Tampa police were tired of residents flaunting the law during their annual Gasparilla Parade, so they decided to crack down this year.
Chiefs cornerback Michael Richardson and 412 others paid the price Saturday when they were arrested, mostly for alcohol-related offenses. Richardson, 25, was charged with being in possession of an open container of alcohol. Yep, that’s it.
(There were seven felonies among the 413 arrests, including battery of a police horse.)
Richardson was released from jail shortly after posting a $250 cash bail. Arrests nearly tripled despite a low turnout for the parade because of rain.
We’d have to check with our official PFT historian, but this could be the smallest bail ever posted since the “Days without an arrest” meter came into existence.
Now if only Florio taught me how to actually reset that thing.
(There were seven felonies in the 412, including battery of a police horse.)
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hahaha now thats funny
Easy revenue.
If you can’t party in Florida where can you party?
Did he spit on a sidewalk first?
If it weren’t so cold, I’d break out a case of beer and drink it in my front yard. Ridiculous.
A crime’s a crime.
How drunk must one be to commit battery on a jorse?
Someone punched out a police horse? Tampa sounds like it stole the Indy500′s old Snake Pit.
He should be kicked out of the league. Inexcusable!
“including battery of a police horse.”
Was it diabetic?
BUTTERCUP!
It’s good to see that our taxpayer-funded police force is really cracking down on criminals and keeping our society safe by catching those villains with a beer in their hand.
Jesus, what a joke some cops are.
Some one pulling a Mongo on a horse is both funny and stupid at the same time. It is just like hitting a officer. They know that they are going to jail but they do it anyway. Some jackass does it almost every year in the town I live in during homecoming to one of the state police horses. Cuffed and stuffed in about 5 seconds. But it is nice to see that the cops are taking care of all those hardcore criminals roaming the streets of Tampa.
Meanwhile, there are tens of thousands of open containers in NFL cities in the parking lots outside stadiums every football Sunday. Just saying.
What a country. In Tampa you are arrested at a parade if you DO have an open container of alcohol. Meanwhile, in New Orleans you would be arrested at a parade if you DID NOT have an open container of alcohol.
Earth to Tampa, Earth to Tampa, it was a PARADE, i.e., open air party in most of the sane world. Let them drink a cocktail or two, or several, not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Had this happen to me once during a prominent annual block party in front of my residence. Total joke. Who are they protecting and serving?
So was the guy that assaulted the horse named Mongo and did he used to play for the Lions?
NFL players walking around with open containers of alcohol.. what has the league come to?
Alcohol has become a problem at the parade, huh?
Anyone notice that Hard Rock Cafe is the sponsor of the parade?
Anyone want to guess who ranks #2 among casual chains in terms of % sales from alcohol?
Need a hint?
Typical America – condemn the behavior yet seek every opportunity to make money from it.
NOTORIOUS IS RIGHT.
Busting beer drinking parade watchers isn’t even worthy of “Dragnet”.
“including battery of a police horse.”
Mungo like candy.
I think the phrase you are looking for is “flouting the law,” not “flaunting the law” buddy. Flout means “treat with scorn”, flaunt means “show off ostentationsly.” It hurts to see the language abused like that by a professional.
So at an even that brings in money to the city of tampa, they decide to crack down on people having a good time. Seriously it one thing for the guy who hunched a porse, but for simply having an open container during a block party? Great job.
Its a poor mans mardi gras.
He wasn’t just arrested for an open container, battery on a police officer as well, and his bond was $2,oo0.
http://www.hcso.tampa.fl.us/PublicInquiry/ArrestInquiry/ViewArrest?id=10004791&k1=8cc70923b8fb366&k2=ODg0MDAwMjQ4
All the corner taverns in the USA and beer commercials on TV. You can’t a friggin beer in a parade?
Sounds like fun to me.
@ “flaunting the law”
Were they showing off gold plated law books dangling off their 4-foot gold rope chains? I’m pretty damn sure you meant “flouting the law”. Maybe Florio can teach you how to stop relying on spell check and install grammar check.
http://www.hcso.tampa.fl.us/PublicInquiry/ArrestInquiry/ViewArrest?id=10004791&k1=8cc7098c7dcfb93&k2=MTQyNjc1OTU2NQ%3d%3d
Here is the actual booking info.
Gasparilla has gotten completly out of hand the last 5-10 years. The problem isn’t within the designated parade route and roped off areas. It is in the neighborhoods behind Bayshore Blvd.
i would think a superstar like him would have gotten a break
yarlmak and Boofer T Johnson beat me to the punch, FLAUNTING is not the word you wanted — FLOUTING is the correct usage. I second the motion to have Florio spring for the grammar checker…
Yes, in a prior life I was the monk who did the proof-reading.