Jul 6 - Man Arrested for Saving a Drowning Swimmer
 

FUCK THE POLICE!!!!

SAN MARCOS - A San Marcos man was arrested after rescuing a swimmer from the swirling waters near a restaurant on the San Marcos River over the weekend.

Police say Dave Newman, 48, disobeyed repeated orders by emergency personnel to leave the water. The police report does not mention Newman's rescue of 35-year-old Abed Duamni of Houston on Sunday afternoon.

"I was amazed," Newman said after getting out of Hays County Law Enforcement Center on $2,000 bail Monday morning. "I had a very uncomfortable night after saving that guy's life. He thanked me for it in front of the police, and then they took me to jail."

After being handcuffed and put in a Texas State University police squad car, Newman was taken to jail and charged with interfering with public duties.

Duamni, who said he did not see any signs warning swimmers of the dangerous currents, jumped into the water several times before the current caught him. He had just finished eating at the restaurant when he decided to go for a swim.

"I reached a point where I said, 'I'm dead,' " Duamni, who was visiting San Marcos, said from his Houston home Monday night. "There's was nothing I could do. I thought, 'That's it, I'm over, I'm gone.'"

After reaching Duamni, Newman said he swam with him under a waterfall and deposited him on the shore opposite the restaurant. He could hear law enforcement personnel telling him to come back to the shore by the restaurant.

According to the report, Newman smirked and seemed annoyed by officers' requests. He stood in the water for about 15 seconds before swimming downstream, to avoid the turbulence from the waterfall, and across the river to the officers, the report said.

"When he came across the river, the officer stuck out his hand like he's going to help him out of the water, and he put cuffs on him," said the Rev. John Parnell, pastor of St. Augustine Old Roman Catholic Church in Fort Worth.

According to the police report and witness accounts, the crowd that had gathered to watch the rescue was upset when they saw the police arrest Newman.

Ogletree said he understood why emergency personnel wanted to clear the water, but didn't understand why Newman had to be arrested.

In 1999, Texas State University, which owns the dam and the land around it, erected a fence to prohibit access to that part of the river. Later that year, the City Council enacted a swimming ban on that portion of the river. But Newman led a successful campaign to get the fences around the swimming hole removed and the ban relaxed.

In April, 22-year-old Jason Lee Bonnin, and a Texas State University student, drowned after he and three other restaurant workers jumped from the eatery into the river.

SOURCE:http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3252707

Why are people always surprised when cops turn out to be assholes? Cops can be assholes same as anyone.

And they often are.

COuldn't they have spared Newman and let him go? I mean he just saved a man's life.

I think i'll stick to cartoons and superheroes!

I dont think there is a jury in the world that would convict him. All he has to do is hire a lawyer and plead not guilty, let it go to trial. I'm sure there is an attorney that would take the case for free, just on principle.

The police were just pissed they couldn't be the heroes.

This sort of thing happens from time to time.

Like how it's illegal to grab a criminals gun during a hostage taking you are in. The police are there, and it's their jurisdiction to do that. If you try and protect your own life, they may throw you in jail.

In Chicago a couple years ago a man ran into a burning building and pulled out some kids and the police charged him with supposedly setting the fire. Of course, news footage of this showed fire fighters just standing there as this untrained guy risked his life. Which looked really, really bad. So I think they were just trying to blow his reputation out of jealousy.

wow thats a horrible story viva la roi

That guy has some SERIOUS positive karma coming his way for sure.


:thumbsup

the cops had nothing better to do.

Bin Laden who?

Rest assured Americans, we have a man who saved someone from drowning in custody!!!!

The law has no common sense!!!!!!!!!!!

too bad that had to happen..

:1orglaugh :thumbsup

does that really surprise you?

police are fucking morons.

every fucking day police fuck up like this. EVERY FUCKING DAY someone is getting screwed over by law enforcement agencies all over the world. you dont have to be smart to become a cop, just have a GED or high school diploma.

cops need to be punished for their actions

67 cops have died so far this year

He should sue.
Get a lot of tax payer money $$$

throw that fuckin police into the sea.