Anybody know the rest of this story?

[dwasson]

From: http://www.thewbalchannel.com/news/9229472/detail.html

Couple Arrested For Asking For Directions

POSTED: 7:23 am EDT May 17, 2006
UPDATED: 10:52 am EDT May 17, 2006

BALTIMORE -- Baltimore City police arrested a Virginia couple over the weekend after they asked an officer for directions.

WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team reporter David Collins said Joshua Kelly and Llara Brook, of Chantilly, Va., got lost leaving an Orioles game on Saturday. Collins reported a city officer arrested them for trespassing on a public street while they were asking for directions .

"In jail for eight hours -- sleeping on a concrete floor next to a toilet," Kelly said.

"It was a nightmare," Brook said. "I was in there thinking I was just dreaming and waiting to wake up."

Collins reported it was a nightmare ending to a nearly perfect day. He said the couple went to a company picnic and watched the Orioles beat Kansas City. It was their first trip to Camden Yards and asked two people for directions to Interstate 95 South when they left.

Collins said somehow they ended up in the Cherry Hill section of south Baltimore. Hopelessly lost, relief melted away concerns after they spotted a police vehicle.

"I said, 'Thank goodness, could you please get us to 95?" Kelly said.

"The first thing that she said to us was no -- you just ran that stop sign, pull over," Brook said. "It wasn't a big deal. We'll pay the stop sign violation, but can we have directions?"

"What she said was 'You found your own way in here, you can find your own way out.'" Kelly said.

Collins said the couple spotted another police vehicle and flagged that officer down for directions. But Officer Natalie Preston, a six-year veteran of the force, intervened.

"That really threw us for a loop when she stepped in between our cars," Kelly said. "(She) said my partner is not going to step in front of me and tell you directions if I'm not."

Collins reported the circumstances got worse. Kelly pulled 40 feet forward parking next to a curb and put his flashers on while Brook was on the phone to her father hoping he could help her with directions. Both her parents are police officers in the Harrisburg, Pa., area.

"(Brook's father) was in the middle of giving us directions when the officer screeched up behind us and got out of the car and asked me to step out. I obeyed," Kelly said. "I obeyed everything -- stepped out of the car, put my hands behind my back, and the next thing I know, I was getting arrested for trespassing."

"By this time, I was completely in tears," Brook said. "I said, 'Ma'am, you know, we just need your help. We are not trying to cause you any trouble. I'm not leaving him here.' What she did was walk over to my side of the car and said, 'Ok, we are taking you downtown, too.'"

Collins said the couple was released from jail without being charged with anything. Brook is now concerned the arrest may complicate a criminal background check she's going through in her job as a child care worker.

Collins said police left Kelly's car unlocked and the windows down at the impound lot. He reported a cell phone charger, pair of sunglasses and 20 CDs were stolen.

Baltimore City police said they are looking into the incident.

[Bluerauder]

From: http://www.thewbalchannel.com/news/9229472/detail.html

Couple Arrested For Asking For Directions

POSTED: 7:23 am EDT May 17, 2006
UPDATED: 10:52 am EDT May 17, 2006

BALTIMORE -- Baltimore City police arrested a Virginia couple over the weekend after they asked an officer for directions.

Baltimore = "Charm City". Guess some folks were not aware of that.

I had not heard this story; but I can relate very well 'cause it happened to me last year (minus the arrested part ;) ) Keep in mind that I grew up in Baltimore and am somewhat familiar with the landscape.

Most people from Virginia will arrive at Camden Yards via the Baltimore-Washington Parkway MD295 or by I-95 North. Getting in is easy because of the signs. Getting out is a different story. :mad:

I suspect that in this case, they were parked in the lots to the south of Camden Yards and were directed east toward Hanover Street after the game. Unfortunately, without signs, they must have taken a right on Hannover St. and went over the Hanover Street Bridge headed toward Brooklyn. They had to pass through Cherry Hill which is what some may term "a seedy part of town" (and it was some 25-30 years ago, too). Stopping there on the side of the road to ask directions was probably a flag for the police patrols in the area. Not sure why they were arrested ... maybe perceived/actually uncooperative ... maybe a few drinks. Who Knows ???

Had they continued a little farther on the road that they were on, they would have hit Route 2 Ritchie Highway south and signs pointing them to I-95, I-97, and I-695. From there they should have been OK.

Bottomline: This is easy to get lost coming out of a Orioles game if you are directed away from the route that you took coming in. It has happened to me. Fortunately, I keep going until I find a road that I know will take me to where I want to be. Unfortunately, there are lots of folks today that are what I would call "Geographically Challenged".

[jgc61sr2002]

There is two sides to every story.

[natedog1284]

There is two sides to every story.

