Controversial Police Raid On Gay Bar
Interesting story:
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) — A federal lawsuit was filed Tuesday against Atlanta police over a September raid at a gay club, on behalf of 19 patrons who say they were forcibly searched and detained.
The suit, filed by the gay-rights group Lambda Legal, names Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington and 48 officers who were at the Atlanta Eagle bar the night of September 10.
“The Atlanta Police Department dispatched about 20 to 30 officers to the Atlanta Eagle, including its ‘Red Dog’ unit dressed in SWAT team gear,” according to a statement from Lambda Legal. “But inside the bar, the APD found no public sex, no drugs or illegal weapons.” No patrons were charged with any crime, the organization said.
During the raid, patrons were made to lie face down on the floor while background checks were run on everyone, the statement said. “Eagle bar patrons heard anti-gay slurs; were forced to lay in spilled beer and broken glass; and one was forced to lie on the floor even though he had injured his back in the Iraq War.”
Some of the patrons were restrained with handcuffs, and officers used excessive force, including shoving some people to the floor and kicking others on the floor, the lawsuit says. Authorities searched everyone on the property, seizing their driver’s licenses or other identification, the suit says.
Raiding a public, all access and non-exclusive bar for public sex: OK. However, if it is a private club, not OK.
Raiding any place based on reports that there may be heavy narcotic use or illegal weapons: always OK if signed off on by a Judge with proper information.
Anti-gay slurs: Not OK.
Forcing people to lay face down in spilled beer: OK. Not giving them the opportunity to potentially clear the broken glass as they were laying down: Not OK.
So, sue the police for harrassment and unprofessional behavior via gay sluts and not accommodating the physically handicapped, and also if they can prove that they literally forced people to lay in broken glass and gave no opportunity to clear it away with their feet before laying down.
I think i tis pretty clear cut. Excessive force and harrassment are always unacceptable. You are paid to help us — not to mess us up.
If this happened in a straight bar, would you complain that it was raided for reports of public sex, narcotics and illegal weapons? I wouldn’t.
Raid places where reported crime occurs. How else are we supposed to keep public order?