19-Year-Old Protester Stomped On A 'Back The Blue' Sign. She Faces Hate Crime Charges

[Jilly_in_VA]

A Utah hate crime case is drawing national attention after local authorities charged a young woman with a hate crime over allegedly defacing a "Back the Blue" sign in front of a sheriff's deputy.

Utah is one of at least five states — along with Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and New Hampshire — that list law enforcement officers, along with race and gender, in their hate crime laws' protected categories, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

Lauren Gibson, 19, is accused of stomping on a "Back the Blue" sign while "smirking in an intimidating manner" at a Garfield County sheriff's deputy. The deputy had pulled over a group of vehicles for speeding, the sheriff's office says.

"The officer wrote in court documents the incident should be treated as a hate crime because it was an 'attempt to intimidate law enforcement,' " as NPR member station KUER reported.

https://www.npr.org/2021/07/15/1016431004/a-woman-is-facing-a-hate-crime-charge-for-stomping-on-a-back-the-blue-sign-in-ut
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Is "Blueflake" now a word?

[oasis]

1. A stupid law, but it's good to know where and how it can be enforced. nt

[Walleye]

2. It's a shame, but hate crimes aren't really like that.

Cops tend to think that when they are insulted it is a crime.

[LiberatedUSA]

3. Wasn't there a recent...

...or within the past year or so...story where people got or were threatened with hate crime charges for putting skid marks on LGBTQ painted street signs? Maybe the cops deciding if it is a hate crime to leave tire marks on a sign painted on a street, it is a hate crime to attack their signs? Boy, they know how to twist things don’t they?

[5X]

4. 'attempt to intimidate law enforcement'. Everything cops do is meant to intimidate.

[tonedevil]

6. Police are delicate flowers. /nt

[ms liberty]

5. I've never seen anyone intimidated by a smirk before

It must be very scary...

[Eliot Rosewater]

7. That smirk will probably cost her 10 years or more.

this is FUCKING RIDICULOUS

[Bucky]

11. It won't.

But yes, it's definitely ridiculous.

There's simply not a way for a teenager to sneer that menacingly. This cop is a green horn, a paper mache green horn who's gonna get laughed out of court

[tishaLA]

8. I refuse to believe any adequate lawyer

wouldn't get this dismissed on 1st Amendment grounds--if not in UT, then in a higher court.

[bottomofthehill]

9. file under sad but true

the insurrectionists who stomped on actual cops on 1/6 are getting off with probation, a small fine and some community service, stomp on a sign and get the book thrown at you.

[Bucky]

10. How did the party of small government turn into the party of "Respect My Authoritah!"?

Unless they were secretly fascist all along 🤔

[Crunchy Frog]

12. They never were the "party of small government". They've always been the party of catchy slogans,

intended to manipulate the stupid or misguided, into voting for them. Nothing has changed in that respect.

[SharonClark]

13. But was she brandishing a gun or putting her knee on an officer's neck?

. . .
The ACLU of Utah released a statement in response to Gibson’s arrest, saying in part, “We are extremely troubled and disappointed by the recent decision of the Garfield County Attorney’s office to add a hate crime enhancement to charges against an individual alleged to have stomped on a “Back the Blue” sign and ‘crumble[d] it in a destructive manner’ because a police officer alleges that she was ‘smirking in an intimidating manner’ towards him. This kind of charging decision sends an extremely chilling message to the community that the government will seek harsher punishment for people charged with crimes who disagree with police actions.”

On Wednesday, Sheriff James Perkins released a statement, saying Gibson “purposely targeted the officer in a very unpeaceful manner.”
. . .
“The simple fact is, while this officer was doing his duty in a proactive and compassionate manner, he was singled out and attacked by this person because he was a law enforcement officer. We are greatly disturbed by the hatred shown to law enforcement officers for no apparent reason. We are hopeful that this country can mend and heal from the division. Meanwhile, this case will go forward in a professional manner,” Sheriff Perkins concludes.

Gibson was booked into jail on charges of criminal mischief and disorderly conduct, with the latter having the ‘Hate Crime’ enhanced allegation.

source: https://www.abc4.com/news/local-news/garfield-co-sheriff-defends-decision-to-arrest-woman-for-hate-crime-over-stomping-on-back-the-blue-sign/