posted 04-28-2001 09:03 PM            

A day after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that police do not need a warrant to handcuff and arrest people for minor infractions, Chandler police said they arrested and cuffed a man for refusing to sign a citation for a messy yard.

Dennis Walker, 40, was arrested about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. He was accused of violating several city codes concerning his front lawn and charged with unlawful interference with a police officer and resisting arrest.

Police said Walker was handcuffed and taken to Madison Street Jail because he refused to sign a citation, a routine request by police when issuing tickets and citations. He was cited for violating the city code because his front yard includes an inoperable vehicle, litter and debris, landscape materials and outside storage.

"These are misdemeanor citations and by law we have to arrest him if he doesn't sign the citation," said Sgt. Ken Phillips of the Chandler Police Department.

Police say Walker put up a struggle when they tried to put on the handcuffs.

But Walker's wife, who said he had never been arrested before, painted a different picture.

"I never once heard them tell my husband to sign a citation," said Lorraine Walker, who witnessed the incident. "They did not attempt to serve him with anything."

Lorraine Walker said the city's code enforcement team came to the couple's home in the 600 block of West Monterey Street accompanied by a plainclothes police officer. Her husband told them to get off his property. Instead, the code officers began looking in the back of his truck.

Dennis Walker then walked into the house, came out with a camera and began taking photos.

"That is when they went into a frenzy," Lorraine Walker said. "It was disgusting."

Chandler police have arrested three residents in the last year for refusing to sign misdemeanor citations, Phillips said.


Reach the reporter at carlos.miller@arizonarepublic.com 602 444-7737

posted 04-28-2001 10:22 PM            

THey hate video. Because it makes them out to be the liars they are.

If they can arrest you for trash in your yard, then ANYTHING is now possible.

posted 04-28-2001 11:01 PM            

You could be arrested for having a sticker on your rear windshield. Or a dream-catcher hanging from your rearview mirror or any number of other ridiculous laws that may be on the books in the jurisdiction in which you are stopped.

That being said, I have difficulty with labeling an entire profession as 'pigs'. I used to be a 'cop-hater' myself years ago. I have been sexually harrassed by both male and female officers and almost killed because someone left a squirtgun in the backseat of my car. This pathetic excuse for a police ofc. then tried to have me booked because the squirtgun was 'loaded' with water. No lie.

But I have friends that are police officers and have dealt with many more on a casual basis that are deserving of respect. My advice would be to judge each individual according to their own merits.

Because someone carries a badge does not exclude them from being an ignorant, common criminal... as the recent LAPD scandals clearly illustrate.

Nor should it automatically exclude them from the human race itself.

I can tell you, for a fact, that there are LEO's out there who are CT aware. They drive fast, carry big guns and are not very happy with AF personnel in general.

posted 04-28-2001 11:46 PM            

About 20 years ago I was arrested, handcuffed, taken to jail, and subsequently had my ass kicked in front of a dozen other prisoners for DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE.

Here's the kicker: when I got arrested I was inside a building playing a video game and hadn't been anywhere near a car for probably an hour.

It was straight up harassment. They even towed my car from the parking lot and send my friend walking.

Of course this didn't make the press because I didn't run out and blab it to the media.

Funny part is that my friend, the one they sent walking, he got picked up by another friend of mine (even though we were over 10 miles from home, just happened to pass by) and so the two of them went down to the jail and bailed me out before I ever arrived. Soon as they booked me in I walked right out the door. Judge later tossed out my ticket, of course.

Nothing new happening today, except the PR. So why the PR?

posted 04-29-2001 01:42 AM            

I felt bad for those people in Quebec.. they're probably wondering what hit them, definitely a rude awakening.I hope this isn't the awakening that some folks seem to think is in our future.