Man fires pepper spray on protesters outside Marine's funeral

[Tuvok Obama]

Source: CNN

Man fires pepper spray on protesters outside Marine's funeral
By the CNN Wire Staff
August 28, 2010 11:28 p.m. EDT

A motorist fired pepper spray Saturday at a group of demonstrators and counter-protesters outside a funeral for a U.S. Marine in Omaha, Nebraska, police said.

(snip)

"Initial indications are he was probably targeting the Westboro Baptist Church" protesters, said officer Michael Pecha, a spokesman for Omaha police.

George Vogel, 62, who lives just north of Omaha, was booked for 16 counts of misdemeanor assault and one count of felony assault on a police officer for the pepper-spray exposure, police said. Vogel also faces one count of child neglect because his child was in the truck, Pecha told CNN.

Westboro members, led by pastor Fred Phelps, believe God is punishing the United States for "the sin of homosexuality" through events including soldiers' deaths. Members have traveled the country, shouting at grieving family members at funerals and displaying such signs as "Thank God for Dead Soldiers," "God Blew Up the Troops" and "AIDS Cures Fags."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/08/28/nebraska.funeral.protest/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn

[eShirl]

1. my very first reaction was

LOL

[S_B_Jackson]

2. Well, at least his heart was in the right place...

though he should have kept in mind Cooper's 4th rule of gun safety: "Be absolutely sure of your target, and what is behind it.". If he had, he wouldn't have doused the anti-Phelps protestors or the police officer who was merely doing his job.

But I would imagine that a couple more such dousings of Phelps' cult members might just get them to cease and desist........

[onager]

29. No such luck.

These incidents just feed their persecution complex and make them even more convinced they are right.

Look up the BBC documentary "The Most Hated Family In America," about the Phelps cla...er, klan. You can still find it on YouTube, I think.

In the documentary, a passer-by hurls a soda bottle at them while they are out protesting. The bottle hit a Phelps kids in the head - a little kid, a boy about 6 or 7 years old.

They seem a lot more concerned with getting the incident filmed than they do with helping the kid. And of course, they start screaming about the evil gay-lovers targeting their children.

Not bothering with the obvious, that their children have no business being at a Phelps protest. It's more important to use the kids as stage props.

[Jamastiene]

3. You mean he missed the Phelps bunch?

Damn. Better luck next time...and don't forget to drop the kid off with momma or granny first.

[S_B_Jackson]

4. According to the story, he got both

Phelps' bunch, as well as some of those protesting Phelps' cult....and the police officer as well. Agree, should have made arrangements for the grandkid first....but the fact that he didn't would lend credence to a legal defense of "irresistable impulse".

[LawnKorn]

5. The First Amendment only protects speech from Government action - not some dude with pepper spray

George Vogel should plead not guilty and demand a jury trial. Who knows, the jury just might let him walk.

[Wednesdays]

7. Um...wha? The 1st Amendment allows you to assault people?

:wtf:

I'd say the overwhelming majority on this board supports a conviction for the incident. To suggest otherwise is just loony.

[DrDan]

8. absolutely - his behavior was criminal and deserves to be treated as such

[S_B_Jackson]

22. Agree, try him....

If I were a juror, I'd find him NOT GUILTY for the Phelps protestors, and guilty of the lesser included charge of misdemeanor assault for the anti-Phelps protestors and the police officer. How much you want to bet that the cop and the anti-Phelps protestors testify on Mr. Vogel's behalf??????

[iamthebandfanman]

16. sure seems that way if its a police officer spraying. n/t

[LawnKorn]

26. Learn a little about the Constitution

The freedom of political speech is protected from abrogation by the Federal Government. Westboro Baptist Church has their right to freedom of speech, the Federal Government is prevented from stopping them. Westboro cannot claim the actions of George Vogel as a violation of their rights. What Vogel did is a violation of local statutes, and will have to be dealt with by local law enforcement.

It was too bad he hosed down a police officer, that will go against him in court. Westboro on the other hand, has little if any standing in the local courts when it comes to slandering the fallen residents who were in the military.

[Quantess]

34. I would be in favor of a lenient ruling.

A "slap on the wrist" would suffice, in this case.

[zenprole]

12. Seconded, and then some

Yeah, he should take a jury trial.

