Marine Reservist Won't Face Flag Rescue Charges
A U.S. Marine Corps reservist and veteran of the war in Iraq won't be charged for ignoring police requests and wading into a protest to rescue an American Flag.
Ray Modisette, 20, said he was reacting to a war protester who was stuffing an American flag down her pants when he charged into a crowd outside Tinker Air Force Base last week.
Midwest City Assistant City Attorney Randal Homburg said he thinks there are grounds to prosecute Modisette for an act of civil disobedience, but he said that at the request of police, he's declining to file charges.
Modisette of Shawnee was arrested Friday afternoon on a complaint of interfering with official police process.
"We believe the act was emotional and not really deliberate," Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes said. "It caused us to take action, but we hated to have to do it."
Modisette was leaving Tinker Air Force Base in his car Friday when he saw the protester with the flag. He said he turned around and headed for the crowd to get the flag. He was handcuffed after ignoring several requests by officers to move away from the small group of demonstrators from Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas. Dozens of persons donated money to pay Modisette's $850 bail, although he won't need it; his bail is being refunded. Modisette said he posted the bail with money he earned during a tour of duty in Iraq.
Ray Modisette, 20, said he was reacting to a war protester who was stuffing an American flag down her pants when he charged into a crowd outside Tinker Air Force Base last week.
Midwest City Assistant City Attorney Randal Homburg said he thinks there are grounds to prosecute Modisette for an act of civil disobedience, but he said that at the request of police, he's declining to file charges.
Modisette of Shawnee was arrested Friday afternoon on a complaint of interfering with official police process.
"We believe the act was emotional and not really deliberate," Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes said. "It caused us to take action, but we hated to have to do it."
Modisette was leaving Tinker Air Force Base in his car Friday when he saw the protester with the flag. He said he turned around and headed for the crowd to get the flag. He was handcuffed after ignoring several requests by officers to move away from the small group of demonstrators from Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas. Dozens of persons donated money to pay Modisette's $850 bail, although he won't need it; his bail is being refunded. Modisette said he posted the bail with money he earned during a tour of duty in Iraq.
Labels: Brandon Clabes, Randal Homburg, Ray Modisette
posted by Mike McCarville @ 9:37 AM
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