Retiree, 80, gets caught in protest
By Carrie Porter, Rocky Mountain News
Published August 25, 2008 at 8:08 p.m.
Updated August 25, 2008 at 8:08 p.m.
Brian Lehmann © The Rocky
Cecil Bethea, a retired suit salesmen, is moved by Denver police and questioned after being caught in the middle of a protest.
DOWNTOWN — Police mistook an 80-year-old man as an anarchist Monday night while he walked from the Denver library to his bus stop.
Of medium height and an aging frame, Cecil Bethea became trapped in a tide of protesters near Civic Center and was then detained by police.
Briefcase in hand, the elderly man stood and smoked a cigarette with a slight frown, as police fired pepper spray into the chaos of young anarchists surrounding him.
"Suddenly there was a police barricade on all four sides. I stood there and didn't know what to do," said the retired men's suits salesman. "I did not carry a sign and was not shouting, but just stood there and said nothing."
Two police officers drew Bethea from the crowd with his hands tied behind his back and searched him extensively because they were concerned with the content of his briefcase.
"It was ridiculous how they handled me. You would have thought I was a mass murderer or something," he said.
Several of the protesters yelled at the police for their handling of Bethea.
"They were a little rough with me, especially because I did not represent any danger to them," Bethea said. "I don't think anybody would say I look dangerous or scary."
A resident of Denver for more than 50 years, Bethea said he was on his way home from the library. Police released him after he showed them a library receipt.
"I just sat there waiting on the curb until one police officer asked me if I was a little old to be protesting, and I repeated that I wasn't a protester," he said. "Thank God for the receipt with the date on it, because evidently it reads off that I just checked two books out."
Police escorted Bethea out through a nearby hotel.
"I went and bought a cup of coffee because my throat was dry," he said. "I planned to be an observer, not a participant."
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August 25, 2008
8:33 p.m.
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broadwaybill writes:
I feel sorry for the old gentleman, but even more am I concerned about George Obama, Barracks brother living in poverty in Africa. You know, the one living in a 6x9 shack with no electricity, toilet, water, nothing...Did he have dinner tonight, or eat at all today. Barracks youngest brother, the Barrack offering change to you and I....what about George his own blood....living on less than a dollar a day....change his life Barrack!! you sorry liar!!!
August 25, 2008
8:40 p.m.
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navymom writes:
Poor old man. I'm sure he was the most dangerous citizen on the street. He's lucky they didn't haul him off.
August 25, 2008
8:52 p.m.
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Sensible writes:
a McCain voter now, for sure.
August 25, 2008
8:59 p.m.
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EZBakeOven writes:
80 years old and still smoking cigarettes? Sounds like a tough SOB to me.
August 25, 2008
9:04 p.m.
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blacksho89 writes:
broadwaybill:
For the love of Pete, LEARN TO SPELL!!
It's Barack, numskull. 27 freakin' posts, all spelled wrong. How are we supposed to respect your opinion with your lack of ejumacashun showing?
August 25, 2008
9:15 p.m.
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me2 writes:
Bet this old man looked dangerous to the police. Why no picture?
August 25, 2008
9:40 p.m.
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sldfkd writes:
here's your $50 million tax dollars at work, guys...
August 25, 2008
10:23 p.m.
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vetbill writes:
I'm not surprised the police arrested this 80-year old man. He didn't look like an anarchist to me. It comes about with a perverted police attitude toward the first amendment. Whoever was running this "show" has the brains of a peacock. We could actually end up with a retake of DNC '68 is this nonsense continues. I feel safer in the hands of criminals than the DPD.
August 26, 2008
12:16 a.m.
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LadyBird112 writes:
"I don't think anybody would say I look dangerous or scary."
Oh come on, you are so anarchist-esque.
I already allowed my sarcasm to flow freely on the other board, so I'll be serious here. Outrageous. I expected nuttiness on the part of the DPD, but not to this extreme.
August 26, 2008
12:20 a.m.
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H20 writes:
I hear peacocks taste like chicken!
August 26, 2008
12:21 a.m.
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navymom writes:
Where are all the people who thought that I was wrong about the police going overboard and stepping on people's rights this week? I wonder how they justify this?
August 26, 2008
12:23 a.m.
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H20 writes:
Navymom, They broke up some Tweakers with guns and meth pipes!! Sounds like there out getting those bad guys. Old man just wrong place at the wrong time...
August 26, 2008
6:57 a.m.
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Simplystunned writes:
blacksho89 writes:
broadwaybill:
For the love of Pete, LEARN TO SPELL!!
It's Barack, numskull. 27 freakin' posts, all spelled wrong. How are we supposed to respect your opinion with your lack of ejumacashun showing?
It's NUMBSKULL, Mr. blacksho89. For the love of Pete, LEARN TO SPELL!!
August 26, 2008
8:09 a.m.
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AvidLiberal writes:
Hey, we're just exercising our natural-selection given rights to protest and agitate. No way we're responsible for creating an unsafe environment.
August 26, 2008
9:31 a.m.
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M2 writes:
I am just wondering... if you took every protester and interviewed them individually... would they have in depth knowledge of what they are protesting about? I personally highly doubt it.
August 26, 2008
10:14 a.m.
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BruceM3 writes:
Let's exercise our brains a little bit Mr. Bethea. You obviously know that Denver is playing host to an event getting world-wide media attention and these events are inherently contentious (otherwise you wouldn't have wanted to be an observer). If you put yourself in the middle of a contentious situation and in the midst of people looking to agitate, you are going to get just a bit more scrutiny from people whose job it is to ensure public safety than you are otherwise accustomed to.
DPD did exactly what they were trained to do and in accordance with the law. They briefly detained an individual to ascertain his intentions and after exercising due diligence found he did not pose a threat and was released. Mr. Bethea's 4th Amedment rights were upheld. Hooray for the Constitution!
August 26, 2008
11:19 a.m.
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Leroy writes:
"I don't think anybody would say I look dangerous or scary." Sounds like the perfect weapon to me.
August 26, 2008
11:38 a.m.
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Noia writes:
Well said Bruce. I'm half his age and realize unless I want to take the chance of something like this happening, the downtown area is to be avoided at all cost till this is over.
That being said: I personally would be more insulted by all these people harping about my age if I were Mr. Bethea.
You have the RMN reporting this whole thing because of his age (there's hardly a story here with him being 80 as it is).
People posting here are going on about how horrible for an old man to be caught up in this.
Other protesters were yelling about his age to the police.
And even the police think he was too old to be protesting!
Is there an age limit on protesting or do looks/age make you a non threat all of a sudden?
August 26, 2008
1:26 p.m.
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ickpoo writes:
What would have happened to this man if he didn't have his library receipt? Would he have been arrested? The police have some serious problems and the city of Denver is going to end up paying for them.
August 27, 2008
11:57 a.m.
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wow writes:
Imagine, a guy with a briefcase, downtown, on a work day....
Surprised the cops didn't get a lot more people fitting that description caught in their snare, like dolphins in a tuna net.
And to the poster who blithely suggests that he shouldn't have put himself in that situation....
A public sidewalk is not a "situation". Witnessing an event from a public sidewalk is perfectly legal, as is orderly protest on a public sidewalk. Even if he had been protesting, unless he was doing it in the street, they had no reason to detain him at all.
The cops did the wrong thing.
August 27, 2008
5:57 p.m.
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Juicye writes:
Cecil volunteers at my workplace. He is a kind, old-fashioned man who was just going about his business that day. I think he handled it well, and all of us who know him chuckled about his moment in the spotlight.