Family Arrested At Mall For Droopy Pants - Truckers' Trucking Forum

Big Duker · **^ Top** #1 12.30.2007

That's a lot of police for one family. Do you think you should have to follow dress policy while shopping? It is private property.

Droopy pants at mall leads to family jailed
Sheriff's office sends 20 deputies, 2 dogs, 1 helicopter after clothing dispute erupts
Posted: December 30, 2007
6:19 p.m. Eastern

By Joe Kovacs

© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

Joseph Leger
WELLINGTON, Fla. – What began as a dispute over a young man wearing droopy pants at a South Florida mall led to a wild scuffle, a massive police response and six members of an entire family being arrested.
The incident took place Thursday evening as Joseph Leger, 52, took his wife and four other family members shopping at the Mall at Wellington Green.
Apparently Leger's 20-year-old son, Frantz, had been banned from the property previously for wearing his pants too low, violating the mall's "Rules of Common Courtesy."
"I know I'm not a criminal just because my pants are too low below your expectations," Frantz Leger told the Palm Beach Post.
Lt. Jay Hart of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office indicated, "The mall doesn't put up with that tomfoolery bullcr--. His pants were down below his butt. No one goes to the mall and wants to see the crack of someone's butt."
The versions of what happened differ between the Legers and law enforcement, but some 20 deputies, 2 K-9 police dogs and a helicopter became involved in settling the fracas, as nearby roads were shut down for a time.
Charges against the family members include trespassing, resisting an officer with violence, assault with intent to commit a felony and assault on a law enforcement officer.
(Story continues below)
The Legers, who are of Haitian heritage, feel their race played a factor.
"We feel like we've been prejudiced," Joseph's wife, Marthe, said. "They treat us like a second-class citizen."
Sheriff's Capt. Greg Richter, Wellington's senior law enforcement officer, responded to that allegation, saying, "The family got involved and tried to intervene and tried to resist the officers and that's why they were subsequently arrested. It had nothing to do with the color of their skin. It had to do with their actions."
While all of the family is out of jail now and considering legal action, the incident has become a hot topic on messageboards.
Some of the comments include:
Keystone Kops, anyone? What a waste of taxpayers' money. And the police wonder why no one respects them anymore. It's flagrant abuse of authority like this that leads to apathy in the public.
The example the parents set for the kids is amazing. Then trying to use the race card as a defense? That is ridiculous. Everyone's bloodline is so filthy at this point that race really doesn't matter. If a cop used excessive force it wasn't because they were Haitian but because they were so ignorant and oblivious to the fact they did something wrong.
I live in Wellington and work at the mall. I didn't see this incident but my sister did and she told me that the family were acting like animals. The deputies were only doing what the mall requested them to do, remove this guy who was given a notice of trespassing a few months ago. The mall was in their right and so were the police. If the Leger family think it's OK for their adult son to show off his ***crack at a public mall and that it's a "bad" law that protects the rest of us from having to look at it then they should hire a lawyer and take it to court; not act like a bunch of animals like I was told they were doing. I hope that the judge teaches them all what they need to learn.
I was there and witnessed this whole thing and the family behavior at the mall that night was terrible. I hope that the judge throws the book at all of them and do the job that the parents obviously haven't done over the past 20 years.

Cybergal · **^ Top** #2 12.30.2007

There has been a few articles to where they were going to start cracking down on droopy pants in different cities.

I think it's a good thing. They look pretty bad!

Jarlaxle · **^ Top** #3 12.30.2007

Fashions always look stupid twenty years later. This whole flap is moronic in the extreme.

danc694u · **^ Top** #4 12.30.2007

I think if parents would educate the kids/young adults about the significance / meaning of the "droopy pants", many of them would quit doing it without being asked.

Of course, we are talking about parents who do not care, or have less education than their own kids.

GreenerGrass · **^ Top** #5 12.30.2007

What is moronic is the family wasnt smart enough to leave private property with police involved. Never resist a cop, it just adds to your problems.

GreenerGrass · **^ Top** #6 12.30.2007

I asked a guy who was in my cdl class about why kids wear their pants down past their butt. He is black and has seen a lot of rough kids. He said that it started out that drug dealers were recognized by patrons by the pants being pulled down. The reason the pants were being pulled down was that the pockets were full of drugs and the wieght was pulling them down. Now I cant even imagine why a kid would want to imitate a slimbag like that. Society never ceases to amaze me. Kids dont have a chance unless the parents get involved in their lives.

jimnfor · **^ Top** #7 12.30.2007

'saggin' as the kids call it originated in prison due to the fact that clothing was issued in not so form fitting sizes. that and the lack of belts. i worked in corrections in 2 great states and thats the facts....

leannamarie · **^ Top** #8 12.30.2007

The boy was told he could not come back to the mall, he did. End of story, that's where the rule-breaking began. The family only made it worse by not complying. It had nothing to do with race and everything to do with them thinking they were above the rules.

hendersoncnc · **^ Top** #9 12.30.2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimnfor

'saggin' as the kids call it originated in prison due to the fact that clothing was issued in not so form fitting sizes. that and the lack of belts. i worked in corrections in 2 great states and thats the facts....

yup..and yeah dude was wrong..but for some reason i still think alot of u guys on here are racist..lol

Brickman · **^ Top** #10 12.30.2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenerGrass

What is moronic is the family wasnt smart enough to leave private property with police involved. Never resist a cop, it just adds to your problems.

Quote:

Originally Posted by leannamarie

The boy was told he could not come back to the mall, he did. End of story, that's where the rule-breaking began. The family only made it worse by not complying. It had nothing to do with race and everything to do with them thinking they were above the rules.

Resisting always adds to your problems!!!!!!

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes	Rate This Thread
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode	Rate This Thread:

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Trucker Forum	Replies	Last Post
Teen Arrested After 4 Family Members Found Dead at S.C. Home	WiseOne	News - NON Trucking News	0	04.27.2008 10.45 AM
Mall Requires Teens to Have Adult Escorts on Weekends	Cybergal	News - NON Trucking News	3	02.21.2008 06.24 AM
Family's Daughter Arrested For Christmas Eve Killings Of Family	WiseOne	News - NON Trucking News	1	12.29.2007 07.33 PM
Gunman opens fire at Omaha mall, killing 9	Cybergal	News - NON Trucking News	14	12.07.2007 07.51 AM
Mall Bathroom Sex Sting	Cybergal	News - NON Trucking News	3	11.05.2007 02.12 PM

Truckers' Trucking Forum/Message Board - The Premiere Truck Driver Forum

The Following User Says Thank You to danc694u For This Useful Post:
InMyDreams (09.10.2008)

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)