"It just ruined our whole night,", gee you think?


www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2005/08/01/s1a_wellparty_0801.html

Teen's party ends in melee with police

By Rochelle Brenner Gilken, Thomas R. Collins

Palm Beach Post Staff Writers

Monday, August 01, 2005

WELLINGTON — The coming-of-age party for a 15-year-old girl ended in a mini-riot between guests and deputies in which at least two people were shocked with Tasers, dozens were hit with pepper spray and nine were arrested.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said gang members circled around, threw beer bottles at patrol cars and attacked deputies.

But Crystal Rodriguez said it was the sheriff's response that wrecked her big day.

"It just ruined our whole night,  she said. "I was crying and crying and crying and everybody was trying to calm me down."

For Crystal's traditional Hispanic Quinceanera — similar to a Sweet 16 — a room at the Wellington Community Center was decked with purple flowers and purple balloons, and girls wore purple dresses.

Deputies showed up after getting a call about a fight 45 minutes after the party was supposed to be over, according to the sheriff's office.

A village ordinance requires a deputy to be present at events where alcohol is served, but the off-duty deputy left by 11:30 p.m. Saturday, the scheduled end of his shift and the party.

Deputies arrived to find the quarrel was over, but 300 people were still gathered, including some acting "unruly and hostile" toward the deputies, Sgt. Edmund Suszczynski wrote in a memo on the incident. Rodriguez's mother, Marilyn Rodriguez, said she thinks about 175 people remained.

Deputies had to use "pepperball guns, Tasers, batons, fist and elbow strikes" to control people and disperse the crowd, Suszczynski wrote.

In addition, 10 to 20 people fled "after being struck, contact tasered or hit with pepperball rounds while attacking deputies."

Trevan Hansen, 19, who had been arrested, kicked out the back driver's side window of a patrol car. Friends said he did it because he couldn't breathe inside the vehicle.

No deputies were injured, but Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue evaluated several guests and took one to a hospital for face and head injuries, said Capt. Don DeLucia.

The incident was so jarring, village officials are rethinking whether to continue to rent out its building.

"I think we're gonna have to evaluate the whole situation, starting with the kind of events we host... to the ability of customers to serve alcohol," said Jim Barnes, director of leisure services, which includes the community center. "Even though it was a one-shot deal, there's gotta be lessons learned so it doesn't happen again."

Rodriguez paid $1,065 for six hours in the room where the Wellington council holds its bimonthly meetings. It is often booked on weekends for private parties such as weddings or bar mitzvahs.

On Saturday night, the dance floor was packed when the DJ put on Crunk rap music, according to guest Bianca Ramiro, 18.

One guest bumped into another on the dance floor and spilled a drink, several guests said. Two girls exchanged words and two guys confronted each other. Party-goers defused the argument, cleared the dance floor and the DJ called for peace, said Eddie Vega, 21, Rodriguez's cousin.

Vega and other guests said the real chaos started when the deputies arrived, firing their weapons in the area of women and children who were simply trying to leave. Vega said he was shoved with a baton, and his uncle and cousin were shocked with Tasers and arrested.

He said there may have been teenagers scuffling with deputies, but the situation wasn't as volatile as it was portrayed by deputies. He said the deputies were confrontational toward people who weren't involved in the earlier fight.

"It was almost like they treated us like we were terrorists," he said.

The sheriff's office will review its handling of the incident, including whether more than 20 units were adequate to protect deputies. There was no information Sunday that indicated the deputies did anything wrong, said Lt. Jeffery Lindskoog, who is based at the Wellington substation.

"Any crowd-control devices, when a deputy is threatened, appears to be justified," Lindskoog said.

Guests said they got caught in the crossfire of pepper spray because officials gave conflicting orders. Deputies inside the purple-draped dance hall told people to leave. Deputies outside told people to go back in.

Monica Garcia, 30, of Boynton Beach said her husband was arrested after getting trapped in the middle. She said Arturo Garcia is not in a gang, doesn't know the people who fought and simply wanted to leave.

