Can I get fries with that.....??!!

http://www.sptimes.com/2008/01/19/North ... ch_f.shtml

Jean Merola's "little soothe in the afternoon" is a visit to McDonald's for coffee - decaf with two creams.

But a recent run to the neighborhood Golden Arches turned ugly when a Clearwater police officer busted the 75-year-old grandmother of eight on a disorderly conduct charge and hauled her to jail.

About 4 p.m. Thursday, Merola pulled her gray Lincoln Town Car up to the drive-through window of a Clearwater McDonald's minutes from her home. She ordered the coffee and medium fries, no salt.

No salt on fries being a special request, the teller told Merola to pull forward to an area of striped asphalt where customers are typically asked to wait if their orders will take some minute.

Suddenly, Merola heard a car horn blasting behind her. In his cruiser sat Officer Matthew Parco, 30, a member of the force since December 2006. He kept honking and waving his arms, Merola said.

She did nothing.

Then he stepped out of his cruiser, walked up to Merola's driver side door and asked for her license and registration. Merola bristled. Not until you tell me what I've done wrong, she told him.

"He told me something about being parked in this particular place," Merola said Friday. "I told him this is where the people from McDonald's told me to park."

In his report, Parco says he asked Merola to move the Town Car forward a foot to allow cars in line to go around. If he did, Merola said she doesn't remember it. And it was actually his cruiser blocking people, she said.

But Merola said she was really offended when Parco called a supervisor to say he had a possibly demented woman on his hands who might need to be held under the state's Baker Act.

"He was aggravating me by saying that," Merola said. "I said, 'I don't have dementia, tell your supervisor.'"

By then, Merola had called Parco a brat, but the dementia comment stirred anger. Merola upped the ante and called him a "smart a--" and a "dumb s---."

She's never been easily pushed around, her daughter said Friday.

"She's not a meek and mild little old lady," said Deborah Burge of Palm Harbor. "She's going to say, 'Hey, what did I do wrong?'"

Parco handcuffed Merola behind her back and put her in his cruiser. Another officer arrived and drove her to the Pinellas County Jail, where the widow of 10 years was booked for disorderly conduct. She had no previous criminal record.

The people at the jail were apologetic as they took her mug shot and fingerprints, Merola said. They kept her out of the holding cells, where prisoners winked at her as she walked by. They didn't make her wear the yellow jumpsuit.

"They were so nice you wouldn't believe it," Merola said. "They asked me if I was hungry, and I said I was starved because I didn't have my McDonald's."

She may have liked the people at the jail and shown spunk with Parco, but Merola was pretty upset when her daughter and son fetched her at about 7:40 p.m. She was released on her own recognizance.

"She was crying and distraught and relieved that we were there," Burge said.

By Friday afternoon, news of the arrest had spread through Clearwater government because Merola's son knows Mayor Frank Hibbard. Hibbard called the city administrator, who called the police administration.

"We are looking into it," said deputy police Chief Dewey Williams late Friday. "We are not going to comment on the case until we complete that review."

Parco, who has no disciplinary record, could not be reached.

So, did Merola break the law by cursing a cop?

"You have an absolute First Amendment right to use that type of language to a police officer," said Largo criminal defense lawyer John Trevena. "It might be discourteous, but it's not illegal."

How about asking to be told what you've done wrong before handing over identification?

"If he's conducting a criminal investigation, you have to produce it," Trevena said. "If he's just irritated ... then that's not lawful."

Friday afternoon, Merola spent $160 to retrieve her impounded Town Car. In the morning, a doctor checked out a pain in her neck and shoulders. She thinks the handcuffs were on for about an hour.

Trying to account for her own behavior, Merola said she was taught to respect the police because they are there to protect and help you. It's a message she said she had passed on to her three children.

Despite the uniform, she suggested, Parco just didn't seem like the real thing.

"I guess I felt he wasn't a police officer," Merola said. "He wasn't there to help me, he was there to be mean to me."

Times researchers Caryn Baird and Angie Drobnic Holan as well as staff writer Mike Donila contributed to this report. Will Van Sant can be reached at vansant@sptimes.com or 727 445-4166.

[Last modified January 19, 2008, 00:01:41]

This is the second recent story of a citizen being mistreated by a Clw officer that I have heard. The other involves a lady who got her car stuck on city property and called for an assist. It ended with her in tears and the young officer threatening to take her "ass" to jail. Of course that was after he threatened the witnesses to leave or be jailed. What kind of young cops are you hiring?

After reading this I am embarassed to say that I am employed at CPD. One bad apple or lack of judgement/COMMON SENSE on behalf of our youger officer(s) lately has tarnished the good reputation that all the vets have worked so hard to accomplish with the general public. Countless, tireless hours to sovle a murder=one step ahead, arrest an elderly lady inthe drive thru=ten steps back, Nice job Parco. I see remedial training or a pink slip in your future.

It happens. At least your guy was a rookie. We had one do the same thing years ago and he had alot of time on. That chareg was dropped and he was fired. At least Parco can learn from it. Like none of us make mistakes.

Well at least everyone is no here defending his actions. He needs to get a job at the mall as a security guard.

Relax people. Yes, Parco is a new officer to the department. He worked in a different state as an officer. In some states, using profanity at an officer will get you arrested no questions about. Also, All of this is coming from the St. Pete Times and the woman arrested. Of course her side will be swayed more to her being the so innocent one. Don't we have better things to do other than all of this Monda morning quarterbacking!! Geeez! :roll: :roll:

Relax people. Yes, Parco is a new officer to the department. He worked in a different state as an officer. In some states, using profanity at an officer will get you arrested no questions about. Also, All of this is coming from the St. Pete Times and the woman arrested. Of course her side will be swayed more to her being the so innocent one. Don't we have better things to do other than all of this Monda morning quarterbacking!! Geeez! :roll: :roll:

He put a 75 year old woman in jail and man-handled her for nothing. This is why people are starting to really hate cops. Are you going to erase her bookin photo and data from your computers?

Hmmm, she didn't move her car when asked, she refused to show her ID, then she swore at the officer.

Let me get out my little violin and play a song for you.

Guess what? When you are asked to move your vehicle because its blocking traffic, you move it. When you are asked to show your ID , you show it.

The rules still apply to you, even if you are old or handicapped or pregnant or whatever.

This is why people are starting to really hate cops.

Well, certain people have always hated cops. And they are usually the ones breaking the law.

Easy solution, don't break the law.

Look all of you CPD Officers can defend his actions all you want, but he was wrong. Too many times officers get insulted after you ask someone something and then they ask you why you get pissed and make a really bad decision which he obviously did. I do not want him to lose his job but he obviously needs additional training and maybe anger management counseling also, (honking his horn and waving his arms at an old lady kinda teenager type actions) Be humble and apologize to her and her family