I should certainly hope so, but I have been on the receiving end of a lot of a**hole cops up here, so I wouldn't necessarily be surprised. Case in point: when the tranny on the Marauder crapped out, I had to pull over on the highway. I called AAA and 911 and asked for a cop to give me some cover so I didn't get slammed from behind. She shows up 20 min later, and comes up to my window, hand on her gun and all, at which point she yells at me for not getting off the highway. Um, my transmission died, and try as I might, I can't will my car to go, never mind the fact that most hardened criminals (which I guess she thought I was) probably won't be wearing a button down shirt and have a friggin Department of Defense sticker on the window! Then she calls another cop, who gets between us and then uses his cruiser to push my car off the side of the road (think bash guard, my rear bumper cover, and a nice big scratch coupled with a crack). After I'm in the grass, they both take off so they can go shoot radar up the road, leaving me to sit by myself for about 30 min while the tow truck comes. This was not the first such incident, merely the latest. So needless to say, I can believe what happened to those people in Baltimore, and I sure as hell know I won't be asking any cops down there for directions!

[dwasson]

Well, here's another story about it:

Police Report Refutes Lost Couple's Story
Police Report Claims Couple 'Became Argumentative'

POSTED: 5:02 pm EDT May 17, 2006
UPDATED: 6:35 pm EDT May 17, 2006

BALTIMORE -- The police incident report taken from an arrest of a Virginia couple in south Baltimore shows conflicting versions of what may have happened.

WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team reporter David Collins reported Baltimore police arrested Joshua Kelley and Llara Brook, both of Chantilly, Va., over the weekend for trespassing on a public street.

The couple said the officers arrested them after they flagged down an officer to ask for directions. The Virginia couple spent eight hours in jail before authorities released them without charges.

"It is outrageous and our office has tried very hard to change these policing practices," Baltimore City State's Attorney spokeswoman Margaret Burns said.

Collins said they had just left an Orioles game and two people had given them directions to southbound Interstate 95, but they ended up getting lost in south Baltimore's Cherry Hill neighborhood.

When they spotted Officer Natalie Preston parked near Bridgeview Road, they thought they found relief.

"I said, 'Thank goodness, could you please get us to 95?'" Kelley said. "What she said was, 'You found your way in here, you can find your own way out.'"

"The first thing that she said to us was, 'You just ran that stop sign, pull over.' So, it wasn't a big deal, we said we'll pay the stop sign violation, but can we have directions?" Brook said.


"Ms. Brook then became hostile stating ... 'I don't want to talk to you.' I then advised them to leave or they would be arrested for trespassing."
- Officer Natalie Preston
As written in police incident report

City officials responded to the I-Team's report on Wednesday.

"We never want any one treated rudely or discourteously by any employee of city government, and we're taking the matter very seriously and we will fully investigate it," Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley said.

Collins reported that a few weeks ago, city police issued new standards of ethical conduct that reads, in part:
"It is important to remember that a timely word of advice rather than arrest ... can be a more effective means of achieving a desired end."

The 11 News I-Team obtained Preston's police report, which offers a much different version of the incident.
"The driver, Mr. Kelley, became argumentative and began attempting to tear the citation out of the book ... and I had to take it out of his hands."

Kelley responded, telling the I-Team, "I wasn't refusing to sign anything; I didn't say I'm not going to sign this."

The police incident report does not mention anything about asking for directions. After issuing the traffic citation, the report indicates Preston advised the couple to leave the area.

"She said, you know, 'Get out of here,' and so all I could think of was pull forward. I pulled forward about 40 feet or so, pulled the car to the side of the road, and put on my flashers, and (Brook) was in the midst of calling her dad," Kelley said.

The couple saw another officer and asked him for directions, but Preston intervened.

"That really threw us for a loop when she stepped in between our cars and said, 'My partner is not going to step in front of me and tell you directions, if I'm not,'" Kelley said.

The police report of the circumstances indicates Preston told the couple she would arrest them for trespassing -- on a public street lined with public housing units.

"Ms. Brook then became hostile stating ... 'I don't want to talk to you.' I then advised them to leave or they would be arrested for trespassing."

"She leaned into the car after she had Josh out of the car and cuffed and told me, 'Ma'am, now you get the hell out of here,'" Brook said. "I mean, by this time, I'm completely in tears. I said, 'Ma'am, you know, we just need your help. We are not trying to cause you any trouble. I'm not leaving him.'"

Collins reported Preston again offered a different set of facts. Her police report, in part, follows:

"I then instructed Ms. Brook to take the vehicle and leave the area. Ms. Brook stated no."

Preston described Brook as "uncooperative, refusing to give her name or address ... she was arrested and transported to Central Booking as a Jane Doe."

Both Kelley's and Brook's parents are police officers in the Harrisburg, Pa., area.

"They are very respectful, and that's how I grew up, to learn how to respect and learn that officers respect you," Brook said.

City police internal affairs continues to investigate the incident and Preston remains on active duty.

[gja]

Fire the stupid excuse for a human being. And place a black mark on her record so she never gets work in the LE field again.
It is an unforgivable betrayal of the trust placed in her hands.
I have no smypathy or compassion for such a low-life.
A LEO takes an oath "to protect and serve", for that they are given numerous points of lattitude. With power comes responsibility.

[Bigdogjim]

There is two sides to every story.

But on MM.net there are three:lol:

[SergntMac]

This is embarassing and if it's true, there's no excuse. All I can do is shake my head with disappointment.