Frustrated at being told to go back and forth, her husband shouted an expletive at the deputies and five deputies pulled him away from his relatives, stretched out his arms, pushed him against the wall and shocked him with a Taser in his sides, Garcia said.

Arturo Garcia, along with eight others, was taken to the Palm Beach County Jail and charged with disorderly conduct, battery on an officer and resisting arrest with violence. He was out on bond and back at work as a cook Sunday evening.

"I think they got over-happy with the damn Tasers and the damn pepper spray. I think they went real wild with it," Monica Garcia said.

Guests said the pepper spray caused several people to vomit, including a 5-year-old girl. One man allegedly had a seizure. Another woman said she saw her 27-year-old son fall after being shot with a pepperball.

"I just saw my son drop in front of me. I thought they had killed him," said Maria Magana, whose son, Adam Magana, was among those arrested. "I'm getting flashbacks."

Samantha Vega, 16, said she was holding her 3-year-old cousin and fumbling for keys when a deputy aimed a pepperball gun at her.

"He was shooting at the floor and everywhere else and he pointed the gun at me. My little cousin was scared. She said 'I want to go with my mommy,' " said Vega, who is Eddie Vega's sister.

She has seen fights at Quinceaneras before — including her own — but never like this.

"Mine was nice until it broke into a fight like every other Quinceanera, but it wasn't like this one. This one was real bad when the officers started bringing the guns out."

Trevan Hansen, 19, who had been arrested, kicked out the back driver's side window of a patrol car. Friends said he did it because he couldn't breathe inside the vehicle.

Yup, because when I can't breathe I go right for the windows.

So the cops ruined the party but the fights among gang members was.. what? Happy?

Translation: We're a bunch of unruly bastards and we don't like it when you ruin our fun.

"The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said gang members circled around, threw beer bottles at patrol cars and attacked deputies."

Let's see, I'll throw a beer bottle and get my gang buddies to intimidate the 5-0.....TAZE!!!!!!

Tough crapola for those at the party. When the cops tell you your party inside a public building is over and to leave, it would be wise to do so.

"Mine was nice until it broke into a fight like every other Quinceanera,

My family has parties all the time, and a fight has never broken out.

Man - why did they get video of the tazings?

I love seeing morons getting tazed.

Police tased teeny's party?
Hmm, after reading the "facts" it sounds like there should have been a whole lot more tasering that what actually went on. They should have warned the 300 partiers, and after the 125 prudent individuals went home, had a taser party of thier own on the remaining 175 assholes.

Quoted: Man - why did they get video of the tazings? I love seeing morons getting tazed.

Aint it the greatest? The SO thinks i'm odd because i get such a kick out of that chick that gets tased because she won't get out of the car in florida. IT'S A CLASSIC!!!

Boo Fucking Hoo.

You know what they say, Shitbags at your cotillion will guarantee an appearance by the po-po.  Poor Crystal...how will she ever cope with this traumatic event.


Sheep

I really do wish that if you hit an officer / deputy - they could fucking shoot you.  Throw a beer bottle at a cop, and you die.

It'd take about 1 incident per large city - 2-3 in some, and there wouldn't be any more attacks on police.  

Fuck'em all.

Good.

Fucking spoikled ass whiny brat.  Enjoy getting raped by your gang buddies.

Quoted: Quoted: Man - why did they get video of the tazings? I love seeing morons getting tazed. Aint it the greatest? The SO thinks i'm odd because i get such a kick out of that chick that gets tased because she won't get out of the car in florida. IT'S A CLASSIC!!!

Yeah, that was a good one.

I also like the one of the drunk who is threatening to beat up the cop.

"I'll kick your ass!"

ZZZZZzzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzzzTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!




ETA:  Tasers should be modifed to include an onboard video camera.

I'd be downloading all day long.

"Hey pendejo! Peeg! Hijo de puta! Estupido, you wanna arrest me, huh? You think you can- AAAARRGH!"

TICK-TICK-TICK-TICK-TICK-TICK-TICK!

