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Police Broke Law in Atl. Gay Bar Raid


ATLANTA EAGLE 02 X390 (EAGLE) | ADVOCATE.COM

The Atlanta Citizen Review Board determined that 24 police officers acted improperly when they raided the Eagle gay bar last year, but it opted not to take disciplinary action because it could only impose a three-day suspension on officers.

According to WABE, the board considered the two issues of false imprisonment and abusive language regarding the raid last September.

“The first involved charges of false imprisonment. The board found officers had no legal right to search, detain, and run criminal database checks on the 60+ patrons, because none were suspected of any crime.

“The second issue, abusive language, wasn't so easy. Although both CRB investigators and the board agreed officers likely used abusive and homophobic language, they couldn't identify responsible officers. The board, unwillingly, agreed not to sustain those charges.”

The board tabled disciplinary action because members wanted tougher penalties than the maximum three-day suspension, according to WABE.

The Atlanta police department has yet to release the results of its internal investigation into the raid, while a federal lawsuit proceeds.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: Doug Bush
    Date posted: 9/12/2010 11:46:04 PM
    Hometown: Cincinnati

    Comment:

    Why do police waste tax money on stupid things like this? Why should they even care what gays are doing in gay bars? It is so ridiculous. The review board should have more power to impose much harsher punishments. I hope that the victims here sue and win millions of dollars against the police and their employer, the city of Atlanta. Only when they are hit in the pocketbook will they prohibit their police force from such illegal activity. A curse of disease and destruction on these pigs. May they suffer and die. May they rot in perdition.

  • Name: Bill
    Date posted: 9/10/2010 9:54:53 PM
    Hometown: Arlington

    Comment:

    #Joseph - Thanks for the critique of the governor of CA vetoing gay marriage. Does that mean that the governor of GA will be voting for it?

  • Name: Ben
    Date posted: 9/10/2010 8:33:22 PM
    Hometown: NY

    Comment:

    So the police can attack gay people, and even when it is proven, and everybody agrees, they still completely get away with it. Unbelievable.

  • Name: Kevin
    Date posted: 9/10/2010 7:22:01 PM
    Hometown: Maine

    Comment:

    A three-day suspension may be minimal ... but it's better than nothing and should have been imposed.

  • Name: Retired LGBT Armt Major
    Date posted: 9/10/2010 4:40:38 PM
    Hometown: Dallas, TX

    Comment:

    Jessica Justice maybe slow but fortunately it does work. Our wonderful constitution protects all of us from double jeopardy, meaning we cannot be punished for the same offense more than once. A three day suspension is, in my opinion, not enough as well, but I think it is worth waiting to see what further actions the fair citizens of Atlanta will take. At a minimum the 60 thugs who call themselves police officers will get to sweat some more waiting for the hand of justice to fall on them.

  • Name: Jon
    Date posted: 9/10/2010 3:04:27 PM
    Hometown: Toronto

    Comment:

    A 3 day suspension for false imprisonment searching people with no legal grounds to do so - which is essentially unlawful confinement, kidnapping, and physical assault. I'd be pressing criminal charges against those officers. Just because you're wearing a uniform when you committ a crime doesn't mean you're above the law.

  • Name: Joseph
    Date posted: 9/10/2010 2:35:21 PM
    Hometown: Montgomery, AL

    Comment:

    @Shanikwa: I'm surprised at your bigotry. After all, one could ask how LGBT folks think that California is such a great place when they have a Governor who vetoed same-sex marriage legislation (twice!) to allow the people to vote on the matter--which they did, to the detriment of the LGBT community. Then there's the frequent antigay violence that pops up in California (Lawrence King ring any bells?). I believe that some firefighter in California sued over being "forced" to participate in a Pride parade and claimed how he felt so "humiliated" because he was met with catcalls and was "propositioned" and the guy WON. Oh, yeah. California is SO much better for the LGBTs than Atlanta. EVERY city and state, no matter how "gay-friendly" they may claim to be, have their share of idiots. Unfortunately, SOME people have this "holier-than-thou" blindness from which they cast judgment on others while ignoring the bad that goes on around them.

  • Name: Shanikwa
    Date posted: 9/10/2010 1:51:18 PM
    Hometown: Los Angeles

    Comment:

    Wouldn't spend a dime of my tourism dollar in Georgia since this incident and won't going forward knowing full well this was criminal. Not sure why the LGBT community thinks Atlanta is such a great place to live or visit, especially after this.

  • Name: Sue!!! $$$,$$$,$$$ Tax payer funded damages equal change
    Date posted: 9/10/2010 1:24:49 PM
    Hometown: CA.

    Comment:

    $$$ Damages Due ! Class action on behalf of the 60+ plus patrons and the entire LGBT population of Atlanta against the police and the city for civil rights violations. Make the taxpayers foot the bill and watch the heads roll at the top.

  • Name: Jessica
    Date posted: 9/10/2010 12:28:13 PM
    Hometown: NJ

    Comment:

    Great that they wanted tougher penalties but to give them absolutely nothing when they could have given them at lease a three-day suspension is pretty rotten.



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