Man sues after "POLICE" t-shirt arrest

[RamboLiberal]

Source: St. Louis Dispatch

A Belleville Police officer arrested a St. Charles man for wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the word “POLICE.”

Now, Adam C. Weinstein, of St. Charles, has sued the department for what he calls the violation of his constitutional rights.

Weinstein was arrested in 2006 outside a bar in Belleville for “impersonating officers.” He was wearing a t-shirt with the word police striped across the front and back under a sweater. The t-shirt became exposed when he removed the sweater because he was hot.

“Those t-shirts are a sign of solidarity,” said Howard A. Shalowitz, an attorney representing Weinstein. “How many people wear NYPD caps? Are they impersonating police?”


Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/illinoisnews/story/CAF16349ADFE96D48625752F0076C8AC?OpenDocument

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Hope he wins this one. A bit more on the story. Cop sounds like a real AHole.

But Weinstein was a licensed Emergency Medical Technician and a licensed security officer, not a police officer, so he had no credentials, he claims.

Belleville police officer Jeff Vernatti placed Weinstein under arrest and placed handcuffs around his wrists, but "tightened them too tightly on Plaintiff," according to the complaint.

After Weinstein asked if it was illegal to wear a T-shirt with the word "POLICE" on it, Vernatti told him to "shut the f*** up, you're real f***ing stupid, you are a dumb-a** with no common sense, do you know how f***ing stupid you are?" the suit states.

Vernatti then twisted Weinstein's wrists and quickly walked him across the parking lot, Weinstein claims.

Vernatti shoved Weinstein against the police cruiser with such force that his belt buckle left an impression on his abdomen, then pushed Weinstein into the back seat of the car, according to the complaint.

http://www.stclairrecord.com/news/216591-man-arrested-for-wearing-police-t-shirt-at-christmas-party-sues-belleville-officer