Article from: www.thenewspaper.com/news/16/1603.asp

2/14/2007

Arizona: Motorists Forced to Rap Sue Police
Tempe, Arizona motorists sue police for forcing them to rap to get out of a littering ticket.

Two motorists forced to rap to escape littering charges separately filed $50,000 and $500,000 lawsuits against Tempe, Arizona earlier this month. Last November, James Baker and Robert Tarvin were pulled over for littering while in their silver Mercedes-Benz sedan at the Arizona Mills Mall.

"Do you know how much the fine is for littering?" Sergeant Chuck Schoville asked the men. "No littering ticket if the two of you just do a little rap."�

The two complied, smiling for video cameras that recorded the incident for a reality cable television show called "Tempe Street Beat" which the city describes as, "a live, interactive, public safety and crime prevention program produced by the Tempe Police Department."

After the department was criticized by minority rights groups, Mayor Hugh Hallman and Police Chief Tom Ryff issued apologies.

View a video report with incident footage.

Source: Two Men Who Rapped to Get Out of Parking Ticket Sue Tempe, Arizona (Fox News, 2/5/2007)

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