Lindsay Rockbrand got a $76 ticket from two SPVM officers for being in a public park between 11pm and 7am. Problem is, according to her, she wouldn’t have been there at 11:09, when the citation was issued, had the police not kept her there for over 20 minutes.
Rockbrand says the officers first approached her at around 10:50 as she was lying down on a bench on a traffic island, technically considered (and badly identified as) a park in Hampstead, a few blocks from her home in Cote-St-Luc. They proceeded to ask her what she was doing and when she wasn’t forthcoming and wanted to know what business was it of theirs, they wouldn’t let her leave, citing a number of reasons that didn’t end up on the subsequent ticket, keeping her in place for roughly 20 minutes.
She feels they were determined to fine her for something, anything, and effectively created the situation they eventually ticketed her for being in.
You can listen to her tell the story:
We didn’t contact the SPVM as their side of the story is pretty much spelled out on the ticket. However, if they or the officer in question would like to comment, they’re welcome to, either via social media or by contacting forgetthebox@forgetthebox.net and we’ll update the story.
Has something like this ever happened to you? Do you think it’s right for police to charge people for things that are only technically true because of officer’s actions?
