Spokesman: Park Police 'screwed up'

[Perky]

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0410/Spokesman_Parks_Police_screwed_up.html#comments

The U.S. Park Police is taking responsibility for chasing reporters away from the White House as six uniformed members of the armed services were arrested after handcuffing themselves to the White House gate to protest "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" yesterday.

"That was strictly the U.S. Park Police that screwed up – that has nothing to do with the Secret Service of the White House or the Administration," said Park Police spokesman Sergeant David Schlosser of the incident, which drew complaints from reporters and online speculation about darker motives.

"We had some young officers who, when they were told to move the people back -- which we typically do when we're going to make arrests - they moved the people back a lot further than we typically do," said Schlosser. "That was a rookie, amateur error and they screwed up on that."

"A high ranking official recognized the problem and opened the access back up, but the damage was done at that point," he said.

Schlosser said some Secret Service officers had "assisted," but stressed that the error was the Park Police's.

"It's just embarrassing," he said.

[katandmoon]

1. The U.S. Park Service has rookie officers stationed at the White House. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

[Perky]

6. They are not stationed at the White House they are stationed at Lafayette Park

which makes a little more sense though not much

[NoNothing]

2. Odd

They didn't just tell people to move back, they said the park was closed. Did some rookie officer just make that up? Will said officer be disciplined?

[SwampG8r]

3. when will everyone in office learn the simple lesson that

it isnt the stupid act that causes the controversy
its the cover up to protect egos that causes the uproar

just ask
kennedy (john)
johnson
kennedy (teddy added because his cover up protected his ego but cost him all future advancement to POTUS)
nixon
ford
carter
reagan
bush
clinton
and bush

[lynne]

4. ROOKIE? LOL! The video shows the Worlds Oldest Rookie Park Police, complete with muffin-top belly -

- he's 35 if he's a day. And I'm sure no Rookie just decided to just close a park - they received orders to do so.

[arcadian]

5. Lie - cover up

[wroberts189]

7. When little people screw up they are punished and fired or jailed... not just "embarrassed"...

and sometimes the little people ..like teachers in RI..are fired for no valid reason at all.

[cherokeeprogressive]

8. Hollywood couldn't write it any funnier than it already is...

Rookie mistake? Sure. Whose rookie mistake is what's in question here.

[Prism]

9. Well, someone should take responsibility for screwing over gay people

Because, God knows, this administration certainly isn't going to.

Rookies are in the mix!

[Old Troop]

10. Rookies always patrol with experienced officers.