Red Bluff Councilman Cited After Pot Debate

[Weedpipe]

An 83-year-old Red Bluff city councilman was placed under citizen's arrest Tuesday night by a medicinal pot shop owner after the councilman allegedly poked his finger in the man's chest during a break at a contentious meeting at which the council eventually banned marijuana dispensaries.

During the 9:20 p.m. break, Councilman James Byrne and Ken Prather, the 48-year-old owner of Tehama Herbal Collective in Corning, began talking, Red Bluff Police Lt. Kyle Sanders said Wednesday.

At one point during the conversation, Byrne allegedly poked Prather in the chest, Sanders said.

"Prather was upset that Byrne allegedly touched him with his finger and decided to place Byrne under citizen's arrest for battery," Sanders said Wednesday in a statement.

Byrne went on to finish the meeting, but at its conclusion, police issued him a battery citation, Sanders said.

The case will be forwarded to the Tehama County District Attorney's Office for review.

Byrne declined to comment on the incident, saying the minutes from the meeting spoke for themselves.

"Let's just let the damn thing die, you know," he said when reached by phone at his Red Bluff home.

Byrne was the only one on the council to vote no on an ordinance to ban cultivation and collectives, but he did vote yes on an ordinance that would temporarily ban dispensaries.

Several times during Tuesday night's often raucous meeting, members of the pro-dispensary crowd yelled out to Byrne, accusing him of sleeping through the discussion, a claim Byrne denied.

Prather said he never yelled out to Byrne, but instead raised his hand after Byrne denied that he was sleeping to say that it appeared from his side of the council chambers that he was.

Byrne got confrontational later when Prather took the microphone to address the council and the two had a heated back-and-forth, Prather said.

During the break, Prather approached Byrne to make amends, when the councilman launched into a curse-filled tirade and poked him at least five times, Prather said.

"He said 'I hate you. I hate people like you. I've been dealing with people like you my whole life,' " Prather said. "I said, 'I can't believe you're a councilman talking to me like this, belittling me and poking me in the chest.' "

Prather said officers interviewed witnesses and took a report.

"I know that if I'd have done that to that gentlemen, he'd have had me arrested," Prather said.

-----------------------------

big 420 shout-out to Irish for this 1


News Hawk- Weedpipe http://www.420Magazine.com
Source: Redding Record Searchlight
Author: Ryan Sabalow
Contact: Redding Record Searchlight
Copyright: 2009 The E.W. Scripps Co
Website:Red Bluff councilman cited after pot debate Redding Record Searchlight