Dem Congressional Candidate's Event Raided By San Diego Sheriffs
Now this is a truly bizarre story, about a Democratic Congressional candidate's fundraising event being raided by a whole squad from the San Diego Sheriff's Department -- including pepper-spray and a helicopter!
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that a fundraiser for Francine Busby, who previously ran for the deeply-Republican Fiftieth District and came close to winning in the 2006 special election and subsequent regular election, was raided by sheriffs after an unnamed neighbor made a noise complaint. Busby now calls it a "phony" noise complaint, and the article says that multiple neighbors said there was no great noise at all.
Here's the twist: The fundraiser was hosted by a lesbian couple, and shortly before the sheriffs came a particular neighbor had shouted anti-gay slurs at the assembled crowd. "It was a quiet home reception, disrupted by a vulgar person shouting obscenities from behind the bushes," Busby says.
As one neighbor told the paper: "We didn't hear anything until the sheriff came, with eight patrol cars and a helicopter."
The sheriff's department claims that somebody kicked an officer. By the time it was over, multiple people were pepper-sprayed, one of the hostesses was arrested, and the whole neighborhood got to see quite a scene.
One of the officers defended the department's conduct -- turning the blame on the candidate: "The place got out of hand. If Francine Busby was there, why not take a leadership role, step up, and nip this thing in the bud?"
Late Update: An earlier version of this post referred to "tear gas." It has been changed to "pepper spray" to be more clear and specific.
Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
As an SD resident, I can say that the whole county is pretty heavily politicized. Encinitas, including Cardiff, where the party was held, has a long history of politicized law enforcement. Encinitas city council members have been implicated more than once in encouraging the Sheriff's Dept., Code Enforcement, etc. to act or not depending on how they felt about it.
One thing that bothers me is, aren't the Sheriffs supposed to use their own ears to judge whether or not a gathering is too loud? By all accounts the complaining party said a "megaphone" was being used. An amplification system was used between 8 and 8:30 for an address and then put away. The sheriff arrived about 9:15 - no undue noise. So, the problem was...?
Anyway, Encinitas is where the folks still think Cunningham got a bad deal - probably a liberal plot by those who abhor patriotism.
June 29, 2009 3:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Back in my college days, I was the president of my fraternity. One of the responsibilities of the office was to stay sober during parties, for emergency purposes, and also to deal with deans and/or cops who might show up.
Every time there was a noise complaint, the cops would show up, and politely ask that the volume be reduced. I would politely reply affirmitively, go tell the DJ to lower the volume, and that would be that.
What on earth went on here that the cops were pepper spraying people?
It's difficult to imagine that the people at this fundraiser were rioting and placing the cops in danger. Without any evidence that that something like that happened, I can only imagine that the cops just showed up and started kicking ass immediately and without warning.
Is that seriously how San Diego cops treat noise complaints?
Or do they want me to believe that these fundraiser attendees started attacking cops, or something absurd like that?
June 29, 2009 3:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
I live around a lot of fraternities, and you forgot to add the part where they turn the volume back up after 30 minutes. ;)
But yes, noise complaints should not require pepper spray.
June 29, 2009 3:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Correct answer is "something like that."
June 29, 2009 4:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
In this new police state, although budget crises has caused severe cuts (there are only twice as many folks authorized to use deadly force and carry a badge since 911, rather than the desired three times as many)... when one of the 20 or so officers gets agitated or fearful, 19 others react immediately.
These are still called mobs and melees, whenever they take place without the badges...
With badges they are called "crowd control"... IMHO
June 29, 2009 4:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
It looks like Obama needs to give another speech denouncing police repression and encouraging democracy -- in San Diego County.
June 29, 2009 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's always the right that does this shit. And the wingers are afraid of it happening to them from The Liberals.
I smell a lawsuit. Any videos taken?
The cops will try to get away with the standard cop excuse that they felt threatened, therefore stepped up the level of force. I'm surprised they didn't taze the folks, too. The tazer is a sadistic cop's best friend - overwhelming force, a trigger to pull without the shot being deadly, at least most of the time.
Chicago cops get away with beatings because the system is rigged in their favor but this event in SD looks entirely political. And what's the cost of mustering 5 deputies, their cars and a helicopter? Those "fiscally responsible" republicans should be appalled at such a waste of taxpayer funds.
Isn't Michelle Bachmann afraid of this kind of thing happening to her upstanding census-resisting flock?
June 29, 2009 6:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
i am in the same area and have called the sheriff's office a couple of times for noise, underrage parties and vandalism in progress in an empty lot next door. it usually takes a couple of hours to get a patrol car to cruise the area...note ONE patrol car! this is a huge county so this kind of response, especially on a busy weekend night sounds truly odd to me.
usually only freeway accidents or fugitives get helicopters.
