Stories from the Racine "Rave Raid"
In November 2002, local police officers in Racine, Wisconsin raided a benefit party featuring electronic music. Three people were arrested on drug charges but over 440 people were issued citations for $968 just for being at a party where drugs were found.
Meet some of the people who were caught up in this ""rave raid.""
A Married Couple
A married couple had decided to attend the event to report on its fundraising aspect. However, their fun was abruptly cut short when the police unexpectedly entered the building. The couple was forced to sit on the ground for over 3 hours without being informed of the reasons. Eventually, they received citations for $968 each although they had not used, bought or sold any drugs that evening and were not searched or questioned by the police.
Dance Safe
A male Dance Safe Representative was working at the event when the police burst in and ordered everyone to sit on the ground. Because he had a bad knee, he stood up to avoid causing further pain, at which point an officer told him he was under arrest. When the young man asked the reason for his arrest, the officer replied, ""Because I said so."" The Dance Safe worker then turned to his friends and asked them to come and bail him out of jail. The officer in turn picked him up and slammed him onto the pool table while another officer roughly placed handcuffs on him, leaving marks and bruises on his wrists and lower arms. He was then placed in a police van and left in the dark for 30 minutes before another officer issued him two tickets: one for being a disorderly house patron and another for disorderly conduct.
We Have Rights
Seeing that the police were posing incriminating questions to partygoers, one man decided to try and help the crowd defend itself against such a violation of their rights. He stood up and told the seated crowd that they had the right to remain silent if an officer asked them a question about the night. As soon as he spoke, the police led him to the coatroom where they proceeded to arrest him because he had spoken up. He was then taken outside where he was thrown in the back of a van, searched for ID, and left in the vehicle for 4 hours. He received two tickets.
If I May Ask
A man was on the 2nd floor of the theatre when the police entered and blocked the staircase. When he tried to go downstairs to investigate what was happening, a police officer physically pushed him back upstairs. The young man decided to approach the officer again to find out the reason for the raid. This time, the officer responded by grabbing him, throwing him against the wall and handcuffing him.
The Right to Pee
A young man was in the bathroom when the police raided the building. Suddenly, an officer entered the bathroom and proceeded to hold a pistol to his head for 15 minutes in order to prevent him from leaving. Then, the man was thrown to the ground, handcuffed and forced to sit in the back of a police vehicle for three hours. At about 3:30am, he was taken to jail and later released on $100 bail.
Similarly, a DJ at the rave had just finished his set and was in the bathroom when the police entered. An officer burst into the men's bathroom and put a gun to his head while telling him in vulgar language to get down on the ground. For the next 30 minutes, the DJ sat on the floor in a large puddle of vomit without any explanation from the police.
Meanwhile, a young woman was in the women's bathroom stall when a female police officer viciously kicked open the stall door, hitting her in the knees. As she quickly stood to pull up her pants, the officer grabbed her by her arm and threw her to the ground in front of a long line of other women waiting to use the bathroom. She never had the chance to pull her pants back up.
Another women attended the rave to help raise money for the benefit. She soon found herself captive on the dance floor by the police and unable to go to the bathroom for an hour and a half. Finally, the police allowed her to go to the bathroom, but on one condition: she would have to urinate in front of an officer. After this invasive and humiliating experience, the woman was forced to sit for another two and a half hours until she received a citation for $968.
Stop Spinning
A popular DJ had just begun spinning his set on the first floor of the building when the police entered the theatre. A federal marshal marched into the DJ booth, grabbed the DJ's shoulder, and ordered him to turn off the music. He was then given a ticket for $968 while the DJ upstairs kept on spinning without police interference.
On the Straight Edge
A young woman attended the concert because she was a fan of electronic music. When pills were found near her on another person, she ended being searched for drugs just because she was close by. Ironically, this woman was Straightedge, she strictly abstained from using drugs and alcohol. She was not in possession of any drugs, yet was subjected to an invasive search by the police simply because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.