Here in Chicago, when a person comes in contact with a LEO in a stop initiated by the LEO, the LEO is supposed to fill out a "contact card". One of the functions of my specialized unit, is to collect those cards and enter the data into the computer system. We process 600 to 800 cards per day, and these cards are just from the police stopping a suspect, Rendering advice or giving directions would not require a contact card.

600 to 800 per day...I'd say the odds are that something will go sour more often than we imagine, it just doesn't become news.

[O's Fan Rich]

From an experience I had when I was 17 I always take in to account that it does not really matter what the police said or did or did not do. It will always be your fault, even if it means lying to a judge . Therefore I just do what they ask and move on.
I'll be at the Yard on the 31st with my son's. We take the train from Timonium. Hope I don't need directions.

[Bluerauder]

I'll be at the Yard on the 31st with my son's. We take the train from Timonium. Hope I don't need directions.
That Light Rail line is a great way to go to the ballgame. Get off the train at the Camden Yards stop, walk around the big brick building, and viola -- you're there. :D

I'll be at RFK this Saturday to see the O's and the Nationals go head to head. I'll be wearing my Orioles shirt and hat. :rolleyes: I am sure that my son-in-law will have his Nats gear on .... but he's buying the seats and the beer !!! :up: One of us is going home a winner !! :rofl:

[dwasson]

I'll be at RFK this Saturday to see the O's and the Nationals go head to head. I'll be wearing my Orioles shirt and hat.

Look for him. He'll be the one with the Orioles shirt and hat. He'll be easy to spot.

[Ross]

I have a hard time figuring out how someone could "trespass" on a public street.

[MarauderMarc]

Theres nothing worse than a power hungry person. Like they have a chip on their shoulder and have something to prove or something. People that were bullied as a child should not hold jobs of authority. It makes the good cops look bad.

[Mike Poore]

There is two sides to every story.

There's only one side to this one. BAD COPS! Baltimore is the ONLY police department in Maryland without accredidation. The Radio station WBAL had dozens of calls today, many of them from cops telling horror stories about their own department. The problem is Cherry Hill where you end up when leaving Oriole Stadium and get screwed up by the goofy signage that directs you to I-95. NOT! Anyway, there's a big enforcement effort in the Cherry Hill district (drugs, prostitution) and anyone unlucky enough to end up (lost) because of that *%^$#* sign, gets hasstled by the cops., or worse.

Welcome to Baltimore!:banned:

[KillJoy]

Theres nothing worse than a power hungry person. Like they have a chip on their shoulder and have something to prove or something. People that were bullied as a child should not hold jobs of authority. It makes the good cops look bad.

I know, I have ran into quite a few Officers.

State Troopers - Usually the most professional. Almost military. No BS. No hassles. You were speeding. Here's your ticket. Have a nice day.

Sheriffs - Decent enough. Usually tend to be more talkative around here. Sometimes let you off for speeding, but rarely.

Local PD - Well, usually not too bad. Lots more BS'n. Will let you off for a "little speeding" as long as you aren't a jerk.

However, the few times i have ran into Femal Officers (only Local so far), they ALL seem to feel they need to prove something. Very bold and aggressive. Sometimes for no reason. I think that once the person has given a reason to act like that, then fine, do it. But no reason to start right off the bat.

KillJoy

[Bluerauder]

Look for him. He'll be the one with the Orioles shirt and hat. He'll be easy to spot.
Dayum, now I'll have to wash the OTHER shirt !!! :rofl:

[Joe Walsh]

There's only one side to this one. BAD COPS! Baltimore is the ONLY police department in Maryland without accredidation. The Radio station WBAL had dozens of calls today, many of them from cops telling horror stories about their own department. The problem is Cherry Hill where you end up when leaving Oriole Stadium and get screwed up by the goofy signage that directs you to I-95. NOT! Anyway, there's a big enforcement effort in the Cherry Hill district (drugs, prostitution) and anyone unlucky enough to end up (lost) because of that *%^$#* sign, gets hasstled by the cops., or worse.

Welcome to Baltimore!:banned:

Yep, Cherry Hill is a real *****hole...

Marianne worked at a Catholic church in Brooklyn (Md.) just a mile from Cherry Hill.
The church would provide Thanksgiving meals to the poor and we would deliver many of them to residents in Cherry Hill.
One year a Police car escorted our car throughout the neighborhood as we made our deliveries.
We appreciated the escort...not all Baltimore Police in Cherry Hill are bad 'apples'.

BTW: One rowhome in Cherry Hill was an absolute mess, looked like a bomb hit it....BUT they had a NEW Escalade AND a NEW Navigator in the driveway...:hmmm:

[Bluerauder]

Yep, Cherry Hill is a real *****hole...
Cherry Hill was a *****hole in 1960. Guess this shows that not all things improve with age !! :rolleyes:

[dwasson]

Baltimore has a new slogan:

Baltimore - Come on vacation, leave on probation!

[Joe Walsh]

:laugh:

Baltimore has a new slogan:

Baltimore - Come on vacation, leave on probation!

:rofl:........:rofl:

[sailsmen]

I have only had one occasion where an Officer was not professional. I asked him what the citation was for and he made an unprofessional comment.

It was a traffic violation and the judge threw it out!:banana2: