Officer accused of arresting lesbians kissing in store

[KamaAina]

http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Officer-accused-of-arresting-lesbians-kissing-in-6596619.php

The Honolulu Police Department opened an internal investigation Wednesday into allegations that an officer wrongfully arrested a vacationing lesbian couple after seeing them kissing in a grocery store.

Courtney Wilson and Taylor Guerrero, who were visiting Hawaii from Los Angeles in March, said in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday that they were harassed and arrested because the officer didn't like their public displays of affection in a Foodland store on Oahu's North Shore.

They were walking through the aisles holding hands and at one point hugged and kissed, the lawsuit said: Officer Bobby Harrison, who was shopping in uniform, "observed their consensual romantic contact and, in a loud voice, ordered plaintiffs to stop and 'take it somewhere else.' "...

"He was bumping his belly against Courtney," Guerrero said. "He said, 'you girls don't know how to act. You don't know the difference between a motel and a grocery store.'"

HPD is usually more civilized than that.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

1. Dumbass cop done belly-bumped his way into a whole mess of trouble. nt

[Humanist_Activist]

2. My fiancee, as a joke, would play a game of grab ass with me in the grocery store...

never been accosted by anyone about it.

By "play a game" I mean she will all of the sudden grab my ass and watch me jump! lol

Hope they win big, that officer needs to be fired.

[HassleCat]

3. It depends

When I worked for TSA, I asked two gay men to take it somewhere out of sight. They were kissing, which was no biggie. But they were also grinding on each other. I mean really grinding away. Their erections were clearly visible. Nobody else would say anything because they were worried abut being called homophobes, but I figured we would say something to a straight couple. I didn't jump on them or anything like that. I just told them they were attracting unwanted attention, which would eventually result in a visit from the airport police. I suspect unwanted attention was exactly what they were seeking, and they were not happy with my suggestion they move to a less visible location, but they knew I was right about the police, so they moved. I felt a little bad because exhibitionists need freedom, too, but they were on the verge of causing a big ruckuss, so I figured I should try to prevent that. I also knew the airport police were usually quite authoritarian and abrupt with people, so maybe I did them a favor.

But the Hawaii case seems different. The cop seems to have hassled them just because they offended him, and that's not his job. If they were inciting a riot, or even "creating a disturbance," he might have some cause to do something, but it appears they were just doing a little casual making out. Nobody would think twice about a straight couple doing such a thing, so this would be a case of personal prejudice bleeding over into official duties. Not appropriate. I can't believe he actually arrested them. The linked article says this was their first visit to Hawaii. Not a good first impression to say the least.

[KamaAina]

4. Come to think of it, the area of O'ahu that has a large Mormon population is right near there

La'ie has a temple, the Polynesian Cultural Center, and even a branch of BYU! Perhaps Officer Marshall resides nearby.