A 19-year-old woman was charged Friday with a hate crime accusing her of stomping on a pro-police sign and throwing it in the trash — all in front of an officer who had just given her friend a speeding ticket.
The woman was charged Friday in Garfield County’s 6th District Court with criminal mischief. The charge was filed with a hate crime enhancement, making it a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail. The woman was also charged with disorderly conduct, an infraction.
On Wednesday, a Garfield County sheriff’s deputy pulled over a car at a gas station in Panguitch for speeding. After the driver was issued a ticket and the traffic stop was completed, the deputy noticed several friends consoling the driver, according to a police booking affidavit.
“I observed one of the friends … stomping on a ‘Back the Blue’ sign next to where the traffic stop was conducted, crumple it up in a destructive manner and throw it into a trash can all while smirking in an intimidating manner towards me,” the deputy wrote in the affidavit.
That prompted the deputy to get back out of his patrol car and confront the woman. The deputy questioned the woman about where she got the sign.
“I stated to (the woman) that our sheriff’s office produced those specific signs and that I believed she had acquired it in our community,” the deputy wrote, adding that he checked with gas station employees who said the sign was not theirs. After reading her her Miranda rights, the deputy said the woman provided “inconsistent stories” and eventually said she had found it on the ground.
“Due to (the woman) destroying property that did not belong to her in a manner to attempt to intimidate law enforcement, I placed her under arrest,” the deputy wrote, adding that she was taken and booked into jail. “Due to the demeanor displayed by (the woman) in attempts to intimidate law enforcement while destroying a pro law enforcement sign, the allegations are being treated as a hate crime enhanced allegation.”
Awe poor Barney were you afraid of the little girl?
Good job deputy, for keeping up with the laws that are on the books. You desire a lot of credit for taking time to make the arrest. She needed a good ole fashion bitch slapping. Great work sir, even if the lame ass court system neglects to do their duty. Let’s hope they are a better bunch in your county than most others.
good, so tired of peoples disrespect for our county and our way of life
Oops – I hate it when I’m held responsible for my behavior. (snicker)
Oh boy Deputy…oh boy.
if she found it on the ground it was already destroyed and not serving its purpose.
if someone else picked it up off the ground and put it in the trash would they also be charged.
….. and cops wonder why there is tension.
All of you losers love cops until your next speeding ticket or DUI.
Don’t you all pay attention she ripped it someone property up with a spiteful mean derogatory threating attitude. I know that look exactly. ignorant marxist useful idiots have no idea The monster ideology they support. The only thing they will understand or will shut them up is a jackboot to the face and it’s about time they start getting it.
you know you probably right 516 I do get upset when i get caught speeding but I dont drive in DUI state, but if i did it would be my fault. No one else’s. You know the saying don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.
you know you probably right 516 I do get upset when i get caught speeding but I dont drive in DUI state, but if i did it would be my fault. No one else’s. In my experience the best results in getting out of a ticket is being nice and courteous to the police officer and showing respect. You know the saying don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.
Ouch ! She didnt see dat coming !! Loser !