BTW this is Repub Randy "Duke" Cunningham's old seat.
Busby ran a very professional , even keel campaign to replace Cunningham, but lost to Brian Bilbray, who 'relocated' here from another district, so that he could run for the seat, using his mom's address to claim residency.
i might add, like the rest of San Diego , it is trending Democratic, though 'north County' is still a Republican held district.
June 29, 2009 8:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
I would love to hear the tape of the original call to the 911 center. I am willing to bet that the SD police will fight a release of the tape or transcript.
June 29, 2009 8:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
"The place got out of hand. If Francine Busby was there, why not take a leadership role, step up, and nip this thing in the bud?"
Yeah, that'll hold up in court.
Um, on second though, in the Roberts court it probably would....
June 29, 2009 9:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
I used to have a neighbor who would play loud rock music until five in the morning. I called the cops repeatedly, but they did not always come, and they seldom came promptly. I understood, as they are understaffed and there were probably more critical calls to make. Needless to say, I never saw a helicopter. I would have been very happy to see the guy pepper-sprayed, but alas that did not happen either. Even after the cops had come many times to shut this guy up, it was never more than a single cop car that ever responded. He finally moved out, thank God; possibly the cops got tired of him and threatened to arrest him if it happened again.
The idea that the response to the SD fundraiser could under any circumstances have been appropriate, is ROTF material.
June 29, 2009 11:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Big Brother (ie. the gendarmes) are out there folks and they cater to the right wing folks. Hang in there all you righteous liberals..... we shall overcome.
June 29, 2009 11:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
DOJ is going to break heads, right?
June 29, 2009 11:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
What no dogs? Bad surf day-bad joke?
June 30, 2009 12:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
a helicopter is NEVER sent to a "disturbing the peace" initial call. as eight patrol cars are NEVER sent to anything except to get more donuts for the captain. there should be a federal investigation into SDC sheriff/GOP corruption in this case.
June 30, 2009 12:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Back in prehistoric times when I played in a rock-n-roll band noise complaints were delivered by a lone uniformed officer who would be invariably polite and even almost contrite and request that the volume be reduced. Once we even got a second knock and a stern, "Come on guys!"
Of course since this was a Democratic back yard political event instead of a keg party it's easy to see why it was necessary to bring in a dozen cops and a helicopter to chase down escaping micreants. Everybody knows those Democrats can be dangerous and need their heads busted to reduce the risk of, well, bad stuff happening.
June 30, 2009 3:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
"The place got out of hand. If Francine Busby was there, why not take a leadership role, step up, and nip this thing in the bud?"
She is obviously not that taken with the idea of stepping up and being trashed by the nearest bulldog with a weapon! She did the right thing ... now she had better make hay out of this to at least let the balanced neighbor folk know that their rich enclave does not have to stand for this kind of South American brand of law enforcement! Anyone for Argentina!
June 30, 2009 4:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
Seems to me that bringing a helicopter to a noise complaint wold create a hell of a lot more noise than a megaphone...I supppose they follow the "Powell Doctrine" about overwhelming force.
June 30, 2009 8:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
A Helicopter for a noise complaint? What? In an upscale neighborhood? What? What a very strange story. I would love to hear that 9-11 call! Did the dick neighbor just call his friend the Sheriff.
June 30, 2009 9:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
Look at the picture at the head of this column, here you have 3 guys who like to play at soldierman.
June 30, 2009 9:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
I wonder if it is something in the climate warming
that is making people cranky, unreasonable and and very politicesed and easily aggressive.
This is not only happenig here in our dear America but almost everyplace.
All one needs to follow elections in the world; all are having fighting that goes from bad to worse.
And does any body know how many wars are going on now simultaneusly?
We in America are in good place because we have a presidet who knows how to think and truly cares. And whole world cares about him.
This is a strange part of history happening right now.
I wish there was somebody like Alexander I Romanov of Russia, who after Napoleonic wars negotiated peace that lasted in Europe for 100 years. He had his oddities but don't we all!
June 30, 2009 1:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
On the other thread (about the homeowner's official statement), quite a few commenters wanted the officer(s) tested for steroids. I agree but think they should test for meth also.
Even more importantly: the statement says that the local noise ordinance goes into effect at 10 p.m. If the candidate used her PA to address the guests from 8:15 to 8:45, and the neighbor's call was placed around 9, what basis was there for a complaint? Why did the department even respond to a noise complaint before 10 p.m.? And it's Duke's old district -- too perfect. I'd like to know how many taxpayer dollars this sordid debacle cost...
June 30, 2009 5:45 PM | Reply | Permalink