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Anti Federalist
09-24-2010, 09:31 PM
Manatee deputy banned from Trop after confrontation over T-shirt

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/sep/22/221500/manatee-deputy-banned-from-trop-suspended-4-days/news-breaking/

By RAY REYES | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 22, 2010

Updated: 09/22/2010 03:00 pm

Manatee County sheriff's deputy attending a Tampa Bay Rays game lost his cool when security officers told him his T-shirt violated Tropicana Field's obscenity rules.

Deputy Kevin White became more belligerent when two off-duty St. Petersburg police officers tried to diffuse the situation, according to a sheriff's office internal affairs report.

Security eventually took White out of the ballgame, the report said.

For life.

White has been permanently banned from the Trop because of the confrontation, Rays event manager Toddy Hardy told Manatee investigators. The patrol deputy, who was hired by the sheriff's office on Oct. 27, has also been suspended for four days without pay.

According to the internal affairs report, this is what happened during the Aug. 2 game between the Rays and Minnesota Twins:

White went to the ballpark wearing a T-shirt with an obscene reference to Tiger Woods' infidelity. He had three mixed alcoholic drinks before he went to the Trop and one during the game.

White was asked by security to turn the shirt inside-out. He complied, but when security left, he reversed the shirt to display the logo again.

Security again approached the deputy, who became increasingly rude and then showed his sheriff's badge. When White was questioned by two off-duty St. Petersburg police officers, he denied showing his badge and was taken to a security office on the first floor.

"He continued to be discourteous to the security staff and ultimately threw his cell phone on the floor when he was not allowed to answer it," investigators wrote in the report.

White eventually "admitted to displaying his badge, but denied using it or his position as a deputy sheriff to influence the security employees," the report said.

St. Petersburg police Sgt. Paula Melanson told Manatee investigators that White's behavior "rose to the level of a criminal violation and the only reason he was not arrested was because he was a deputy sheriff."

Police Chief Chuck Harmon has asked the supervisors of the officers who confronted White to look into the incident, agency spokesman Bill Proffitt said.

Rays officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

Hardy told investigators that "it is very rare when a fan is permanently trespassed from the stadium and it is usually the result of an arrest or serious violation of their policy," the report said.

Proffitt said it's not unusual to arrest and kick out about half a dozen rowdy fans every home game.

"That night, we kicked out four fans," Proffitt said. "The deputy was one of them."

The officers told White he was no longer welcome at the Trop and pushed him toward the exit, according to the sheriff's report.

White told investigators that "the shirt he had worn to the game could be interpreted as inappropriate however, he was not of that opinion on Aug. 2," the report said.

james1906
09-24-2010, 09:41 PM
St. Petersburg police Sgt. Paula Melanson told Manatee investigators that White's behavior "rose to the level of a criminal violation and the only reason he was not arrested was because he was a deputy sheriff."

They don't even deny it anymore.

phill4paul
09-25-2010, 06:10 AM
They don't even deny it anymore.

They have no need. What are mundanes gonna do about it? Write a letter to the editor?

Danke
09-25-2010, 06:13 AM
They have no need. What are mundanes gonna do about it? Write a letter to the editor?

No just any letter, but next time, a stern letter! (with finger pointing).