Woman Faces Year in Prison for Smirking While Stomping a Back the Blue sign

[Bucky]

Source: Salt Lake Tribune

A 19-year-old woman was charged with a hate crime after allegedly “stomping on a ‘Back the Blue’ sign” at a gas station in Panguitch.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, a Garfield County police officer was conducting a traffic stop for speeding at a gas station when the officer saw a woman “stomping on a ‘Back the Blue’ sign next to where the traffic stop was conducted, crumble it up in a destructive manner and throw it into a trash can all while smirking in an intimidating manner towards me.”

The officer writes they asked the woman where she had gotten the sign, and she stated it was her mother’s. According to the affidavit, the officer told the woman that the local Sheriff’s Office produced those specific signs and that they believed “she had acquired it in our community.”

Read more: https://www.sltrib.com/news/2021/07/09/woman-faces-year-prison/

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Wait, don't most sheriff departments wear olive, tan, or brown?

[hlthe2b]

1. They better find a monkey court because only there would this be considered a hate crime.

Shameful.

[Gore1FL]

2. Hate Crime?

I didn't know police were a protected race or class... The officer behind this doesn't belong on the force.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

4. Weird laws to me.

It's written in a way that would seem to apply to anyone feeling "intimidated" or "terrorized" by any property destruction, no matter who owns it.

So it should also apply to BLM signs being destroyed, Proud Boys signs being destroyed, or anything else along the lines.

Of course, cops do the arrests and will naturally be more willing to apply such a law in their own interests.

The relevant Utah codes:
https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title76/Chapter3/76-3-S203.3.html

Edit: I despise laws that pertain to "feelings" like that. It seems to me that a purchased BYU sign that's later damaged on their campus would also apply, as long as some student or faculty member decided to moan about it.

[Bucky]

6. It makes sense, when you think about how cops deal with actual criminals

In fact, as a result of their job duties, police are already a protected class in some respects. Interfering with an officer performance of his duties and threats against the authority of police officer with some genuine criminal intent by organized groups makes sense as laws. I don't have a problem with police being covered by hate crimes.

This however isn't an example of that. It's a teenager throwing some attitude at a cop. This officer needs a LOT more training.

[Maeve]

3. "smirking in an intimidating manner towards me"

Someone needs a nap...

[OldBaldy1701E]

5. This is not about feeling threatened

This is about expecting unquestioned, complete obeisance to their authority. They demand your complete subjugation to whatever they want. You are required to do whatever they say, and if they screw you over (or murder you) when they were not supposed to, so what? We are the law! (After decades of evidence showing that their people are nothing more than humans, who are completely fallible and corruptible, they still demand that we look upon them as paragons of virtue and superior beings. They are neither, and I am more than tired of their demanding we treat them like gods, when most are little more than devils.)

[keithbvadu2]

7. Donald's terrorist tourists stomp more than signs.

https://crooksandliars.com/2021/06/gop-congressman-refuses-shake-hand-officer?traffic_source=Connatix

RW police slogans:::::: Empty slogans

RW slogans::::::
Blue Lives Matter
Police lives matter
Back the Blue

Empty slogans

Link to tweet

----------------------------------
A slogan that Trump's terrorists/tourists believe in:::

'Kill him with his own gun'

[Talitha]

8. Officer Snowflake...

[Owl]

9. Absolutely ridiculous.

[Warpy]

10. Uh, fellas, something that pisses you off but doesn't threaten or cause bodily harm

is not a hate crime and you guys need to get a grip fast or you're all going to be up on charges, yourselves.

There is no constitutional right to go through life without being pissed off from time to time.

Get it?

[EarthFirst]

11. A career choice is protected by hate crime laws?

“Smirking in an intimidating manner...”

If looks could kill; apparently they do...

Unlike a service weapon that so many law enforcement officers are far too quick to deploy under the auspices of qualified immunity.

Cops are despised because of their despicable actions; yes the “good cops” too... p.s. -there’s no such thing.

[milestogo]

12. So stomping on signs is a hate crime?

Good to know.

[uppityperson]

13. Wtf

[ruet]

14. "was conducting a traffic stop for speeding at a gas station"

The butchering of the English language continues apace. Do news orgs have editors these days?

As for the content of the story itself. First, the crumpling (not 'crumble') of the sign could be construed as destruction of property, at worst. And, LEO's are not a protected class.

[Red Mountain]

16. Who will get more time?

This lady or a person who took a dump in the halls of Congress?

Stay tuned.....

[Marcuse]

18. Guilty of Contempt of Cop.

[samsingh]

19. repugs will destroy all our freedoms

[intheflow]

20. Yeah, the armed officer was in fear for their life.

Sign that cost maybe $10 being stomped on by an unarmed smirking 19 year old is terrifying to an armed officer? Fuck that cop and his little snowflake feelings. I hope the judge throws this out of court.