Cop Watch: Galveston Cops Disciplined For Excessive Force On Wedding Guests

One 19-year-old kid, some beer, and 30 Galveston cops … mix well, and get a wedding fiasco and police suspensions. Oh, and the arrest of Houston Astros’ pitcher Brandon Backe….

Galveston Wedding Makes National News

Thirteen cops just got suspended for their over-zealous behavior at a Galveston wedding last year, and it’s making the national news. Seems that it all started with one 19-year-old kid, Danny O’Balle, whose sister had just been married during a lavish wedding at the Convention Center. Party!

Seems Danny got drunk during the wedding reception. (This is not a disputed fact.) Surprise.

At the end of the reception, Danny tried to take beer out of the Convention Center with him, a security guard tried to stop Danny, and there was some sort of brouhaha between them.

Later that night, this same guard saw Drunk Danny over at a hotel bar, the H2O, and called the cops. (We don’t know how or why this guard mysteriously appeared at the H2O bar … a curious fact.)

Galveston Police Arrive on the Scene

While Danny was continuing his celebrations at the bar, the Galveston police arrived. At first, it appears that a single officer confronted Danny (a minor) about his drinking (again, the fact that Danny was severely inebriated is not contested).

Danny apparently didn’t want to heed the officer’s warnings and suddenly – wham! zap! – THIRTY (30) Galveston cops were on the scene, to stop this reign of terror.

The crisis escalated, of course, as those trying to protect the drunk kid from the police (including the Astros’ pitcher) faced off against the Galveston police force. Video shows the cops using a stun gun on the father of the bride. Kid you not.

In the end, force was used and arrests were made.

And, now, after the entire “crowd control” incident has been reviewed, nine Galveston cops have been suspended and four are receiving written reprimands.

What a wedding.

Sources:

CNN.COM
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/03/19/texas.wedding.brawl/

UPI
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/03/19/Wedding_melee_prompts_police_suspensions/UPI-48371237478351/