OFF THE WIRE
THIS IS INSANE! The police had been ticketing cars - IN HIS REPAIR
SHOP GARAGE - for not having inspections that they were THERE to get!
Help support this man by getting the word out about this injustice and police BULLYING!.
Bruce Redwine says that he has watched Fairfax County parking enforcement officer tickets
his customers’ cars for expired tags or inspection stickers for several
years now. Finally, he says that he has had enough and is speaking out.
In almost all cases, he explains, the vehicles are waiting at his garage for state inspection or repair at his Chantilly, Virginia autoshop.
The last time it happened, the Washington Post reports that “he snatched the latest ticket out of Officer Jacquelyn D. Hogue’s hand and added some profane commentary on top.”
Officer Hogue didn’t take kindly to having mean words written about her. As a result, she had Redwine arrested for felony assault on a police officer.
The most amazing thing is that parking enforcement officers aren’t technically police officers. But that didn’t stop her buddies on the force from charging him accordingly.
When the case first went to court, Redwine was sentenced to four days in jail.
Thousands of dollars in legal fees later, Redwine has appealed and
won an acquittal. But the whole incident has left him extremely bitter.
The Washington Post reports that Redwine doesn’t “understand why
Fairfax police have zealously sought to enforce laws on expired tags or
inspections, mainly on drivers who are making the effort to get their
cars into compliance, while on private property.”
Ray Barrera of A&H Equipment Repair said, “they’re harassing the small businesses trying to make it in this tough economy.”
He says his customers have been charged a total of $60,000 in fines and fees over the past six years… all while parked on his private property, and all while awaiting inspection for the things they were being ticketed for.