"Dude, he just pissed himself."

"Stop fightin' or you'll get another dose!"

"Man, fuck you! You stupeed- AAAAAAAARRRRRRGGHHHH!"

TICK-TICK-TICK-TICK-TICK-TICK-TICK-TICK-TICK-TICK-TICK-TICK!

"If he moves again, shoot your prongs into his crotch. I'm gonna zip-tie him and put him with the others."

"I gotcha covered."

You wouldnt believe the number of times I have stopped some falling down drunk illegal who told me he just left his nieces quincieanera.

Quoted: You wouldnt believe the number of times I have stopped some falling down drunk illegal who told me he just left his nieces quincieanera.

Oh...I would.


Sheep

Quoted: You wouldnt believe the number of times I have stopped some falling down drunk illegal who told me he just left his nieces quincieanera.

That's another thing wrong with this picture.   There shouln't be alcohol being served at a function honoring a FIFTEEN year old girl.

Also, it should be over sooner, say 10:00 pm.

cop should of just used rubber bullets and bean bag rounds. little pricks.

Quoted: I really do wish that if you hit an officer / deputy - they could fucking shoot you.  Throw a beer bottle at a cop, and you die. It'd take about 1 incident per large city - 2-3 in some, and there wouldn't be any more attacks on police.   Fuck'em all.

That isn't the stupidest thing I've ever read, but it ranks. We live in a country with a constitutional imperative to be intolerant of tyranny and you suggest we give police offers a free pass to murder anyone who resists them. Brilliant! I can't believe the founding fathers didn't come up with it.

ETA: My statement is not to be construed as an encouragement to assault the police. Merely saying that the above poster goes to a ludicrous extreme that is un-American at best.

She has seen fights at Quinceaneras before — including her own — but never like this.

"Mine was nice until it broke into a fight like every other Quinceanera, but it wasn't like this one. This one was real bad when the officers started bringing the guns out."

 Sounds like a real nice tradition.  Get drunk and riot.

A village ordinance requires a deputy to be present at events where alcohol is served, but the off-duty deputy left by 11:30 p.m. Saturday, the scheduled end of his shift and the party.

Bunch of drunk teenaged kids I bet.





Sgat1r5

"It just ruined our whole night, she said. "I was crying and crying and crying and everybody was trying to calm me down."

It's her party, she can cry if she wants to.

"I'm having flashbacks"........ What a dipshit putz!

We forbid the consumption of alcohol in any township owned facilities.  The reason seems obvious and we are a sediate suburban community.  Alcohol + Teens = A disaster waiting to happen.  

Regards,
Gary

Quoted: That's another thing wrong with this picture.   There shouln't be alcohol being served at a function honoring a FIFTEEN year old girl.

"Trevan Hansen, 19, who had been arrested, kicked out the back driver's side window of a patrol car. "  What are 19 yo's doing at the party too, picking up 15 year old chicks?

My favorite quote, and probably the bottom line:

"Mine was nice until it broke into a fight like every other Quinceanera

Quoted: Man - why did they get video of the tazings? I love seeing morons getting tazed.

+1

In my book, throwing things at the police, unless they're raiding a library for a book-burning, busting up a peaceable religious service, or carrying out door-to-door gun confiscations (in which case bottles wouldn't be the optimum missiles) means that all bets are off, and there is no such thing as police overreaction unless it involves indiscriminate firing into a crowd of pre-teens or use of a flame thrower. Everybody gets hickory shampoo and goes to jail. To the "innocents" who might get caught up in the melee, my counsel would be "Think of it as a learning experience."

First question I would ask is why was there beer  or booze at all( bottles)  at a 14 yr olds coming out party?

Why was there Gang Members at a 14 year olds coming out party? Why was there 175 people still at a party that had been over for over an hour?

Sounds to me like who ever managed the party did not do it very well, and you are lucky that some of the gang members was not waving a pistol or a auto pistol around.

Actually the taser is the best of all:  no long lasting problems. I have been tased  CS gased  and Ill take the taser any day.