Nice, she may be going to the joint. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Capitol Hill police plan to issue an arrest warrant for Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.). The warrant is related to the incident Wednesday when McKinney allegedly slapped a Capitol Hill police officer. Charges could range from assault on a police officer, which is a felony carrying a possible five year prison term, to simple assault, which is a misdeamenor. McKinney has canceled a news conference that she had scheduled for this morning to discuss the incident. McKinney issued a statement yesterday saying she "deeply regrets" the confrontation with the police officer. The six-term congresswoman apparently struck a Capitol Police officer when he tried to stop her from entering a House office building without going through a metal detector. Members of Congress wear identifying lapel pins and routinely are waved into buildings without undergoing security checks. The officer apparently did not recognize McKinney, she said in a statement. Asked on-camera Thursday by Channel 2 Action News whether she intended to apologize, McKinney refused to comment. "I know that Capitol Hill Police are securing our safety, and I appreciate the work that they do. I have demonstrated my support for them in the past and I continue to support them now," she said in the statement on her Web site. Democrats and Republicans, meanwhile, engaged in a rhetorical scuffle over the incident. Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi on Thursday labeled it "a mistake, an unfortunate lack of recognition of a member of Congress." She added that the police officer was not at fault. "I would not make a big deal of this," said Pelosi, D-Calif. Ron Bonjean, spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., responded: "How many officers would have to be punched before it becomes a big deal?" The dustup is the latest in a series of tangles for the roughly 1,200-officer Capitol Police department. The department faces a difficult task -- protecting 535 members of Congress and the vast Capitol complex in an atmosphere thick with politics and privilege. The safety of its members became a sensitive issue after a gunman in 1998 killed two officers outside the office of then-Republican Whip Tom DeLay of Texas. More recently, police obeyed an order by an angry House Ways and Means Committee chairman, Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Calif., to remove Democrats from a hearing room. Thomas later tearfully apologized on the House floor. This year, during President Bush's State of the Union address, police drew criticism for first kicking antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan out of the House gallery, and then for evicting the wife of Rep. Bill Young, R-Fla. Merle Black, a professor of politics at Emory University, says that while the scuffle was rare for an elected politician, it's unlikely to cost McKinney more than a few votes. Black says McKinney is in damage control -- cutting her losses by not insisting on right or wrong.
My question is, if hitting a police officer is a crime, why didn't they just arrest her there? Why let her go just to go get an arrest warrant?? So if I slap a cop, I can walk away and expect the cops to come after me in a week or will they pull a N'awlins style smackdown on me right there..
Why didn't they taser her sorry ass? She is a well-known lunatic who probably communicates with the great space ship that also sends instructions to Minister Farakhan.
I would reccomend a macing then a taser then a rodney king like beating. I hope the cop sues her sorry ass in civil court.
Typical Democrat response. Cry racism and avoid responsiblity. Lawyer: McKinney 'just a victim of being in Congress while black'... A lawyer for Rep. Cynthia McKinney, the Georgia congresswoman who had an altercation with a Capitol Police officer, says she was "just a victim of being in Congress while black." McKinney awaited word Friday on whether she would be charged for apparently striking the officer after she entered a House office building this week unrecognized and did not stop when asked. Two law enforcement officials said it was unlikely a warrant would be issued this week. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Her lawyer, James W. Myart Jr., said, "Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, like thousands of average Americans across this country, is, too, a victim of the excessive use of force by law enforcement officials because of how she looks and the color of her skin." "Ms. McKinney is just a victim of being in Congress while black," Myart said. "Congresswoman McKinney will be exonerated." A spokeswoman for U.S. Capitol Police did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Members of Congress wear identifying lapel pins and routinely are waved into buildings without undergoing security checks. McKinney was not wearing her pin at the time, and the officer apparently did not recognize her, she has said. "Congresswoman McKinney, in a hurry, was essentially chased and grabbed by the officer," Myart said. "She reacted instinctively in an effort to defend herself." Several Capitol Police officials have said the officer involved asked McKinney three times to stop. When she did not, he placed a hand on her and she hit him, they said. Asked on-camera Thursday by WSB-TV of Atlanta whether she intended to apologize, McKinney declined to comment. A news conference scheduled for Friday morning was canceled. She had issued a statement late Wednesday saying she regretted the confrontation. "I know that Capitol Hill Police are securing our safety, and I appreciate the work that they do. I have demonstrated my support for them in the past and I continue to support them now," she said in the statement on her Web site. Actor, Danny Glover was expected to appear at an early-evening news conference Friday with McKinney at Howard University. That gave Republicans material to keep the criticism flowing. "Rep. McKinney appearing with the star of 'Lethal Weapon'? Not exactly the message you want to be sending," said Ron Bonjean, spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill. In January, during President Bush's State of the Union address, Capitol Police drew criticism for first kicking anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan out of the House gallery, and then for evicting the wife of Rep. Bill Young, R-Fla. The department is tasked with protecting the 535 members of Congress and the vast Capitol complex in an atmosphere thick with politics and privilege. The safety of its members became a sensitive issue after a gunman in 1998 killed two officers outside the office of then-Republican Whip Tom DeLay of Texas.
If it is true the officer asked her 3 times to stop....... what is her excuse. To me this is a Congress thing. I interacted with one or 2 Congressman for my work and they came across as arrogant asses as if we all owed them something. Black, white, male, female..... her attitude is with most Congressmen and woman plain and simple. If it were a white male or green martain Congressperson, the same thing would have happened. Something happens when they take office...
"My question is, if hitting a police officer is a crime, why didn't they just arrest her there? Why let her go just to go get an arrest warrant??" the constitution (and decades of precedent) makes this abundantly clear. you CANNOT summarily arrest a member of congress while in the course of traveling to a session of congress or related to their official duties. this prohibition goes back... um... about 200+ years. const. law 101. she can be charged, but not physically arrested - if she was going to a session of congress or congress related activities, etc. realistically speaking, while punching a cop is a felony, in cases where no actual injury results, the VAST majority of these cases are dealt with as gross misdemeanors. this is true in my jurisdiction and 3 others i am aware of. iow, the arrest will be for a felony, but the DPA's will charge as misdemeanor unless there are actual physical injuries. a counterexample would be the case where the anarchist dood in Oregon threw a brick at a cop during a demontration^H^H^Hriot and iirc he got 5-10 years or something like that. the cop got some decent injuries in that case. and of course all his anarchist/ELF etc. friends say he's a political prisoner... lol
Try and be a little more precise. Article 1, Section 6 is where the law is you cite in the Consitution. .... feel silly now don't ya LOL LOL LOL. There is no Article 6 Section 1 Clause 1.. Nice try though