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I think these police officers suck! How can police officers feel good about picking on disabled veterans! WTF?

Disabled Veteran Bikers Harassed by Sanger, CA Police

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It was an unlikely place for an ambush, but that's what two military veterans say happened to them and three of their biker brothers when they idled their Harley-Davidsons through quiet Sanger on Sunday afternoon and parked on a semi-deserted street.

Glen Webster and George Swigart, disabled Vietnam veterans in their 60s, say all five rolled into a disabled parking spot to save space for anyone else who wanted to park nearby. The next thing they knew, they were all being written up for parking in a space for disabled drivers -- and they faced fines of $900 each.

The two say they tried to point out that their disabled stickers give them the right to the space, but that the Sanger motorcycle officer called in reinforcements. They said they were soon surrounded by seven officers, including a gang officer and a SWAT team member. Webster says the officers scoffed at paperwork entitling them to the space.

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The five signed their tickets and withdrew from the field. But Webster -- a former sergeant with the First Cavalry who was severely wounded in a hand-grenade attack near Cambodia in 1968 -- and Swigart, who served as a chief petty officer on carriers Enterprise, Constellation and Coral Sea, stormed back Monday.

They got a meeting with Sanger Mayor Jose R. Villarreal and Police Chief Tom Klose. Afterward, Villarreal said the city is investigating, but for now the fines stand. He did not give a date for a resolution.

The mayor conceded, however, that if officers laughed at the veterans, it was unprofessional.

"It's a question of understanding, a question of sensitivity and a question of respect," Villarreal said. "We will proceed accordingly."

He also said if the bikers' account of what occurred was accurate, it could reflect on Sanger.

"I truly believe that our police department and everybody here should show ... respect, not only to the people of Sanger, but to all the people who come through here."

The mayor did not have an answer as to why all five motorcyclists should be fined for parking in one space. Swigart, the former Navy chief, said his club -- which goes by the name Vietnam/Legacy Veterans Motorcycle Club -- always puts more than one bike in a parking space. They do so in trips all over the country, he added.

Webster feels police should appreciate that the club is saving space.

He said the riders were careful not to rev their engines as they rode into town, an annoying habit some motorcyclists exhibit, and which can bring down the law.

Webster said he has a young wife and two children, and paying the fine is out of the question.

"They're gonna have to throw me in jail," he said. "I'm not gonna pay $900 out of my family's budget. If I'm in jail, I still get my veteran's administration benefits."

Webster was also concerned about another of the five riders, a man he only knows by his road name of "Rigger."

"He just got back from Iraq. He can't afford to pay $900."
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Only two types of people understand United States Marines. Marines themselves, and those who have met us in battle. Everyone else has a second hand opinion. -R.T. Fortner