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Please Help Ginny
by Jim Davidson
[email protected]

Special to L. Neil Smith's The Libertarian Enterprise

This past Saturday night 21 April, a friend of mine, Ginny Cambron, was at a night club with a friend of hers. As they were leaving, another woman bumped into Ginny and began to get an attitude with her. Ginny's friend stepped in between the two women to prevent anything from starting. As he did so, the other woman threw her drink in his face. Ginny and her friend immediately turned and left the bar to avoid any conflict. Her friend pushed the door open forcefully, which broke a plate of glass.

Although her friend remained calm and agreed to pay for the damage, the man working the door called the police. The Knoxville police came and the officers responding were very forceful and rude. Ginny's friend remained calm and tried to cooperate. The police became agitated and unpleasant. Then they began arresting him. At this point Ginny said that the police should not arrest him, that it was wrong, and that they should wait until her friend could speak with the manager to make restitution. (At this point in the narrative, I feel compelled to point out that the guy working the door made a huge mistake in calling the police. Do not call the police, they are not on your side, their presence does not make things better.)

Being already engaged in brutality with her friend, the police then turned on Ginny. They became verbally abusive. Ginny responded verbally, repeating that what the police were doing was not right. Her willingness to speak up at all seemed to anger officer J. Hurst who became very upset. He cuffed Ginny, then began to push her around. Notice that she did not resist arrest, but was cooperative, allowed herself to be cuffed, was restrained, and then this "brave" police officer began to physically attack her. She continued to object to the unnecessary treatment. Officer Hurst became extremely agitated and threw her to the ground. He then had another man, heavy-set and not a police officer come and put his knee on Ginny to hold her on the ground, to physically assault her - to commit aggravated assault and battery, in other words.

Ginny began to scream that she was being crushed. She had difficulty breathing. She could not move. Remember, she was already in police custody, already restrained, she was not a threat to anyone. She began to cry and beg for the ordeal to end. She was very badly injured. Then Officer Hurst, wanting to further attack her, dragged her physically over the sidewalk and threw down again. She continued to cry, and was in shock. After a few minutes, Officer Hurst again engaged in brutal behaviour, throwing her violently into the back of his patrol car.

She was able to calm herself in the relatively isolated space in the back seat. She then asked that she be read her rights. The officer said, "You have no fucking rights." She was never read her Miranda rights.

Officer Hurst, not satisfied with physically assaulting a small woman, not satisfied with his performance at being a cowardly bully, said rude and belittling things. Ginny pointed out that she is a veteran and asserted that she should not be treated so brutally. A paddy wagon arrived on the scene, and she was placed in a very tiny isolation space within that vehicle. At this point she had a very severe panic attack which lasted for about half an hour.

Ginny has a deep cut on her left thumb, contusions and abrasions up and down both arms, swollen elbows, torn muscle in her right shoulder, extreme pain in her neck and back. She has had repeated panic attacks and other mental reaction to the attacks.

These events took place at a night club called Carleos about 11:30 p.m. Their address is 117 South Central Street Knoxville, TN 37902. Their phone number is (865) 522-6430. Apparently they have a very bad management, very bad policies toward customers, and are violent people.

Ginny has been falsely accused of public intoxication, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. She was not tested for alcohol, not a breath test, not a blood test, not a urine test. She was not drunk. She was orderly, and attempting to bring order to the disorderly situation caused by the police. She did not resist arrest, but complied with the officer's demand that she be placed in cuffs. At that point, she was in his custody, and he was supposed to be responsible for her safety and well-being, which he was not. Instead, the officer encouraged another person to violently assault her, assaulted her himself - oh, big tough cop, beating up a woman in handcuffs - and verbally abused her, then enclosed her in a claustrophobic space in a further attempt to destroy her self-confidence.

The police in Knoxville acted shamefully, and everyone involved in police activities in Knoxville should be ashamed of what happened. Of course, Officer Hurst has not been arrested and charged in his criminal behaviour.

Ginny is seeking $2,000 to engage a competent legal team in her defence against these false and scurrilous charges. Her attorney was recommended to her by Dave Roland of Missouri Freedom Centre in St. Louis.

Ginny is determined to seek justice, not only in being exonerated of the criminal charges, but also in pressing charges against the men who assaulted and brutalised her. Both criminal and civil cases should result from this matter. Personally, I think the police officer should be fired, tracked by the freedom community so he can never work in law enforcement or security anywhere ever again, forced to pay compensation, made to give up his home and pension, and become an outcast, a pariah who cannot get work anywhere. But I tend to be unforgiving of official oppression, police brutality, abuse of office, and similar misdeeds, especially where violent conduct is involved.

It would be a mistaken idea to ask Ginny to comment on her situation. It would be helpful if you could contribute financially to her legal defence.

For people who want to help, a ChipIn has been started:

http://reachout.chipin.com/ginny-cambron

There is a bitCoin wallet on the IndSovU.com home page.

Cheques or money orders may be mailed payable to Individual Sovereign Univ. Association to our address:

     attn: Jim Davidson
     Individual Sovereign Univ. Association
     2040 West 31st Street Suite G169
     Lawrence, KS 66046

Thank you.