Disabled Woman Arrested for Sitting

Woman: I was arrested for sitting outside in chair

Shequita Walker, 40, suffers from severe joint pain and has a limited range of motion. For several years, Walker has enjoyed sitting in a metal chair in the vacant lot next to her apartment complex on Boulevard. Walker says she isn't on the sidewalk or in anyone's way, and has spent many hot afternoons waiting on the ice cream truck to drive by so she can buy a cold treat.

But on April 21, an Atlanta police officer asked her to move when she was in her regular spot, next to three other people. Walker responded by telling Officer Kenneth Thomas she was within her rights to sit outside, and that other Atlanta officers had not had a problem with it.

Thomas then grabbed Walker's wrist and twisted her arm, causing her to fall to the concrete, unable to get up on her own, Walker said. Another Atlanta officer helped Walker to her feet and to the back of a patrol car. An ambulance was called to transport Walker to Grady Memorial Hospital, where she received treatment for a shoulder injury sustained when she hit the ground, Grossman said.

I'm certainly not a cop-basher, but this was way out of line. The article says she "stood her ground" and "gave some attitude", but this officer apparently has made 3 times the "disorderly conduct" arrests than two other officers on the same beat. Looks like he trolls for arrests.

ETA: This is a trend that seems to be rising. Is it the heat? The economy? There are more reports than ever of cases such as this. It could be that we are just more aware of them now, but I'm not so sure.

/TOA

reply to post by The Old American


Don't you know that things like that happen. She must have been a conspiracy theorists. The police would never be guilty of abuse of power. Everything he did was for her own safety. Seriously these are the creeps that are paid to serve and protect the public from criminals. Unfortunately the criminals are either the Government officials that pay them or the goons that get paid.

reply to post by The Old American

Can't sit in a chair in an empty lot. Can't walk on public property without permits, they can sell our land for use to cattle growers but we can't use it.
My husband and I rode our bicycles through a closed for winter campground and were kicked out by a forest service worker who had no reason to be there in the middle of the wet winter.

Arrested for sitting.

The US is becoming a very strange and scary country.
No wonder I keep moving further and further north.

reply to post by The Old American


www.ajc.com...

Officer Kenneth Thomas must be so proud of himself. I wonder how terribly he must have been picked on in elementary school to grow up and turn into such a horrible person.

I hope Officer Thomas's mother and grand-mother are alive so they can let him know what a wonderful man he is.

What a big bully this cop was. So what she gave you some lip and stood her ground, she's like 70? Were you really that afraid of her that you had to throw her down to the ground and arrest her?

What's funny about it to me is the cop is a big man and in a few years will probably know what she was going through. I hope someone does the same to him, while he's catching his breath.

reply to post by The Old American


Wow. I opened this thread thinking that I was going to read a story about San Francisco. Ya know, the city that disallows people to sit down on sidewalks, even if they are tired or hungry.

It's come to Atlanta, now. Wow.

Sitting on a chair in an empty lot! Criiminal!!

Car 54, Car 54! We have reports of someone sitting in an empty lot. Please proceed to the location and arrest the perp ASAP!! Use whatever force is necessary!

Are you kidding me??? A police officer can be this cruel to someone who is VERY limited in motion? I hope this cop will go to jail and suck a fat one.

reply to post by The Old American


Unbelievable

American citizens should not have to live in fear in their own country, hounded by police like this.... I don't know... maybe the police office had a reason? I'm trying to look for an article where he puts his side of the story...

www.ajc.com...
photo of arrest

Is the attorney suggesting that it would have been appropriate action had she not been disabled, or if the situation had involved a different woman who is healthy? Pfft...

The case against Walker was later dropped, but her attorney said the matter isn't over.

"It’s not like they did this to a healthy woman," Grossman told the AJC. "She has very limited range of motion. She suffered and she deserves some compensation."

Sadly, I just made a thread dealing with this very subject:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by The Old American

Woman: I was arrested for sitting outside in chair

I won't stereotype every cop to be like this... but it is certainly becoming the rule rather than the exception.

How does it feel to look into the future of America?

With the further militarization of Law enforcement; the taxpaying citizens have become the enemy!

God help us.

reply to post by Char-Lee


After looking at the photo of the folding chair and the dirt-grass area it is located in, I, for the life of me, cannot understand what made this an issue. Why even approach her?