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Couple suing Rent-A-Center and Pittsburgh PD After busting into home without warrant

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posted on Mar, 12 2015 @ 05:16 PM
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Rent-A-Center claimed couple had a gun when they went to reposess a Fridge




A western Pennsylvania man and his fiancee have sued Rent-A-Center and a police department for arresting the man after the company's employees allegedly made the false claim that the man had a gun when they came to repossess some furniture.

Tyrie Sheppard and Sade Fallin lived in Wilkinsburg when the workers demanded last December they return a bed and refrigerator after missing a payment. The couple says they owed less than $200 and already had a court date scheduled to resolve the matter when Rent-A-Center workers arrived.

During the confrontation, the workers called police, claiming Sheppard had a gun, and he was arrested and jailed for five days.

"They come running in saying, ‘Put your hands up. Put your hands up.’ All of them have guns to my face," said Sheppard.

According to the couple, the officers turned their home upside down, looking for the gun the two Rent-A-Center employees claimed Sheppard had when they tried to take back the refrigerator.

The charges against Sheppard were dismissed when Rent-A-Center workers didn't show up to testify at three court hearings.

The couple’s lawyer, Tim O’Brien, said that the Wilkinsburg police violated Sheppard and Fallin’s Fourth Amendment rights in conducting an illegal search and false arrest for a gun that Sheppard never had.



This just now popped up on my news and showed up on their website. I imagine, given time, they'll have more information. Insane how out of control things are getting that now businesses are getting in on the act! Is this what we're becoming?? Businesses turning against people now to the point of turning cops against people? Absolute insanity!



posted on Mar, 12 2015 @ 05:24 PM
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a reply to: Anyafaj

Rent a Center?

Say no more, they are just as predatory as pay day lenders!

I would rather buy a couch sitting on someone's front lawn than from them.

Either way, the mentality of both parties in this law suit should come into question. Just go to their website and see what the cost to "rent" comes out to versus someone intelligent enough to do with out and save a bit to buy outright from a legit retailer.



posted on Mar, 12 2015 @ 06:58 PM
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The legality of the police search is dependent on the nature of the call the RAC employees made. If they made any statement that the resident had a gun and was threatening them with it, then it becomes a situation of exigent circumstances. If all they said was "dude might have a gun" then yea, they overstepped in a big way.

I've dealt with RAC repo folks a good bit. They'll do damn near anything to get their crap back, up to and including calling 5-0 and outright lying. We've caught them climbing fences, going in garages, trying doors and windows, the list goes on and on. I hope they get nailed.



posted on Mar, 12 2015 @ 07:14 PM
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Craigslist is a pretty good place to get a cheap or even free couch if you're anywhere near a major city & have a way to get it to your house.

Wouldn't ever "rent" anything from Rent-a-center...
edit on 12-3-2015 by coldkidc because: (no reason given)



posted on Mar, 12 2015 @ 07:17 PM
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Jesus this pisses me off.

Its my home. In a nation full of citizens under 2nd amendment protection. if i want to own a damned gun in my own home....

This is the kind of story that makes me just want to punch something.



posted on Mar, 12 2015 @ 07:23 PM
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originally posted by: seeker1963
a reply to: Anyafaj

Rent a Center?

Say no more, they are just as predatory as pay day lenders!

I would rather buy a couch sitting on someone's front lawn than from them.

Either way, the mentality of both parties in this law suit should come into question. Just go to their website and see what the cost to "rent" comes out to versus someone intelligent enough to do with out and save a bit to buy outright from a legit retailer.




Tell me about it. Thanks to bad credit I intentionally bought a fridge using Aaron's Way. But I KNEW what I was getting going into it. I did it to have something good on my credit report and it was recommended to add to my credit report. At the time, I needed a new fridge, I had the money, so I got a nice top of the line fridge.



posted on Mar, 12 2015 @ 07:25 PM
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originally posted by: Shamrock6
The legality of the police search is dependent on the nature of the call the RAC employees made. If they made any statement that the resident had a gun and was threatening them with it, then it becomes a situation of exigent circumstances. If all they said was "dude might have a gun" then yea, they overstepped in a big way.

I've dealt with RAC repo folks a good bit. They'll do damn near anything to get their crap back, up to and including calling 5-0 and outright lying. We've caught them climbing fences, going in garages, trying doors and windows, the list goes on and on. I hope they get nailed.



And depending on far they went, WHAT they said to the Pittsburgh PD, will depend on how much trouble PPD will be in as well.



posted on Mar, 12 2015 @ 07:27 PM
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The real sad thing is how many military people I've known that go through RAC...it's a total racket and they market to the lower ranking enlisted troops. It really grinds my gears...



posted on Mar, 12 2015 @ 07:34 PM
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originally posted by: Anyafaj

originally posted by: Shamrock6
The legality of the police search is dependent on the nature of the call the RAC employees made. If they made any statement that the resident had a gun and was threatening them with it, then it becomes a situation of exigent circumstances. If all they said was "dude might have a gun" then yea, they overstepped in a big way.

