BY IRIS B. HOLTON
Sentinel City Editor

NOTE: The Sentinel has chosen not to identify the witness because he fears retaliation.

A 64-year-old Tampa man was allegedly beaten by Tampa Police and arrested Sunday. He was charged with unlawful solicitation of newspapers and obstructing or opposing an officer with violence.

According to a witness, the incident took place between 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., Sunday, at the intersection of E. Lake Avenue and N. 29th Street.
The witness gave the following account of what took place:

“I came up on the corner and I was talking to Johnny (Teel). He was telling me that some police officer told him to pack up and don’t sell anymore papers (Tampa Tribune).

He said he only had about 6 or 7 left and he was going to sell his papers.

“About 15 or 20 minutes later, this officer stopped at the corner and Johnny said, ‘I think this is the officer.’”

The witness said the officer sat in his cruiser between 10 and 12 minutes, with traffic having to go around him. The witness said the officer then pulled into a parking lot and continued to sit in his car.

The witness said the officer said, “I told you not to sell anymore newspapers. Pack your stuff up.” The witness said neither he nor Teel responded and continued to stand on the corner. The witness said the officer sat in the car about 15 minutes.

“A man drove up in the parking lot and some people went into the store. When they came out, the man asked Johnny if he had a Tribune.

At that point, the witness said, the officer exited his vehicle and said, “I told you to pack your stuff up, put your hands behind your back.”

The witness said Teel continued to stand there holding his newspapers.

“He whipped out his stick and hit him. Johnny still didn’t do it, and he hit again on the leg and Johnny started to stumble. He hit him again and Johnny fell. He hit Johnny again after he fell,” the witness said.

“Johnny should have just dropped the papers and put his hands behind his back. But, that officer was wrong hitting that man like that. There were a lot of people up there with camcorders and phones,” the witness said.

He further stated that paramedics were called to treat Teel before he was transported to jail. He was released from the Hillsborough County Jail after posting a bond of $2,250.

The witness further stated that this is not the first time they have been harassed while selling the newspaper. He said he spoke with Major Gerald Honeywell about the harassment and was told to tell the officer to contact him if there was a problem.

“When I told the officer Major Honeywell said to call him, the officer said, ‘you call him, you got his number, you call him.’

The witness further stated that there are as many as four people at that intersection selling newspapers and they comply with the law. “We do what we’re supposed to do, we wear our vests and everything. I just hope it’s safe for me to go back up there and sell my papers.”

Teel, who also sells the Sentinel at that corner, did not return telephone calls.

The City Ordinance states that news carriers can sell newspapers with the exception of 10 identified corners in the City limits. On Sundays, anyone is allowed to solicit on the city corners with the exception of the ten corners prohibited at any time.[private]

***Look for full story in Friday’s Sentinel***

Police Dept. Release Statement
When contacted by the Sentinel, the Tampa Police Department said in a written statement, “This is a situation where the subject would have received a notice to appear in court, but instead he became combative and chose to fight the officer. In this circumstance, the suspect’s aggressive actions towards the officer made it necessary for him to use force to stop the suspect’s resistance and make the arrest.”

According to the police report, “Officer S. Cicolello observed the subject selling the Tampa Tribune at the corner of 29th Street, N and Lake Avenue. E. The subject was not wearing the required vest and was also inhibiting the flow of traffic. Officer S. Cicolello parked his marked unit and made contact with the subject on foot. Officer S. Cicolello explained to the subject that he was in violation of City Ordinance 6-265 by not wearing the required vest, impeding traffic flow, and having no credentials from the Tampa Tribune. Officer Cicolello gave the subject a warning and asked the subject to leave the area. The subject understood and began moving his things to his vehicle,” the report stated.

The officer stated in the report that when he returned an hour later, the man was wearing the vest, but was still impeding traffic. The officer said at that time, he parked his vehicle and approached the man on foot to make an arrest.

The report stated, “…The defendant yanked his arm away twice. The defendant became combative and assumed a fighting stance with his fists balled up. He refused to comply with verbal commands.

“… An unknown subject grabbed the defendant and tried to calm him down, but the defendant broke away and charged at the officer who then struck the defendant twice in the legs with his ASP baton.”

After being placed on the ground, the defendant continued to resist. Fire rescue responded, but no medical attention was required, the report said.[/private]