Florida man accused of ‘walking on wrong side of the road’

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From Raw Story:

A Florida man is suing the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office over a violent arrest in December 2012 that the officer was not able to defend in court.

First Coast News reported on Monday that Bobby Wingate was cited by an officer for “walking down the wrong side of the road” during the stop, then punched in the face. When the officer pulled out his Tazer, Wingate called 911 to protect himself.

“He said do I really want to fight him?” Wingate can be heard telling the emergency dispatcher. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”

Wingate was arrested, charged with resisting arrest without violence and walking down the wrong side of the road and brought to trial. But in court, the officer testified he was not sure what side of the road Wingate was on, prompting the judge to dismiss the case. Wingate has since filed a civil suit against the department.

“The conduct that is outlined in the transcript and the 911 call is not only breathtaking, it’s outrageous, it’s disgraceful,” Wingate’s attorney, Andrew Bonderud, told FCN.

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