One of the last bits of genuine freedom in the US is the right of jurors to judge both the facts and the law. Though most Americans sleepwalk through jury trials, this is an ironclad right that predates the formation of the United States. I don't know that I'd set him free (as S_B_Jackson noted above, this was very poor target selection), but it's his best chance. Maybe they knock down the charges to community service -- he could pepper spray that group's headquarters.

But srsly, check out the Fully Informed Jury Association. Their site has some great pamphlets you can download about the history of juries and preparing to be a juror.

[Cirque du So-What]

6. I believe this is precisely the sort of incident for which the Phelps group has been waiting

Old Man Phelps himself is a lawyer, after all, and so are many others within his extended family. I believe it's their plan to keep pushing the envelope in hopes that they get attacked in order to sue hell out of somebody - perhaps even a municipality for failing to keep them safe. Looks like their day has arrived, so expect a flurry of lawsuits against this individual - each one demanding far more than a single pound of flesh, good 'Christians' that they are.

[DrDan]

9. isn't his daughter a lawyer also?

[caraher]

10. Exactly

The pepper spray guy's gonna lose his shirt in court - Phelps lives for lawsuits. He paralyzed all of Topeka with 'em.

[RKP5637]

11. Yep!!! n/t

[customerserviceguy]

17. This old guy probably doesn't have squat

but I'd bet you're right for a different reason. I'm sure these pathological homophobes are going to try to sue the local government for not adequately protecting them.

They're beneath scum, and I hope the next time they get aimed at, it's something a bit sturdier than pepper spray.

[murielm99]

19. This is already how they support themselves.

You don't really think they take in lots of contributions at their "church," do you? Think about it. They are mostly one extended family.

They sue other people and live off the proceeds. They know their rights. This is how they survive and pay the bills.

[donco6]

24. He'll be sued to his last penny by that bunch, count on it.

It's what they live for.

[Posteritatis]

30. I thought Bigoted Dumbfuck Prime was disbarred awhile ago? (nt)

[Cirque du So-What]

31. Even though he's disbarred, he's not stupid

Dumbfucks don't pass the bar exam, after all. He's evil, however, and he retains enough knowledge of the law to keep suing people and governments for fun & profit.

[proud2BlibKansan]

32. Nearly every adult in the family is an attorney

So it doesn't matter that Fred was disbarred.

[greiner3]

13. I just wonder how many mistrials;

He'll get before the DA decides he won't be prosecuted anymore?

Except for the child endangerment.

[Gin]

14. can he plead temporary insanity?

grief can do that to a person

[toddwv]

15. Just curious

I can only assume that the 16 counts of "misdemeanor" assault were on regular people, why is the same action a "felony" assault when a police officer is involved?

[razorman]

18. One reason that the use of chemical weapons stopped after WWI was

that targeting is very ineffective. Far too often, a change in wind direction, for instance, could bring the mustard gas back onto your own troops, or some other unintentional target. The same principal applies to the use of pepper spray.

[lobodons]

20. Dueling Amendments

Should have used 2nd amendment remedies and see which SCOTUS sides with.

[lobodons]

21. Dueling Amendments

Should have used 2nd amendment remedies.

[LostinVA]

23. I know he shouldn't have done it, but good for him

[Yeahyeah]

25. new sign idea- "God Hates Guys Who Pepper Spray Us"

[kimi]

27. Phelps' group protested at my son's university last year

at the showing of "The Laramie Project" about Matthew Shepard's murder in Laramie, Wyoming. The university administration - some of whom counter-protested themselves - made a specific point of telling those present to NOT do anything to bring on any legal harassment by Phelps' people, because that's what they thrive on. Scumbags live off that stuff.

[lynne]

28. Yeah, yeah, yeah . . . shouldn't have done it but GOOD FOR HIM!

Part of me understands where he was coming from and he's going to pay the price but I can't say I blame him in the least.

[Lurks Often]

33. I despise the Westboro Baptist people and

the idea of them being pepper sprayed makes me smile. However what the guy did was wrong, although I hope he gets off with a slap on the wrist.

My prediction is that sooner or later the Westboro Baptist people are going to pick the wrong time and place to protest and some of them are going to end up dead. It is NOT something I condone or hope for though.

[boppers]

35. "a Westboro member said no one in her group was affected"

Bummer.

[MadMaddie]

36. I don't agree with his method

but I have been expecting this for awhile with this Phelps bunch.

People are sick and tired of the rudeness and the selfishness of these people.