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
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I once saw a Trans Am parked in a handicapped space. I thought "how can someone who is handicapped drive a car like that?" I felt like a piece of shit when I saw the person come out of the store missing the lower half of his leg. I didn't say anything about it, I kept my thoughts to myself.
In this case, the cop is wrong. It doesn't matter what his opinion of his placard is, the placard was issued, he was not doing anything wrong until Sergeant dipshit accosted him for parking. It is no different than pulling into a parking space and having a cop say you need to move because I don't want you parking there.
Riviera Beach is not the best place. It is one of the more run down areas in the Palm Beach area. It is a high crime area. I understand police officers being on edge, but this was totally uncalled for. When the second officer arrives, it seems the situation de-escalates to a degree. I feel bad for the second officer arriving on scene because he arrives to deal with the aftermath of two individuals losing their temper. One of them being his peer, the other being a citizen who has broken no law.
In this case, the cop is wrong. It doesn't matter what his opinion of his placard is, the placard was issued, he was not doing anything wrong until Sergeant dipshit accosted him for parking. It is no different than pulling into a parking space and having a cop say you need to move because I don't want you parking there.
Riviera Beach is not the best place. It is one of the more run down areas in the Palm Beach area. It is a high crime area. I understand police officers being on edge, but this was totally uncalled for. When the second officer arrives, it seems the situation de-escalates to a degree. I feel bad for the second officer arriving on scene because he arrives to deal with the aftermath of two individuals losing their temper. One of them being his peer, the other being a citizen who has broken no law.
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Not all disabled individuals "look" disabled at first glance. My best friend has 80% disability and uses a handicap placard, but when we were running around town last week, she would get out of the car and at first glance, she may not appear disabled; however, she walks in excruciating pain from her ankles all of the time. She may not limp, because she is proud, but she may only be able to go short distances before she needs to take a break. The placard is justified despite how it may look to a bye-passer who does not know the whole situation. Don't judge a book by its cover, and yes, the police officer was in the wrong here; however, the vet could have handled this better too. As the second officer pointed out, they both needed to bring it down a level to try to resolve the situation. I couldn't help but feel that the first officer had a grudge against military in a way because of his continued comments about "how does that make you better than any other American?" I think he needs to go visit a VA hospital and get real understanding of what disabled is.
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If the veteran displayed the correct placard/documentation and was in compliance with the law, the officer was way out of line. Police officers are supposed to enforce laws, NOT interpret laws on how they think they should be.
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I doubt this would have happened in Texas. I have DV plates on my vehicles as well as a placard in case I need to park in federal facilities ie VA and post office. Thankfully, I do not live in such a dicked up state as Florida.
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that's bullshit that cop was wrong i have a plack card my self you can't see my injury's they are in my neck knees low back i don't look disabled but i am permanently. so i will have it for the rest of my life. it is not Military related but my knees might be from being so hard on them in the Infantry but i was in a auto accident that almost killed me. had to be Med flight away from the scene three ribs fratchured liver splien ear head 7 disked in my neck & back it took me 5 years to walk again. now i am in pain every day. so if someone has that card they can park in the spots. but if i see someone that is worse off than me ill find a another spot. but that dosen't make it rite for any cop to tell me to move. ill do that on my own. that cop should be fired and buy Isiah James a new phone out of his own pocket to replace the one he slaped out of his hand.
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