Sunday, July 15, 2007

Gay Bashing Police Filmed at Provincetown Birthday Party

Here is the report from the watchdogs at KnowThyNeighbor.org, word for word:

Provincetown Police Allegedly Brutalize Gay Celebrity DJ


Email Sent to Know Thy Neighbor Reveals Firsthand Account of Horrific Assault Last Night By Barrys_nose_2 Provincetown Police Against openly Gay Lost 45's DJ Barry Scott

Last night while DJ'ing a private birthday party in Provincetown, Barry Scott was allegedly thrown head first into a propane tank by Provincetown police which left him bloodied and with a possible broken nose. According to Scott, who is best known for his syndicated "Lost 45's" radio program, while he was DJ'ing a backyard party in Provincetown, police officers came to stop the music. Upon the officers' "first conversation" with Scott he told them that he would stop the music immediately. Scott then announced to the 50 people at the birthday party that the police wanted the party to end.

Scott then says in the email, "the police then rushed to arrest me saying that I was starting a riot." Even though Scott claims to have told the police "4-5 times" that he was not resisting arrest they did not seem to care. The police officers then allegedly "smashed (Scott) into the wall of the house head first and the propane tank" possibly breaking his nose. Scott then writes, "Blood was coming from the top of my nose where there was a large laceration and blood gushing from inside my nose as well."

The horrific event was witnessed by approximately 50 party goers many of whom took video and audio on their phones of the incident and many also signed a form for Scott with their names and telephone numbers in order to serve as witnesses.

Barry Scott's recount of the 4 1/2 hours that he and his friend Bryan spent in jail last night was equally frightening. Scott writes that his friend Bryan who was suffering from a previous injury of two torn vertebrae was left lying on the floor of the jail cell for over 4 hours and even with the constant alerting by Scott of his friend's condition and need to be able to take his medication, the police allegedly ignored him. Bryan was not allowed to use the mensroom and was forced to soil his pants to which, by Scott's account, some of the police "even smirked (at Bryan) during the incident." Bryan was never charged or told why he was brought to the jail with Scott.

Know Thy Neighbor placed a telephone call into Provincetown Acting Chief Tobias today and was told to call back first thing tomorrow for an official statement. We were told that it is Sunday and "no one is around." Well, by Barry Scott's report, some police seemed to be around last night.

Barry Scott must appear in the Orleans Court on Monday. He is charged with Disturbing the Peace, Resisting Arrest and Disorderly Conduct.


Join me in contacting this police department and asking them what the Hell is going on in Provincetown:

wtobias@provincetown-ma.gov
(508) 487-1213

Maybe the police there need to be reminded of their town's mandate:

Be it hereby resolved by the Provincetown Board of Selectmen that

1. Hate Crimes of any type will not be tolerated in the Town of Provincetown. It is the policy that the Provincetown Police Department shall investigate and seek prosecution of hate crimes to the fullest extent of the law, which shall include the use whenever possible of state civil rights statutes: Sections 37 and 39 of Chapter 265, Section 127A of Chapter 266 and Sections 92A and 98 of Chapter 272. The Town of Provincetown encourages the Office of the District Attorney, the Attorney General of the Commonwealth, federal law enforcement agencies, and the Courts to prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law.

2. As used in this Resolution, a hate crime is any criminal act that manifests bigotry, bias, animus or prejudice against the victim on account of this victim's race, religion, ethnicity, disability, sex, sexual orientation or age.

Adopted June 8, 1992; Renewed June 9, 1997 and July 22, 2002.

1 comment:

John Hosty said...

Acting Provincetown Police Chief Warren Tobias said that based on his reading of the “numerous and detailed” police reports of the incident, “I would have to say that I do not believe the police overreacted.” Tobias declined to make the police reports available to Bay Windows, citing the ongoing legal proceedings related to Scott’s arrest.

To my knowledge it is illegal to withhold public documents like the police reports, and this should be immediately be called out by everyone. (508) 487-1213

When police are withholding there reports, it says very ugly things about what is going on, and their intended level of cooperation.