I've dealt with RAC repo folks a good bit. They'll do damn near anything to get their crap back, up to and including calling 5-0 and outright lying. We've caught them climbing fences, going in garages, trying doors and windows, the list goes on and on. I hope they get nailed.



And depending on far they went, WHAT they said to the Pittsburgh PD, will depend on how much trouble PPD will be in as well.


I feel like that's what I said? Or did I miss something?



posted on Mar, 12 2015 @ 08:31 PM
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OK let me clarify something. As I saw the title and knew who would get the blame.

For those of you who keep saying "Pittsburgh Police Department" .
It was not PPD. It was The Wilkingsburg Police Dept.
Wilkingsburg is a Borough.

"Fallin said she was on her bed with her 10-day-old son when, she claims, two Wilkinsburg officers barged into the home." A direct quote from the WPXI article.


www.wilkinsburgpa.gov...


edit on 12-3-2015 by Bigburgh because: (no reason given)



posted on Mar, 12 2015 @ 08:36 PM
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I hope justice is done here. The RAC employees should have been charged with making a false report when the cops failed to find a gun. What sense does it make to charge the guy when no gun is found? That makes the thing smell really badly... I don't suppose it has ever happened that kickbacks from private companies would influence police behavior?



posted on Mar, 12 2015 @ 08:53 PM
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originally posted by: MystikMushroom
The real sad thing is how many military people I've known that go through RAC...it's a total racket and they market to the lower ranking enlisted troops. It really grinds my gears...



RAC and Check cashing places are geared towards military as well. I sincerely think check cashing places need to be put out of business. Talk about usury interest!!! Just on the usury interest alone, I'm surprised

Check Cashing places
RAC places, etc....
school loan with high interest rates (super high rates)
and other loan places that are very similar with usury high rates



posted on Mar, 12 2015 @ 08:55 PM
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originally posted by: Bigburgh
OK let me clarify something. As I saw the title and knew who would get the blame.

For those of you who keep saying "Pittsburgh Police Department" .
It was not PPD. It was The Wilkingsburg Police Dept.
Wilkingsburg is a Borough.

"Fallin said she was on her bed with her 10-day-old son when, she claims, two Wilkinsburg officers barged into the home." A direct quote from the WPXI article.


www.wilkinsburgpa.gov...




My mistake. Thank you for the correction. I apologize. I was going by what I heard on the news real quick and not by what I skimmed over. I was trying to get it out real quick and I haven't slept in 4 days so wasn't thinking clearly. Thanks again for the help. (I'll be crashing and burning shortly here! LOL)



posted on Mar, 12 2015 @ 09:00 PM
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originally posted by: Shamrock6


And depending on far they went, WHAT they said to the Pittsburgh PD, will depend on how much trouble PPD will be in as well.


I feel like that's what I said? Or did I miss something?


No you didn't. I'm not functioning at full capacity lately. Sorry. I didn't mean to confusle anyone. LOL It is I who is confusled. LOL I've been out of my sleep meds for 6 days so I've been without sleep for 4 days. My neighbor was kind enough to go pick it up for me so I'm about to crash and burn here very shortly. I just took some and I'm waiting for it to take effect. I'm at zombie stage and apparently I was replying without realizing what I was saying. I sincerely apologize. (Apparently at that time, I even cracked a soda, but do NOT remember even opening one, tells you how out of it I was.)



posted on Mar, 12 2015 @ 09:00 PM
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a reply to: Anyafaj

Lol.. go sleep. I saw it on WPXI too. I understand the confusion.



posted on Mar, 12 2015 @ 09:05 PM
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a reply to: Anyafaj

lol no worries. You made me squint though. I tried like hell to figure out what I had missed that you picked up on lol



posted on Mar, 12 2015 @ 10:40 PM
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originally posted by: Shamrock6
a reply to: Anyafaj

lol no worries. You made me squint though. I tried like hell to figure out what I had missed that you picked up on lol



Would you believe I took the meds at 7, hoping to go to bed early and I'm STILL waiting for it to kick in! *yawn*





posted on Mar, 12 2015 @ 10:43 PM
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originally posted by: seeker1963
a reply to: Anyafaj

Rent a Center?

Say no more, they are just as predatory as pay day lenders!

I would rather buy a couch sitting on someone's front lawn than from them.

Either way, the mentality of both parties in this law suit should come into question. Just go to their website and see what the cost to "rent" comes out to versus someone intelligent enough to do with out and save a bit to buy outright from a legit retailer.



Exactly, "they missed A payment" and only owed $200 meaning they had almost paid it all the way off.

So they repo it to rob someone else blind.

That's like a bank forclosing on your house because you were late on one payment when you only have 3 left.

Bs of the highest order.







 
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