^^ VIDEO LINK
EASTPOINTE, Mich. -- Eastpointe police used a battering ram to break down an apartment door and arrest a woman they said grabbed food from a pizza delivery man but failed to pay him.
Jessica Gray, 19, was arrested after she and the occupants of her apartment refused to pay for a delivery of pizza, ribs, chicken, shrimp and a soda.
Police said the tab was $17.18.
According to police, Gray answered the door when a 21-year-old delivery man arrived at her apartment about 7 p.m.
They said Gray took the meal, then slammed the door and joined four other female occupants inside in yelling insults and threats.
She was charged with FELONY LARCENY .
Homeowner J. Greer said Gray is "no longer welcome in her home". Other witnesses in the home say that the police drew guns on the females, had all of them laid out in the hallway, etc....Story from wdiv.com
My questions are:
1. Is this really a FELONY? A $20 theft for a pizza?
2. Did the apartment renters DOOR really need to be busted down to talk to the occupants? This WAS not a hostage situation.
3. Did the police have the right to pull guns out on the occupants who presented NO THREAT to them?
3 comments:
Of course this situation did get way out of hand. But remember whenever you have African Americans involved the crime committed is that much worse. Guns drawn and busting into a apartment is a little much for $20 dollars worth of food. But whenever African Americans do something out of order, the law uses that as an excuse to make us look and feel belittled.
Also I'm not justifying that what this woman did was right, because stealing is stealing but it wasn't that serious. The women were not armed or threatening in any way. But remember location and color of skin are still an issue in 2007.
Shelf the ignorance and bias. This was a strong arm robbery (felony) and the suspect AND occupants of the residence ignored the Police. The Police were able to force entry because the "evidence" was in danger of being quickly destroyed, AND it was a felony.
Ignorance and bias???....HARDLY! Having a realist perspective of pizza theft Perhaps....since when has stealing a 'pizza' become a felony???? Strong armed robbery how? The women were not armed....and forced entry before the women ate the pizza? Come on now, we have more serious things going on in the world than throwing felony charges on a black woman for pizza theft.I'm not saying she was right for taking the food without payment, because wrong is wrong but all this over pizza.
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