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Redding Police Department violates civil rights of local youth
Seven members of the Redding hardcore punk scene, including members of the band Set it Straight, were arrested by the Redding Police this past weekend.
The Redding Police Department gave unsubstantial reasons for the arrest, using excessive force and intimidation against those at the scene of the arrest. The video of the arrest is included in the article. KEEP THE COPS OUT OF OUR SCENE! Support the Redding kids by writing to the editor of the Record Searchlight at letters@redding.com so this issue gets the attention it deserves!
Statement by Curt/Set It Straight
"Some of you might have heard, but half of Set it Straight was arrested today for protesting the Redding Police Department shutting down the show in the middle of our set. We were playing a Skate demo at the Redding Skatepark when 6 cop cars showed up and demanded everyone to vacate, including the kids skating, who had nothing to do with anything (they shut down the park, as well). This was a sponsored event, with permits. The Redding Parks and Recreation committee came out and unlocked the power box, and set up trash cans around the area we were playing. The show was 100% legit, so we didn't stop playing, finished our set, and took our sweet time breaking down, but when they surrounded our friend who was riding the park and hit his bike with their batons, things got lame. He was arrested, no explaination. Harry, Ben, John and Tim were sitting down in the skatepark when RPD told them to leave, they asked why, and immediately they cuffed Ben. Harry told them he wasn't going to move so they choked him to the pavement and cuffed him too, along with Timmy and John. Later they also arrested Brittny and Sara for standing too close, bringing the total to seven. Harry's dad got most of it on the video mode of his digital camera, which is below. My favorite part is where one of the officers jokes that Harry's taxes pay his salary. What a dick.
After the arrests, and multiple threats from the RPD cops, Harry's Dad, myself, and a few others went to Redding's Channel 7 news. A small story aired tonight highlighting each side of the story, but the overwhelming theme was the Sargeant's quote:"The didn't have a permit. Bands of this nature lead to beatings and stabbings."
At the station, one of the cops said to Harry; "You're that band that played last week where someone got stabbed." He told them that definitely wasn't us, and the cop replied "Yes, it was". Awesome. When one of the sponsors, the owner of Johnny Rad's skateshop, showed up at the news station to contribute to the story, an officer told him if he didn't leave he would be arrested for tresspassing. Luckily, we were already inside with the reporter. Anyway, there should be a longer story on the news Monday, once we have the permits in line we can hopefully have all the charges dropped and then some, and the story on the monday evening news will show way more of our side (and if we're lucky, show the cops for the bullying jocks they are). All seven are being charged with loitering and unlawful assembly, and Harry and Ben are being charged with Resisting Arrest.
If you live in redding or chico, send an email to info@krcrtv.com and tell them they need to bump this story up. We can't let them just get away with roughing us up and kicking us out, especially since it was all legal. Send a letter to the editor of the Record Searchlight at letters@redding.com, we need to flood these inboxes. This is a small town and we need to do everything we can to keep the cops out of our scene, and if we can use the media to achieve that, good.
Needless to say, we won't be playing the Good Clean Fun show tomorrow... sorry everyone.
Curt/Set it Straight
***PLEASE REPOST EVERYWHERE***
"Some of you might have heard, but half of Set it Straight was arrested today for protesting the Redding Police Department shutting down the show in the middle of our set. We were playing a Skate demo at the Redding Skatepark when 6 cop cars showed up and demanded everyone to vacate, including the kids skating, who had nothing to do with anything (they shut down the park, as well). This was a sponsored event, with permits. The Redding Parks and Recreation committee came out and unlocked the power box, and set up trash cans around the area we were playing. The show was 100% legit, so we didn't stop playing, finished our set, and took our sweet time breaking down, but when they surrounded our friend who was riding the park and hit his bike with their batons, things got lame. He was arrested, no explaination. Harry, Ben, John and Tim were sitting down in the skatepark when RPD told them to leave, they asked why, and immediately they cuffed Ben. Harry told them he wasn't going to move so they choked him to the pavement and cuffed him too, along with Timmy and John. Later they also arrested Brittny and Sara for standing too close, bringing the total to seven. Harry's dad got most of it on the video mode of his digital camera, which is below. My favorite part is where one of the officers jokes that Harry's taxes pay his salary. What a dick.
After the arrests, and multiple threats from the RPD cops, Harry's Dad, myself, and a few others went to Redding's Channel 7 news. A small story aired tonight highlighting each side of the story, but the overwhelming theme was the Sargeant's quote:"The didn't have a permit. Bands of this nature lead to beatings and stabbings."
At the station, one of the cops said to Harry; "You're that band that played last week where someone got stabbed." He told them that definitely wasn't us, and the cop replied "Yes, it was". Awesome. When one of the sponsors, the owner of Johnny Rad's skateshop, showed up at the news station to contribute to the story, an officer told him if he didn't leave he would be arrested for tresspassing. Luckily, we were already inside with the reporter. Anyway, there should be a longer story on the news Monday, once we have the permits in line we can hopefully have all the charges dropped and then some, and the story on the monday evening news will show way more of our side (and if we're lucky, show the cops for the bullying jocks they are). All seven are being charged with loitering and unlawful assembly, and Harry and Ben are being charged with Resisting Arrest.
If you live in redding or chico, send an email to info@krcrtv.com and tell them they need to bump this story up. We can't let them just get away with roughing us up and kicking us out, especially since it was all legal. Send a letter to the editor of the Record Searchlight at letters@redding.com, we need to flood these inboxes. This is a small town and we need to do everything we can to keep the cops out of our scene, and if we can use the media to achieve that, good.
