Another Sergeant backed me up on a disturbance call at a fast food chicken restaurant. PETA, the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, was demonstrating outside the restaurant and causing a commotion. When I arrived, I informed them that they have a Constitutional right to picket, as long as they abide by the laws. I also informed the restaurant management about the same restrictions; they can’t block traffic, pedestrian or vehicular on the sidewalks or the driveway. Picketers can’t go on private property and they have to keep moving at all times. Blah blah blah. With that said, the Sergeant and I returned to our respective squad cars and left. Within minutes, I was called to return. The picketers were now blocking the driveway attempting to prevent cars from entering the restaurant parking lot. I again explained the rules of picketing and they seemed receptive. I left. Minutes later the dispatcher sent me back to the scene. The PETA people were now pounding on the glass windows, scaring the restaurant’s patrons, which included small children. I calmly called the group around me into a football type huddle and screamed, “They’re chickens, just fuckin chickens.” I explained in very ordinary street language that if I had to come back there for any reason, the paddy wagon would be backed up and everyone there would go to jail. Apparently my little speech did the trick, no more calls.
July 17, 2017 at 2:11 am
That’s a funny story 🙂
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