks) sacrificed in a way that Wilson would never know. It has always baffled my mind as to why a police officer can shoot and kill a veteran without repercussion, yet a veteran can stair down the barrel and take the shot without vindication from an officer. I understand my mans anger. The state of Florida owes him a new phone....
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I spent most of my army life in the M88, but I also had a few months in the M60A1. When we were in Germany for reforger 1980 our tank blew up in the motor pool. The pack was bad. Our CO made us stay with it until it was repaired. It took a month. We were behind our company for over a month the intire time the year we were there.
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My tank training was at Fort Hood. Texas. 1980 .124th Armor forward support. M88 Hercules. Recovery team. 6yrs. I wish I would have stayed in.
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I am also a disabled vet. I have a parking permit too. I live in Florida and I'm ashamed of that officer. The man is disabled and a VETERAN ...if anything he deserves our gratitude and our respect. ..
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There's always two sides to every story, but my first reaction is that I hope they fire the cop.
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This happens moe then we know. The Police need to be trained to understand who has those privileges
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What I saw was a dwb (driving whIle black.) Yes, cops of color do it too. My bf had that happen to him by a Latino cop, and a black friend of mine has had that happen on more occasions than he cares to count. It's a classic case of a police officer trying to meet his quota so he found some guy, who is black, parked in a handicap spot. What they do is they run the plates for EVERYTHING, not just handicap but for suspended license anything they can nab you for so they can either a) write you a ticket or b) bring you in.
I appreciate officers who try and help and contribute to their community, but chances are really high that this officer's superior is ordering them to write as many tickets as they can in a time frame. (Which is why it's such a huge problem in NY, where black youths walking with sagging pants get pulled over.)
Officers who don't go with the policy, aka refusing to write tickets for no reason, get punished plain and simple. I wish that these two could have handled it better. The officer, rather than being the aggressor, and the veteran just trying to be compliant. He says it was Sunday morning so not a lot of bad things can happen for the morning to turn sour. I'm not saying it's not possible, I'm saying that it's rare. Then again, persons with PTSD rarely act nonaggressive... it's a difficult situation all around and I really wish we'd fund the police enough to where they don't have to use tickets to justify themselves....
I appreciate officers who try and help and contribute to their community, but chances are really high that this officer's superior is ordering them to write as many tickets as they can in a time frame. (Which is why it's such a huge problem in NY, where black youths walking with sagging pants get pulled over.)
Officers who don't go with the policy, aka refusing to write tickets for no reason, get punished plain and simple. I wish that these two could have handled it better. The officer, rather than being the aggressor, and the veteran just trying to be compliant. He says it was Sunday morning so not a lot of bad things can happen for the morning to turn sour. I'm not saying it's not possible, I'm saying that it's rare. Then again, persons with PTSD rarely act nonaggressive... it's a difficult situation all around and I really wish we'd fund the police enough to where they don't have to use tickets to justify themselves....
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I would like to know the final outcome did he get his phone replaced? The cop was totally in the wrong
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In light of the fact that there were only two designated handicap spots, one might feel the officer's passionate concern for those unable to walk might've compelled him to park further away from the front door.
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