Pubdate: Fri, 07 Jul 2006
Source: Capital Times, The  (WI)
Copyright: 2006 The Capital Times
Contact:  http://www.madison.com/tct/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/73
Note: Usually does not publish letters from outside the state.
Author: Jentri Colello, Madison

COPS OUT OF LINE IN MASEL FIASCO

Dear Editor: I would just like to say thanks for reporting on Ben 
Masel's treatment by police at the Union Terrace. I was sitting 
within earshot of this embarrassing fiasco involving two UW-Madison 
police officers and Masel at the Union Terrace last week.

I happened to look over and see two cops approach Masel and was 
baffled, to say the least, when I saw them suddenly grab him, whip 
him around and shoot pepper spray less than 5 inches from his eyes. 
As they proceeded to push him down on the concrete with unwarranted 
force, I found myself wishing these young power-hungry officers would 
spend more time "serving and protecting" their country by honoring a 
peaceful exercise in democracy rather than trying their hardest to 
re-create an episode of "Cops" in the middle of a show.

They created much more of a disturbance than Masel, who had been 
standing quietly in the same place all night.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman