ARRESTED
ON SOUTH STREET
On Thursday, October 31, 2002, Halloween night, the Lord
called me to preach and hand out Gospel tracts on South
Street in Philadelphia, PA. As I open air preached on the
street corner of 4th and South, a police officer approached
me. He told me that I "cannot be doing this".
I asked him what I was doing that was causing a problem.
He said that "it" just isn't appropriate. I then
asked him if there would be a more appropriate place for
me to preach. I received no response. I volunteered to move
to the other side of the street. The officer agreed that
that would be a more appropriate place. I then crossed the
street and began again. I preached (without amplification)
and handed out Gospel tracts. Because of the cold air and
noise from local bars, passing vehicles, etc. I decided
to use my megaphone. As I preached using the sound amplification
device on the corner of 5th and South, I was approached
by two police officers. I was told that I could not use
the sound amplification equipment because there was an ordinance
in Philadelphia that prohibits its use only on South Street
in Philadelphia. I volunteered to turn it down. One of the
police officers told me that it is not permitted at all.
I agreed to stop using the megaphone. After I stopped using
the megaphone, I continued to pass out Gospel tracts while
researching the details of the ordinance through a research
company that I subscribe to called Pronto. I asked the people
at Pronto to find out any information pertaining to an ordinance
prohibiting the use of sound equipment on South Street in
Philadelphia or any ordinance at all banning the use of
sound equipment in Philadelphia. I was called back by Pronto
and told that there are no known ordinances prohibiting
their use in the Philadelphia City code. I had another person
at Pronto review the Philadelphia City code carefully and
that person returned the same results. At this point, I
called the Philadelphia Police Department and asked them
where the law prohibits the use of sound amplification equipment
on South Street. I was told they would send a supervisor
to my location and that person would be able to provide
me with the information I requested. The supervisor who
arrived was the same individual who had originally told
me that I could not use the megaphone. He was sitting in
his police cruiser, and I asked him if he could tell me
where in the law there is a ban on sound amplification equipment
on South Street. He then told me that he is not going to
provide me with the information I requested. I asked him
why. He then got out of his police cruiser and aggressively
moved toward me. He started to point in my face and told
me that if I used the megaphone again, he would lock me
up. I kindly asked him what law I would be breaking if I
did so. He then began to yell at me and told me I had to
move because I cannot stand on the sidewalk. Also a friend
of mine had stopped by on her bike and was listening to
the conversation. He told her that she cannot remain on
the sidewalk with her bike. He then drove off. I prayed
about what to do at this point and wholeheartedly believed
that God had called me to South Street this Halloween night
to preach His Word.
I went back down to the street corner of 4th and South and
began to preach once again with the megaphone in front of
Pomodoro Bar and Pizza. The megaphone was turned down low
and it was no louder than the music and noise coming from
the bar behind me. As I began to preach, three officers
came up to me. I told them that God has called me to preach
tonight. As I continued, a male officer placed his hands
upon mine and pushed my hands downward to stop me from holding
the megaphone's handset. As my hands were pushed down, two
female police officers pulled me from each side. I fell
to the ground. Handcuffs were placed upon me immediately.
From that point, I was pushed, pulled, and dragged around
on the ground. They dragged me across the street by my arms,
which was very painful. They pulled my arms backward behind
me and I screamed out in anguish. The police officer with
whom I had originally spoken with was now present and very
angry. While in handcuffs, he bent my left-hand as far as
he could towards my wrist to purposefully inflict pain.
They then attempted to lift me up and force me head first
into the back of a police car. When they could not easily
force me into the police car I was then dropped back down
onto the street. The two male and two female officers then
dragged me across the sidewalk and threw me up against a
storefront glass window. One of the officers pushed my head
into the glass, while another demanded information and ID.
I gave them my name, address, etc. Then they demanded that
I give them my social security number. I refused. My head
was then slammed into the glass window again. They then
asked me how they could be sure I am who I claim to be.
I told them that I am who I say I am. One of the officers
told the officer demanding the social security number to
lay off, that they can get it through other means. I was
then placed into a police car and taken away. At no point
was I told where I was going, why I was being arrested,
or read any of my rights.
I ended up at a police station and handcuffed to some handrails.
While I sat inside the police station, a female officer
began the process of entering information into a computer
system. I waited there and was then called over to sign
an electronic pad attached to the computer. I was not able
to see anything on the computer screen, but was told to
sign the electronic pad. I signed "Refused". When
the female officer viewed the form there was discussion
amongst them. I was then told that if I did not sign my
name the charges would be "upgraded" to a misdemeanor.
I told them that I was not comfortable in signing something
that I could not read and thereby having my signature stored
in the computer. I was then angrily threatened that if I
did not sign I would be locked up, fingerprinted, have mug
shots taken, and a permanent record, etc. I then told them
that I would be willing to sign if I could put a note under
my signature stating, "did not desire to sign".
They continued to pressure me into signing. I told them
that I had already made my decision.
At that point, the (ordinance) officer was still angry and
told them to begin the upgrade. At this point they began
to add other charges to the complaint. Speaking to the officer
filling out the paperwork for the upgrade, the female officer
said to him that if I am not going to sign they might as
well get me for other things. She said to the officer doing
the upgrade that he should add "…handing out
handbills" to the charges since Gospel tracts were
found on me. At that point, she was looking through a manual
and told me that handing out Gospel tracts without a permit
is illegal. She then went into a story about how there is
a man who hands out Gospel tracts on one of the corners
she covers and that she could arrest him at any point, but
she has not done so because he is a nice man. At some point,
she also told me that disorderly conduct is the ordinance
that generally prohibits the use of sound amplification
equipment. However there is no specific ordinance prohibiting
its use. The officers talked about getting a wagon several
times while I was waiting. Just before the wagon arrived
the (ordinance) officer became verbally abusive and called
me stupid and mocked God. The two officers (one male/one
female) entered the police station and were greeted by the
(ordinance) officer. One of the entering officers asked
about why I was being taken off and then asked me why I
didn't sign. The (ordinance) officer said sarcastically
"God told him not to sign".
I was then escorted in handcuffs out of the police station
and placed into the back of a police wagon. I noticed blood
on the inside walls of the wagon- in the areas where handcuffed
hands would be resting. I was then driven for about 15 minutes
to some type of building entrance, taken out, and placed
with other officers in the building. I was then told to
take my shoelaces off, belt, jacket, etc. They asked me
for some basic information. I was then placed in a cell.
The cell was small with a metal slab to sit on. I waited
in the cell until I was brought out again moments later
for them to take a handprint. The officer then had me sign
it and I was then given some kind of chemical to wash the
ink off my hand in a nearby sink. I was given a sandwich
with two pieces of cheese and ice tea and placed in a small
cell. The metal door was locked behind me. I spent several
hours in the cell and was brought out again to an electronic
fingerprint machine. The officer took fingerprints of all
of my fingers. Another officer then took my mug shots, and
I was then taken back to the same cell. Many more hours
passed. The metal door opened again and I was taken to a
booth and placed in front of a television monitor. I noticed
a camera on the top of the television. I was told that I
was going to be asked questions for the bail officer and
that if I answered falsely I would be charged with perjury.
I answered all kinds of questions about my job, mortgage,
etc. I was once again taken back to the same cell. Many
more hours passed by as I waited. It was over eleven hours
that I was in the jail cell. I was released into the street
sometime after 12pm on November 1, 2002. On my way out,
I looked at the computer screen and saw my name highlighted
with the charge of disorderly conduct and "case declined".
The officer setting me free told me that the DA looked at
the charges and found there to be no case.