Officer Who Shoved Wal-Mart Greeter in Bankruptcy Court

[Robbien]

Source: WDEF TV

The officer who shoved a Wal-Mart greeter in December appeared in Federal Bankruptcy court Thursday.

On Christmas Eve Officer Kenneth Freeman shoved 71 year old Bill Walker to the ground at the Collegedale Wal-Mart.

Freeman filed for bankruptcy in March after Walker filed a 21-Million dollar civil suit.

Read more: http://wdef.com/news/officer_who_shoved_wal_mart_greeter_in_bankruptcy_court/04/2009

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[neuvocat]

1. Looks like legal wrangling to me.

[Hepburn]

2. LOL....

....bankruptcy does NOT discharge damages for intentional torts.

Edit for typo.

[Piewhacket]

4. so what yer saying is...

it wasn't actually a "negligent pushing" like we all figure
he is now claiming?

actually I wonder if declared bankruptcy because his credit
rating just went into the toilet and all his loans are being called?
Ya also gotta wonder how he plans to pay his lawyer.

just some random thoughts for their amusement value.

[JoDog]

8. Info on paying for lawyer

He could be paying the lawyer in several ways. If he files for Chapter 13, the lawyer's fees could be included in the debt repayment plan. Money saved from not paying bills running up to the bkr filing could also have gone to the lawyer. Someone else could be paying for his representation. Also, it is possible he is representing himself, which I did.

JoDog--awaiting her discharge, scheduled for late May.

[Piewhacket]

14. I think there are some tricks to that...

I vaguely remember that creditors might be objecting to the lawyer getting paid.
Mostly I figure fees would be looked at with a microscope to see if they are ok.
If the fees were earned before filing the bkr, they would likely be relatively small,
I doubt filing is usually that big an expense. So no one will be too annoyed.
But if a large fee is given it might just be regarded as really a retainer
given in advance of work on the bankruptcy. If so I doubt the lawyer is gonna get
to keep it. He's going to need to get in line with the everyone else.

Filing your own is pretty courageous, although its not unheard of. I recently overheard
a couple of practitioners lamenting problems created by 'pro per' filers. Still, it can
be done. Some have said that under the new bankruptcy laws paid for by the criminal gang
at mastercard/visa, it just isn't much worth doing. Each case different, I suppose.
Hope you got what you needed out of yours.

[tularetom]

3. I'm disappointed. See I had visions of this cop barging into the courtroom

and shoving this poor old dude.

I hope Mr Walker does some shoving of his own. Namely that he shoves this suit right up Freeman's ass and collects every penny.

Of course to do that he'd have to sue Walmart for exposing him to assholes like Freeman.

[backscatter712]

5. Good. I hope this piggy ends up living in a cardboard box on Skid Row.

I hope he loses his job. I hope he loses his house, his family, EVERYTHING.

He deserves it. Fucking abusive pig piece of shit...

[nyy1998]

6. Yeah, he abused the guy

But $21 million?!?!?!

[Vinca]

7. The news piece could stand a couple of salient facts, like -

why did the cop shove the Walmart greeter and what injuries, if any, were sustained. If the cop had been called to Walmart for a nut with a gun and thought it was the greeter, that would be one thing. If the cop shoved the greeter for the hell of it, that would be another. If the greeter's only injury was hurt feelings that's one thing, if the cop knocked him over and broke the greeter's hip that's another.

[mikeytherat]

10. Greeter asked to see his receipt. Cop refused and pushed old man to the ground.

Another patron tried to help the elderly greeter and was thrown into (and partially through) a glass door.

The cop's legal issues are just beginning.

mikey_the_rat

[Healthy Distrust]

16. Not completely defending the cop, but...

The greeter stepped in front of this police detective and grabbed his arm as the officer tried to leave the store. The cop likely believed he was being assaulted or unlawfully detained, so he responded by pushing his assailant.

News reports indicate that the officer either ignored the greeter or didn't hear him when he asked for the officer's receipt. These receipt and bag checks, of course, are voluntary; store employees can ask, but cannot require us to submit to a search of our personal property. If you decline to show your receipt and a store employee tries to prevent you from leaving, he or she is guilty of false imprisonment.

The cop, then, had every right to continue past our wayward greeter. He's also well within his rights to push the man aside. However, in pushing him over, the officer used excessive force. A stern warning to step away should have been sufficient.

[MrsBrady]

9. even though a suit would be justified...

how do you get money out of someone who has no money?

I'm assuming the cop, if he makes a cop salary, is not a wealthy man.

How does that work?

[Spangle]

11. He has to eat

So no matter what, he will work again. Some where, some time, doing something. <shrug>

[Gormy Cuss]

13. You don't get it all, but his future wages could be attached.

As noted downthread, if someone other than a cop had shoved the guy to the ground he'd be facing assault charges --in all likelihood, A & B or other criminal assault charges. Since he was not, a civil judgment is the only other remedy. The goal isn't to get the cash so much as it is to get a court decision against the aggressor.

[MrsBrady]

15. oh....

ok thanks. that makes sense.

[rocktivity]

12. The grand jury refused to indict back in February

...The Hamilton County Grand Jury decided not to indict Officer Kenneth Freeman Wednesday...Seventy-one year old greeter Bill Walker was shoved to the ground by...Freeman after Walker chased the officer to ask for a receipt.

...After an Internal Affairs investigation, the officer was suspended for 28 days without pay...Next month he goes before the city council to appeal his suspension...
link

In the real world, you're charged with assault when you shove someone hard enough to make them fall down. And I thought Internal Affairs had do with corruption within a police department--an Internal Affairs investigation is in order. Shows how much I know...

:eyes:
rocktivity