A fundraising cocktail party, hosted for political hopeful, Francine Busby, ended up in disaster, when a neighbour called the cops. The party was being held at Rubenstien Ave, at the home of Shari Barman and her partner, Jane Stratton, 55.
Deputies first went to the Cardiff home at around 9.00 p.m. to issue a noise warning, after a man made a call to the Sherriff’s Department, saying someone was talking on a loudspeaker. The cheering of the crowd was keeping him awake. The police returned later when the noise continued.
Sixty year-old Barman was arrested and jailed on the alleged battery of a peace officer, resisting and delaying arrest, as well as obstructing a police officer. One of the guests, plus Pam Morgan, 62, were also arrested.
Guests at the party were doused with pepper spray, when Barman wouldn’t give the deputy information he asked for. A scuffle broke out between Deputy Marshall Abott and Barman, where Barman was knocked to the floor. The guests took Barman away, and Abbott used pepper spray on them.
“In the chaos, someone kicked the emergency response team member, a woman who is 5-foot-2,” said Sgt. Thomas Yancey. “After the pepper spray was used, the crowded backed off, and Abbott saw Barman in the kitchen and grabbed her. At some point Abbott called for backup and six deputies and a sergeant responded.” Eight police cars and a helicopter were sent to the neighbourhood of expensive homes.
“We didn’t hear anything until the sheriff came, with eight patrol cars and a helicopter,” said Natasha Cortina, 43, who was home with her two children, with the windows open.
“Abbott was pepper-spraying the faces of anyone who tried to talk to him,” Busby said. “People were stunned. It was something that none of us has experienced.” The guests’ report of the incident differs widely to the report lodged by the police. Abbott says guests surrounded him and he felt threatened.
Busby, seeking a Democratic seat in the 50th Congressional District in 2010, met with the Sherriff’s Department, to find out about what she claims as a ‘phony’ noise complaint.
Bushby admits that between 8 and 8.30 she did use a microphone to talk to the middle-aged guests. During this time, Barman said a neighbour on the property behind her home, was shouting disparaging remarks, about Bushby and gay people. “It was a quiet home reception, disrupted by a vulgar person shouting obscenities from behind the bushes,” Busby said. “There were no more than 30 people at the party.” There was no mention of alcohol, or drunkenness.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department has announced that it has launched an internal affairs investigation into a deputy’s use of pepper spray at the fundraising party. Undersheriff Bill Gore said that he has spoken with several community leaders about the incident, including Busby.
There have been other incidents involving the use of pepper spray that have the police being placed under careful scrutiny.
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Tags: Bushby’s fundraiser ruined, Francine Bushby, pepper spray, police use pepper spray at a fund raiser
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July 6th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Pepper Spray Ruins Fund Raising Party…
Even private fund raising parties can go amuck, when police arrive and begin indiscriminately using pepper spray….