BLACK STREET HAWKER BUSTED FOR BADMOUTHING BUSINESS DOWNTOWN (Language Warning)

[Ian David]

by Robert Norse
Wednesday Jul 18th, 2007 12:11 AM

Jason Paschal, an African-American street tarot-card reader, called police after he was called a "nigger" and spat on by a man seen conferring with O'Neill's workers. Instead of the spitter behing apprehended, 5-6 SCPD officers handcuffed and jailed Paschal for "disturbing the peace" because of his outspoken criticism of O'Neill's.

THE SET-UP

Paschal, a tarot card reader, was arrested in the early afternoon when he was protesting outside O'Neill's Sports Shop across from the Cinema 9.

Paschal, an outspoken African American guy, recently returned to town after a year's stay-away order from Pacific Avenue (he was told he could only enter shops "by the back door").

Paschal is outspoken and roughhewn (to say the least) in his aggressive presentation towards the public. When angry, he uses inner city street vernicular ("cunt").

Paschal is also a diabetic who uses insulin and uses medical marijuana--a legal activity in Santa Cruz (but not, according to the police, on Pacific Avenue--who do what they can to harass legal users, such as Craig Canada).

More:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/07/18/18436055.php


Shouldn't he have seen this coming?