Recently, 37-year-old Rodney Dwayne Valentine was released from Rockingham County Jail after being held since May 22, but was jailed again, shortly after, due to second degree trespassing, according to the News & Record of Greensboro, North Carolina. Valentine is currently being held in jail for a $500 bond for simply refusing to leave the jail after his release when a deputy denied Valentine’s request to drive him to a nearby motel. Valentine is due in court on August 9.
Some may think that being returned to jail and being charged $500 for refusing to leave until getting a mere ride to a motel may be a silly situation, but here’s a list of just a fraction of many other – and perhaps even sillier – situations that have caused others an arrest.
Middle school teen burps in class: Last year, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a 13-year-old student at Cleveland Middle School was arrested for burping in class. ABC News reported that the boy’s lawsuit, against the school authorities and the police, noted “after he ‘burped audibly’ his teacher called the school resource officer, who in turn called the authorities to have him arrested for ‘interfering with public education.’” The boy’s parents were not even notified during the time of the arrest.
Old woman refuses to return football: In 2008, Edna Jester, an 89-year-old woman of the Blue Ash neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio was arrested for refusing to return a $15 football to a boy. According to news.cincinnati.com, Jester was tired of the neighborhood children’s toys frequently ending up in her yard and wanted to teach the children a lesson after the football came flying into her area. The parents of the boy who owned the football only wanted it back, but after Jester’s continuous refusal, the police came and tried their hand at persuading Jester to return the football. Unfortunately, Jester refused twice, would not sign a citation and was consequently put in the back of the cruiser. Tanis, the boy’s father, had told the news, “It’s inappropriate that it’s blown up into this big deal.”
Boy gets Tasered for dispute over beef patty: Zahrod Jackson, Middletown High School student, was thrown onto the cafeteria floor by school resource officer Kurt Scrivo and was Tasered five times by school resource officer, Alex Rodriguez. Last summer, Middletownpress.com reported that Jackson was a free-lunch student, and when he noticed one student come out of the cafeteria with a slice of pizza and a beef patty, he wanted to get a beef patty too in addition to his slice of pizza. As a result of his desire, Jackson went back in the food line and proceeded to get himself a beef patty; however, the cafeteria employee began yelling at Jackson and called him a thief even after he placed the patty back. Their dispute gathered attention, and the aforesaid school resource officers proceeded to act, although “unreasonably.” Jackson was later taken into police custody. Josephine Miller, the Jackson’s lawyer, stated in a lawsuit, “Z.J. did not in fact or in deed pose a threat of harm to anyone and did not in any manner engage in violent behavior.” Miller also proclaimed that the officers used “unreasonable, unjustified and excessive force upon him [Zahrod]” and used “cruel and unusual punishment.”