documenting the bullshit on and off since '11
weekly blog published somewhere between Tues. and Thurs. it seems, if the weary, sleep deprived author isn't falling asleep before typing.
A simplified account:
This past NYE, wanting to avoid any potential drama or trouble, I stayed in and just watched the tube. Concerning some past trouble, the last incident occurring many years ago, I've always been very wary about going out anywhere in my home state, especially small town Oklahoma. Or anywhere for that matter. If I've had a few, always cabbing or riding with someone else or walking or riding a bike.
I was driving one night recently in OKC and as a matter of curiosity and extra caution (paranoia), I bought a breathalyzer at CVS along with double A batteries. It cost $50. After a couple of beers, I blew into it and it read 0.00. It didn't work. I caught a ride to my friends' house a few blocks away and stayed on their couch that night.
Several days later, I contacted the manufacturer and they told me I could send it in to test the calibration or get a refund. What a nuisance. I hadn't had a drink in days, so I had a glass of red wine with dinner and blew. It was still bunk. Feeling stir-crazy, I called my friend and we went to the Fox to watch the OKC Thunder play the L.A. Lakers, joking that we were out for the 10th day of Xmas. We joined a group at the wooden round table that were celebrating a birthday. The Fox closed at 11 pm, which was earlier than usual, so we relocated to Lola's Bar, not too far away.
I got the craving for cigarettes, but they didn't sell them there. The adjoining hotel was barred off, which used to be open back in the day with a vending machine. I asked the others if they wanted some and took a couple of orders, telling them I was going to Walgreens, which used to be 24 hours or at least stayed open pretty late. It is approximately 377 feet away. I crossed at the intersection, walked up to the door and saw for sure that they were closed, then immediately crossed back at the crosswalk on the other side of the intersection, not a car or pedestrian in sight. After crossing to the other side, headlights pulled up across the intersection and a police SUV turned right. As I was walking along the sidewalk, the officer rolled down his window and hollered at me, as he pulled over at the abandoned gas station. Well, this is from the report I wrote a couple of days later:
weekly blog published somewhere between Tues. and Thurs. it seems, if the weary, sleep deprived author isn't falling asleep before typing.
A simplified account:
This past NYE, wanting to avoid any potential drama or trouble, I stayed in and just watched the tube. Concerning some past trouble, the last incident occurring many years ago, I've always been very wary about going out anywhere in my home state, especially small town Oklahoma. Or anywhere for that matter. If I've had a few, always cabbing or riding with someone else or walking or riding a bike.
I was driving one night recently in OKC and as a matter of curiosity and extra caution (paranoia), I bought a breathalyzer at CVS along with double A batteries. It cost $50. After a couple of beers, I blew into it and it read 0.00. It didn't work. I caught a ride to my friends' house a few blocks away and stayed on their couch that night.
Several days later, I contacted the manufacturer and they told me I could send it in to test the calibration or get a refund. What a nuisance. I hadn't had a drink in days, so I had a glass of red wine with dinner and blew. It was still bunk. Feeling stir-crazy, I called my friend and we went to the Fox to watch the OKC Thunder play the L.A. Lakers, joking that we were out for the 10th day of Xmas. We joined a group at the wooden round table that were celebrating a birthday. The Fox closed at 11 pm, which was earlier than usual, so we relocated to Lola's Bar, not too far away.
I got the craving for cigarettes, but they didn't sell them there. The adjoining hotel was barred off, which used to be open back in the day with a vending machine. I asked the others if they wanted some and took a couple of orders, telling them I was going to Walgreens, which used to be 24 hours or at least stayed open pretty late. It is approximately 377 feet away. I crossed at the intersection, walked up to the door and saw for sure that they were closed, then immediately crossed back at the crosswalk on the other side of the intersection, not a car or pedestrian in sight. After crossing to the other side, headlights pulled up across the intersection and a police SUV turned right. As I was walking along the sidewalk, the officer rolled down his window and hollered at me, as he pulled over at the abandoned gas station. Well, this is from the report I wrote a couple of days later:
POLICE HARASSMENT COMPLAINT
On
the night of Jan. 3rd, 2018, I went to Lola’s Bar with a birthday group. The vending machine was closed, so I
walked approximately 100 yards to the Walgreen’s. I crossed 14th street. The street was either completely devoid of traffic or nearly
so, as it was near midnight. I saw
that Walgreen’s was closed and immediately walked back to where I came from,
crossing the street on the other side of the intersection, no cars in
sight. When I had made it to the
other side, a police car pulled up to the stoplight and turned on to Bradley
St., where I was walking on the sidewalk.
Officer 1 hollered at me from his window as he parked his car. I was about 100 feet from my
destination already.
“Where
are you going?” he yelled.
“I’m
just walking back where I came from,” I replied.
He
yelled at me to come over to that side of the street. “What are you doing?”
I
explained that I was just walking to Walgreen’s to get some supplies and was
walking back. He said he could
smell alcohol on my breath. Almost
immediately, another police car had pulled up directly behind him and Officer 2 had gotten out of the car.
I agreed that I’d been drinking some but was taking a cab. He said that he could take me in
on a public intox just by the odor.
Officer 2 spoke up for me then and said, “But he is just
walking.” That is when Officer 1
barked out the order, “Book him!”
The
whole ordeal was less than 5 minutes long. I was not stumbling through the streets. I’d even had a taxi cab pick me up
earlier before I’d even had a single drink, and I was taking one back
home. There is no proof, no
written record, no reason given for stopping me as I was not even
jay-walking. Is it possible the
officer had a camera with him and that it can be viewed? There was little reason to contest it
in court because even if it were won, there would still be court costs
involved, and the time spent would be a waste. However, as there was not a single complaint toward me or
anyone that I was with the entire night, I believe this is an instance of an
officer making an improper arrest, and I can only guess as to his motives.
Therefore,
I am requesting that I be recompensed for $500 to quietly settle this. This will cover the $160 fine and my
time and trouble. If this is
agreed upon, I thank you very much for listening to an earnest request.
Sincerely,
Brett Horton
Yeah, that's the report. After 6-8 hours I was turned loose, advised by more than one party just to pay the fine because even if won the fees would stiff me. I smelled crookedness all around and vowed I would go at this from a different angle, i.e. writing, speaking to the chief of police, which I did. I went to speak to the captain some days later, and he told me what I already knew by reading up on the Oklahoma statute. The police can pretty much do what they want. It's very easy to get arrested walking in a small town, but I wanted to know the reason I was messed with in the first place when just minding my own business and not even given a field sobriety test or issued a written citation stating any probable cause. It's a free country- the police are free to arrest you.
- So more on this next time as I need to prepare for an art show for the month of February at Picasso's Cafe in OKC, which is the reason I am even here still lingering in this area after the holidays have dwindled down- the good news is I am free now and plan to stay this way. It was a minor incident that is over in the scheme of all things, but I am studying up on the legislature and other issues and will continue to write the fight.
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