Woman Pepper-Sprayed For Talking On Cell Phone In A Theater

[matcom]

<snip>

ST. PETERSBURG - The couple arrested Saturday at the Muvico theater at BayWalk repeatedly refused to end a cell phone call, used profanity toward an off-duty police officer and physically threatened him, St. Petersburg police say.

A police report released Tuesday sharply contradicts the accounts of Warronnica Harris and Terrell "KC" Tolson, as well as two witnesses, who claim Officer John Douglas acted without provocation when he used pepper spray to subdue the couple in the hallway of the theater.

Harris and Tolson were later charged with disorderly conduct.

The report, written by Douglas, says he was working off-duty in the BayWalk plaza when an unidentified woman complained about someone using a laser pointer in the theater.

Douglas, 41, entered the theater, saw people talking on cell phones and asked them to turn them off. Among the people he saw was Harris.

"She (Harris) said she could talk as much as she wanted on her phone," the report said. Douglas again asked Harris to stop, and again she refused.

Douglas told Harris to leave and that he would get their money back

http://www.stpetersburgtimes.com/2004/07/28/Southpinellas/Police__Belligerence_.shtml

[slutticus]

1. Cell phones are evil...

....too bad I own one.

But whatcha gonna do :shrug:

[VelmaD]

4. Yeah, but...

you never answer the damn thing. :)

P.S. Check your pm

[donco6]

2. Why am I not surprised that there was more to this story?

The earlier post only gave one side to the story.

[Fenris]

3. I would have volunteered to mace her.

[Paragon]

5. She got off light.

People who don't turn off their cell phones in movie theaters (or worse, ANSWER the call in the theater) make me want to kill.

[PittPoliSci]

6. that is awesome.

i'm really sick of people bullshitting on their phones when i'm trying to enjoy a movie that i paid almost 10 bucks to see. Harris, even in her story, she claimed that she was on her cell phone in the theater. Therefore, she got what she deserved.

[LynneSin]

7. American Heros: Those who maced them

I would have been happy to pull the trigger on any cell phone caller in the theater along with the others:

People who just plain talk to each other in normal voices in the theater
People who bring their small children to innappropriate movies especially at inappropriate times like evening shows
People who have seen the movie before and announce the plot line loud enough to their neighbor that everyone else hears it

MACE AWAY I say!

[Paragon]

8. You & me, babe - killing spree, Micky & Mallory style.

:silly:

[LynneSin]

9. Sign me up!!!

We'll go from theater to theater offing rude patrons - we'll be working class heroes to all!!

[Paragon]

10. A working class hero is something to be.

;-)

[LynneSin]

11. Yeah, but you're a cubs fan, there could be an issue there

I mean, I'm a Reds fan - we just aren't compatible

[Paragon]

14. Bizarre...

...seeing how I live in Cincinnati. :shrug:

[LynneSin]

16. and I live in Wilmington Delaware

the world will explode now

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Endangered Specie]

12. Should have used a billy club...

and crushed the cell phone into itty bitty pieces... then mace her!

[Endangered Specie]

13. There is a theatre here in Raleigh, they will THROW you out...

If your cell phone so much as rings, sans refund.

[PDX Bara]

15. Cell Phones in Theaters (and Restaurants)

Good for them if the recipient of the call made no effort to leave the theater to continue the conversation elsewhere. To not do so voluntarily is an expression of extreme arrogance and selfishness. If it's an emergency, you don't sit there and shoot the breeze.

[HEyHEY]

17. Let that be a warning to the rest of you!