Stephen Orsak was accosted by police officers as he tried to ride his bicycle out of the airport area. When he asked to speak to Officer Brad Wingate's supervisor, he was assaulted, tased, hospitalized and arrested.
He was thrown to the ground, damaging his helmet and bicycle, and Officer Brad Wingate then ordered his partner (last name Bryant & in his 3rd week on the job) to tase him. In end the end, a total of 4 squad cars and a paramedic unit were involved. At that point the supervisor (Sergeant Karsnia) showed up.
The primary source of most information is the
victim's blog, so Reader Beware!
Other sources:
WCCO: Bicyclist Tazed by Airport Police, Case to Court
White Bear Press: Life on two wheels: Biker battles airport police in court
There appear to be additional articles available in Minneapolis Star Tribune & St. Paul Pioneer Press paid archives.
Stephen Orsak is an musician and bicyclist who arrived at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport in the summer of 2007, assembled the folding bicycle that had been packed in his luggage, and had the audacity to try to ride his bicycle out of the airport. At the time, no signs prohibited bicycling on the airport exit road; they were changed at some point after this incident.
Stephen Orsak ended up being charged with 6 counts.
In court he was found innocent on 5 of the 6 counts:
1) Obstruction of legal process
2) Obstruction of legal process or arrest
3) Riding a bicycle opposite adjacent vehicle traffic
4) Failure to obey traffic control signal
5) Failure to travel in correct direction on one-way roadway
He was found guilty of 1 count of 6:
1) Failure to comply with a lawful order
One has to wonder what a lawful order possibly could be when the arresting officers got so much wrong that there were acquittals on 5 of 6 counts.
Orsak was sentenced to 30 days in the clink (27 days suspended) and fined $300 plus $75 court costs. He is appealing the conviction.
Stephen Orsak
sums it up as follows in the 1st response following his initial post:
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Stephen Orsak
1) I had broken no law. Then or now. The statutes are there for all of us to read, and no one has yet been able to show what law I was in
violation of. This is not about 'should have', 'could have', common or uncommon sense. Laws are laws and I was following mine.
2) It was an illegitimate stop, and I was treated rudely as a second
class citizen from the beginning. Which law or policy allows for that?
3) I was stopped for not seeing signs that didn't exist until four
months later.
|
The appeal was on the
docket for the Minnesota Court of Appeals set for 11:35 a.m. on July 23, 2008. No decision has yet been announced.
The arguments present are
summarized in his blog (Reader Beware: this is the victim's blog, not an independent news source)
The final chapter in this story remains to be written.
Footnotes:
Officer Brad Wingate first gained notoriety for his handling of the infamous Flying Imans incident.
Supervisor Dave Karsnia is best known for his arrest and alleged entrapment of Idaho Senator Larry Craig.
08-17-2008, 12:12 AM
Minneapolis, MN: Airport Bicyclist Tased
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