Needless to say, we won't be playing the Good Clean Fun show tomorrow... sorry everyone.
Curt/Set it Straight
***PLEASE REPOST EVERYWHERE***
For more information:
http://www.youtube.com/v/viHU3igaUfI"...
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If anyone happens across anything involving this incident, or similar incidents, please email news [at] badcopnews.com Thanks.
For more information:
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Post the police report.
Post the police report.
imagine how they would treat those who don't have witnesses or are less privilaged in that town...
rural washington state is becoming overtly fascist recently . now these things are starting to surface more places. in bellingham wa. a street musician skate punk type was punched bloody by white shirt preppy type guy. the police barely raised their voices when talking to this vicious assaulter. they protect people who punch any social minority.
fuck all police!
Band had permit for park concert
By Lauren Brooks, Record Searchlight
October 16, 2006
Seven people arrested at Caldwell Park for unlawful assembly over the weekend were participating in or attending a concert that had a valid permit from the city of Redding, police acknowledged today.
A videotape of the arrests caused a furor on the popular "You Tube" and "My Space" Web sites, where page views stacked up as word of the arrests spread.
Police originally had said that a concert in Caldwell Park, which resulted in the arrests of two Set It Straight band members, was broken up because of loud, vulgar music and that the band’s sponsor didn't have a permit.
But Recreation Superintendent Gordon Carpenter said the sponsor, Bethel Church, did have a permit, Moty said. However, band members hadn’t brought the permit to the concert, he said.
After police received six complaints from the public about loud, profane music at the park, Redding police broke up the crowd and arrested seven people, including two band members, on suspicion of "unlawfully assembling" on Oct. 14, Redding Police Chief Leonard Moty said at a press conference today.
More than 100 people gathered for a skateboard competition and concert in the park, but the last band, Set It Straight, played "way too loud," Moty said.
The music was laced with profanity and there were young children in the park, he said. A soccer game was also going on in the park, but the music was so loud that it interfered with the game, he said.
"The kids couldn’t hear the whistles from the referees," Moty said.
After 30 to 45 minutes of warnings and orders to leave the park, two Set It Straight band members, Harry Petty, 21, and Benjamin Paulsen, 19, were arrested on suspicion of refusing to disperse an unlawful assembly and resisting arrest, police said.
Paulsen said police refused to tell them why they had to leave even though they told the officers they had a permit.
"It was a completely legitimate event," Paulsen said.
Five other people who refused to leave the park were also arrested on suspicion of refusing to disperse an unlawful assembly. They included: Trent Menard, 18, John Spurr, 22, Sara Vasseur, 19, Timothy McLaughlin, 19, and Brittny O’Dell, 19.
At today’s press conference, Moty said the people who were arrested would mainly face charges for disturbing the peace.
By Lauren Brooks, Record Searchlight
October 16, 2006
Seven people arrested at Caldwell Park for unlawful assembly over the weekend were participating in or attending a concert that had a valid permit from the city of Redding, police acknowledged today.
A videotape of the arrests caused a furor on the popular "You Tube" and "My Space" Web sites, where page views stacked up as word of the arrests spread.
Police originally had said that a concert in Caldwell Park, which resulted in the arrests of two Set It Straight band members, was broken up because of loud, vulgar music and that the band’s sponsor didn't have a permit.
But Recreation Superintendent Gordon Carpenter said the sponsor, Bethel Church, did have a permit, Moty said. However, band members hadn’t brought the permit to the concert, he said.
After police received six complaints from the public about loud, profane music at the park, Redding police broke up the crowd and arrested seven people, including two band members, on suspicion of "unlawfully assembling" on Oct. 14, Redding Police Chief Leonard Moty said at a press conference today.
More than 100 people gathered for a skateboard competition and concert in the park, but the last band, Set It Straight, played "way too loud," Moty said.
The music was laced with profanity and there were young children in the park, he said. A soccer game was also going on in the park, but the music was so loud that it interfered with the game, he said.
"The kids couldn’t hear the whistles from the referees," Moty said.
After 30 to 45 minutes of warnings and orders to leave the park, two Set It Straight band members, Harry Petty, 21, and Benjamin Paulsen, 19, were arrested on suspicion of refusing to disperse an unlawful assembly and resisting arrest, police said.
Paulsen said police refused to tell them why they had to leave even though they told the officers they had a permit.
"It was a completely legitimate event," Paulsen said.
Five other people who refused to leave the park were also arrested on suspicion of refusing to disperse an unlawful assembly. They included: Trent Menard, 18, John Spurr, 22, Sara Vasseur, 19, Timothy McLaughlin, 19, and Brittny O’Dell, 19.
At today’s press conference, Moty said the people who were arrested would mainly face charges for disturbing the peace.
It only takes a few bad police officers to give a department a bad name. Contact internal affairs. If no results - contact the District Attorneys office. If no results - contact the Attorney General's office. Our family had an issue with the VVPD. My grandson was walking home from work and passed two youths breaking into a car. The PD asked no questions - they threw Cody to the ground, kneed him in the back and put a gun to his head. Just being in the area does not make you guilty or involved. After talking to the officer in charge (who was rude and refused to send me a complaint form) I talked to internal affairs. The officer had no right to assume.... This is how Good kids get bad reputations. The officer was written up for this and Cody has had no problems since then. The officer was a jerk, but that does not mean all of them are.
i cannot get the video to play. it keeps telling me that im offline,when i am not. obviously. i hear more and more disturbing stories about our police department, and i want to check it out, and back you guys up
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