On October 4, 2010, Houston’s Bridgett Nickerson Boyd had a very bad day. Her car engine started to smoke, so she pulled over to the shoulder. Sheriff’s Deputy Mark Goad pulled behind her and rather than help her, he decided to arrest her for driving on the shoulder. Her heart began to race, so she was taken to the hospital. Upon release, Goad took her into custody.
It may not surprise you to learn that Boyd is African American. It may also not surprise you that the presumably white Texas cop was listening to Rush Limbaugh during one of his many racist rants. From the Houston Chronicle:
Because of the incident, which occurred on Oct. 4, 2010, Boyd filed a federal lawsuit Monday against Goad and Harris County alleging defamation, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
“Deputy Goad was aware that Boyd had not committed a crime and her arrest was without probable cause,” according to the lawsuit filed in Houston.
The magistrate who saw her while jailed apparently agreed and dismissed all charges.
In the suit, Boyd alleges that the handcuffs were painfully tight and that she had to listen to Rush “make derogatory comments about black people” all the way to the jail.
What is it going to take to realize how close we are to a fascist police state? Denial is just not useful here, folks. You think it will not affect you until a Gulag is your only choice, then it will be too late. Democracy is your birthright, and is Rule By The People. Greedy capitalist have destroyed the checks and balances required to maintain this precious gift of the founders, and millionaire demagogues spewing hate, fear and prejudice is all part of the plan. Thankfully, folks are waking up, and THAT is what Occupy Wall St. is all about.
I feel sorry for that woman.
I feel for her. Listening to the drugster is torture.
Houston is the melting pot for wackos wasp evangelical nuts and now the racist cops add to the bunch. It will take courageous people like this woman to sue the hell out of these people and if she wins get the f….out of there. The old Mexican section downtown is being all devastated and all Mexicans are being driven out of there; the area is deserted. It used to be full of corner restaurants and nice places, not any more.
Having lived in Houston and being a 5th generation Texan I am so not surprised…Houston cops used to tie blacks and Hispanics up and toss them into the bayous and ship channel…very racist group..Hope she wins a ton..
This will be thrown out since the Texas courts are just as bigotef as the officer in this case. Bush stacked
the courts all over the country with RW whack jobs. I wish her well though.