Bobby Wingate of Jacksonville is a menace to society!
This guy had the gall, nay... the BALLS to walk on the wrong side of the street!
But one brave Jacksonville police officer had the heroism in him to put a stop to this atrocity and showed Wingate that that kind of thing doesn't fly here!
So the officer punched Wingate in the face and threw him in jail.
Oh, and now Wingate has the audacity to sue the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office for being beaten and thrown in jail for walking on the wrong side of the street. WASTE OUR TAX DOLLARS, WHY DON'T YOU, MR. WINGATE!
According to First Coast News, Wingate was walking down the street back in December when the JSO officer stopped him and asked to talk.
Wingate told the cop he didn't have time for a stop-n-chat because he was running late for an appointment. So the officer cited him for "walking down the wrong side of the road."
Then, apparently to make a point of how serious a crime this was, the officer punched Wingate in the face and went for his Taser.
Wingate then called 911.
According to the 911 transcript, the officer asked Wingate "Do you really want to fight?" while the man told the dispatcher he had done nothing wrong.
The officer hauled WIngate away, where he spent the night in jail. Even nuttier, the State Attorney's Office took the case to trial.
During the trial, the officer said he didn't remember what side of the road Wingate was walking on, and the judge threw out the case because of a lack of evidence (but also because this whole thing was ridiculous).
Well, now Wingate is suing because, if there was ever something to sue the cops for, it's this!
"The conduct that is outlined in the transcript and the 911 call is not only breathtaking; it's outrageous; it's disgraceful," said Wingate's attorney. "This case is also about misconduct. Misconduct that you would never expect from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office."
Wingate, meanwhile, holds no ill will toward the officer. But he says he's filing the lawsuit because it's a matter of principle.
The JSO hasn't responded to the suit, according to First Coast.
And, to bring this all home and add an exclamation point to the whole affair, there's this: Bobby Wingate is black.
Florida cops are gonna Florida cop.
Follow Chris Joseph on Twitter
Follow @NewTimesBroward