[Dynagroove] Fw: [H18] I WAS ARRESTED LAST SATURDAY NIGHT

[natecher]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Wikkid" <mikewikkid at mindspring.com>
To: <H18 at topica.com>; <raves at thestormriders.com>; <trip at pkwi.com>;
<poop at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2001 5:04 PM
Subject: [H18] I WAS ARRESTED LAST SATURDAY NIGHT


>
> I WAS ARRESTED LAST SATURDAY NIGHT
> By George Gomez
>
>
> It was around two forty in the morning.  Technically it was Sunday
> August 12, though we had been working since six in the afternoon, and
> F.A.M.I.L.Y. 7-Year Anniversary party was schedule for Saturday
> August 11, 2001.  I had been working for eight ours now with myself
> acting in a couple scenes.  All major takes had been shot by now with
> only the party people shaking their ass left to cover.  I was tired
> but happy since everything up to that point was going far better than
> I expected.  The crowd, though smaller in turnout than expected, look
> like they were having a good time and was acting very respectful to
> our request to film the event.  I just feeling good that I was living
> my dream of directing my first feature based on the life that I love
> the most.
>
> We (my Director of Photography and I) had spent the last 5 minutes
> filming me dance when he realized it was time for a new tape.  He
> told me he was going to the viewing room to put in a fresh new DV
> tape.  Meanwhile, I decided to go to the bathroom to catch my breath
> and get a drink of water.  As I walk out the main room I notice 4 Los
> Angeles County sheriffs walk in the main doors of the gym.  Having
> experience cops walking in to past events before I became very
> nervous.  Afraid that they would do something to intimidate the
> attendees I ran back to the view room and snatched the camera from my
> DP.  I ran back into the main room and looked for the sheriffs.  At
> first I couldn't find them so I ran upstairs (the location's main
> entrance - the gym was underground) to see if they left.  As I ran
> upstairs I saw Doug ( F.A.M.I.L.Y. originator and producer of the
> show ).  He informed me that the sheriffs had gone inside the gym and
> that I should go find them.  I ran back to the gym.  I begun to look
> around the crow when I finally saw them on the opposite corner of the
> room from the entrance between the main light rig and the left
> speaker tower.
>
> I could tell they were hiding themselves in the dark corner of the
> room watching the crowd.  I proceeded to turn on the camera and
> record their actions.  At first one of the officers shined his
> flashlight on the lens of the camera making it impossible for me to
> get a good shot.  I began to walk away from them as they approached
> the camera.  One of them asked me to turn off the camera.  I told him
> I was on my right to have the camera on.  He told me that he wanted
> to talk to me.  I said fine.  He again told me to turn off the
> camera.  By this time we had kept walking back towards the entrance
> of the room where I was able to get a good shot of me standing next
> to the sheriff.  I again told him that I wouldn't turn the camera off
> and that is not against the law if I refuse.  He then ask me a third
> time to turn it off.  I told him that I was in the middle of
> production and that anything he had to say to me he can say it while
> the camera was on.  At this point he reached for my free hand and
> twisted my arm around my back.  Another officer went for my arm with
> the camera and began to pinch my wrist.  The pain from the pinch
> forced me to let go of the camera.  I began to ask him what did I do
> wrong.  He put his arm on my chest and asked me why was my heart
> beating so hard.  I told him that it was because I had two sheriffs
> next to me with one holding my arm around my back.  He then told me
> to put my hands behind my back and proceeded to handcuff me.  I asked
> him what was I doing wrong.  He told me I was "under the
> influenced."  I denied the charges explaining that I was working and
> I was completely sober and was willing to take any drug test they
> wanted.  In fact, I demanded to be drug tested.  None of the officers
> responded to my pleas.
>
> At that point while handcuffed I can hear Doug arguing with the
> officers about the fact that I was the cameraman hired to film the
> event.  He also began to show the officers the permits.  The officers
> ignored his pleas and asked him who he was.  He told them he was the
> producer of the show.  One of the officers replied with, "well your
> eyes look dilated and you are acting very agitated.  As far I can
> tell you are under the influenced." At that point they handcuffed
> him.   They begin to search me and ask me if I had anything on me.  I
> said no, but they searched me anyway.  They asked Doug if he had
> anything on him.  He said yes that he had a bag of marijuana on him.
> They began to search him.
>
> The sheriffs began to harass the partygoers and working staff.  As
> Doug and I where lead outside the sheriffs began doing random
> searches and other illegal activities to intimidate the crowd.  From
> what I can tell this made everyone real nervous and give the
> impression to attendees that the event was being shut down.  Doug and
> I where driven away in the back of a sheriff cruiser to the station
> with my rights still not given to us.  Later I was told that tactics
> of the sheriffs worked leaving the event empty of attendees.  The
> event never officially got shut down.
>
> We arrived at the station around 3:40 am.  At the station, Doug and I
> kept insisting on our right to be drug tested, but we where never
> tested.  We were never given our free phone call and our rights were
> never read.  After spending little over six hours in a holding cell
> we were both release.  Final violation on my ticket was 11550(A)H&S
> UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE ( STIMULANT).  I called
> later to find out details on the final report and the nightwatch
> officer informed me that the sheriffs had the decency to write that
> we refused to be drug tested.
>
>
> A PLEA OF INNOCENCE!!
>
>
> As you can imagine Doug and I are very traumatized by the event.  The
> more I play the incident in my head the more I can't believe the
> injustices that were done to us.  The sheriffs had no reason to
> intimidate the crowd.  The location was fully permitted for both
> people and production crew.  There was nothing legally they can do to
> shut us down so they arrested the people in charge of the event and
> intimidated the attendees into submission.  They never read our
> rights nor told us whether we were being sustained or arrested.   And
> finally, after many requested to be drug tested, we where not given
> any tests.  And like I said before, final reports have Doug and I
> refusing to take the test.  It is because of all this I make a plea
> to anyone who was there and who saw myself and/or Doug get
> handcuffed, and heard what was being said to us, and can testify to
> the fact we demanded to be tested to please come forward.  Doug and I
> could be looking anywhere from a year in probation with weekly drug-
> testing, to a year in jail if we decide to plea not guilty and decide
> to fight the case.  Because of this, Doug is seriously thinking about
> calling it quits and the end of the F.A.M.I.L.Y. gatherings.  Anyone
> who has been to a Friends And Music I Love You event knows how much
> these gatherings have defined the meaning of "Underground" and "House
> Party," to many of us and now this could mean the end of an era that
> only F.A.M.I.L.Y. gatherings events offer.  I personally would be
> very hurt to see this be the end of such an underground experience.
> This attacks on our scene have only gotten worst in the past year and
> they will continue to succeed in forever killing our scene unless we
> stand up to them.  I'm willing to do what ever it takes to prove my
> innocence.  The only thing I'm guilty of is loving my House and
> Techno Underground Scene for the love it has shown me back and my
> wanting to put that love on film.  But one person can save the love.
> We all have to do it together.
>
>
> Love & Respect,
>
>
> George Gomez
>
> P.S. - Anyone with information on eyewitness to the events I just
> mention should e-mail me to phathead at phatnetwork.net.  I also
> recomemd to everyone to really look at the Summer of Unity website.
> I think this proves just how bad things are in our country and is
> only going to go away if we stand up to it.  The Youth Unite
> Coalition March is today, Tuesday August 14.  I will definitely be
> there to demand that our generation is not just kids on drugs.  We
> are the future and we demand a better world!!
>
> http://www.phatnetwork.net/summerofunity
>
> ~Mike Wikkid
>
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