RNC protestors -- many of whom were never even charged with a crime -- are finding it difficult to retrieve their personal property -- including wallets, drivers licenses, etc. -- from the custody of Ramsey County & St. Paul.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by WCCO
"This is the epitome of insult to injury," said Kris Hermes, a National Lawyers Guild legal observer at the St. Paul police impound lot, where people were sent to get their property. "There were a large number of people today who returned to homes across the country empty-handed."
Hermes said most people were getting their property back. But some were told police couldn't find their property, and others were missing things, including a man who said his prescription sunglasses were no longer in his bag.
Others didn't have the identification they needed to show police to claim their property because their IDs were with their impounded belongings.
|
One apparently typical runaround:
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by WCCO
Nathan Barten, who said he was cited Thursday for presence at an unlawful assembly, couldn't drive there because police had his car keys. When he found his property wasn't at headquarters, he biked over to the impound lot. It's normally a three-mile drive, but Barten said he couldn't take a direct route because bikes aren't allowed on U.S. 52.
At the impound lot, Barten said he was told he had to go back to headquarters to get his tracking number, needed to find his property. The number was supposed to be on a wristband given when he was arrested. He brought the band with him Monday, but the number wasn't there.
|
Keep in mind that hundreds of people were cornered and arrested in sweeps that probably never would have happened if the police had shown a little bit of common sense & flexibility.
WCCO:
After RNC Arrests, People Try To Get Property Back
And another runaround:
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Pioneer Press
Police at the impound lot told him they couldn't find his property, but that it might be in the property room at headquarters. He checked; it wasn't there, and he went back to the impound lot, where Connell said he was eventually told his property was at the Bloomington police department, though he was arrested in St. Paul. So he was getting ready to head to Bloomington.
"I was so angry all week," Connell said. "Now, I'm just tired."
|
Pioneer Press:
After RNC arrests, people try to get items back
And yet another runaround:
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Pioneer Press
Some were told police couldn't find their property, and some were missing things, including a man who said his prescription sunglasses were no longer in his bag, Hermes said.
...
Matt Connell, of Minneapolis, said he had to go without his medication for a few days after his arrest Sept. 1. Connell said he was held for about six hours and released with a citation for presence at an unlawful assembly. He didn't have keys to get into his apartment or for a lockbox that holds prescription medication he takes daily.
|
Pioneer Press:
Want your stuff back after RNC? Most who were arrested get theirs, others go away empty-handed.
Pioneer Press:
After RNC arrests, people try to get items back
09-09-2008, 10:30 PM
St. Paul, MN: Released protestors find obstacles to retrieving belongings
Linear Mode
