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French Fry Stop Lands Grandma In Jail
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Published: January 20, 2008
CLEARWATER - If anyone was "lovin' it" at the McDonald's that Jean Merola visited Thursday evening, it certainly wasn't her.
The 75-year-old grandmother of eight was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct after she refused a police officer's orders to move her car while she waited for the coffee and fries she ordered at the drive-through window.
"Isn't that terrible?" she said from her Clearwater home Saturday. "Oh my goodness, here I am, a poor little innocent woman waiting for my french fries."
Merola had pulled her Lincoln Town Car to an area to which drive-up customers are directed if their orders will take some time; she had ordered her fries without salt.
While waiting, a Clearwater police officer pulled up behind her and started honking his horn, she said. He also was waving his arms, apparently signaling for her to move her car, she said.
It was not immediately clear why the officer was at the McDonald's, whose advertising campaign has an "I'm lovin' it" theme.
Arrest 'Uncalled For,' She Says
She stayed put, so Officer Matthew Parco, 30, got out, walked over to her car and asked for her license and registration. Words were exchanged and after a brief altercation, her hands were cuffed behind her back and she was put in the cruiser, according to Merola and an arrest affidavit.
Another officer arrived and took her to the Pinellas County Jail, where she was booked for misdemeanor disorderly conduct. Merola said she was searched, photographed and fingerprinted. She was released about 90 minutes later on her own recognizance, jail records show.
"My shoulder hurt me so bad that night," said Merola, who said she was just getting over pneumonia. "My shoulder and my arms and both of my hands were all swollen. When you're older you can't take that. And it was uncalled for."
The arrest affidavit states that Merola's car was blocking the drive-through lanes. Parco wrote that he asked her three times to move her car forward a foot to allow cars behind her to pass.
After refusing, Merola yelled at Parco for about 20 minutes, calling him a "brat" and swearing at him, according to the affidavit.
Merola, a widow and 43-year resident of Clearwater, made no apologies for her conduct. She said she could not move her car because a curb was in front of her. She denies she was blocking anyone.
"He's the one that blocked the traffic," she said, "because he parked there where he wasn't supposed to park."
As for swearing, "I got upset because he honked his horn at me," Merola said. "You know, it's only normal for you to get upset when somebody honks a horn at you when you're not doing anything."
Driver Says She Got An Apology
Merola said Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard called her Saturday morning to offer an apology.
"He says, "I am so sorry, Mrs. Merola, this should never have happened,'" she said.
Neither Hibbard nor Clearwater police were available Saturday to verify the call or whether the incident is under investigation.
The personnel at the jail also were sympathetic, Merola said. She didn't have to go into a cell with other inmates and didn't put on a jumpsuit, she said.
"They were very, very nice to me," she said. "When I was in there, they were just all shaking their heads. And I didn't get to eat my McDonald's, you know? So they gave me a sandwich. But I couldn't eat it."
Reporter Carlos Moncada can be reached at (727) 451-2333 or cmoncada@tampatrib.com.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( skairkro ) on January 20, 2008 at 1:33 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I can only shake my head when reading this.
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Posted by ( hvh ) on January 20, 2008 at 1:59 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Hibbard = this should never have happened
enough said. fire the officer.
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Posted by ( scottybcoder ) on January 20, 2008 at 2:16 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I'm afraid that a lot of citizens are thinking that a lot more than firing needs to be done.
Better fire the dude for poor judgement before something worse happens.
Our society just can't abide our grannies being handcuffed behind their backs at the tender age of 75. No matter how irascible they are.
Jim Croche said it best. You don't tug on superman's cape. You don't spit into the wind. And you don't handcuff our grannies because of some mood your in.
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Posted by ( RobKay ) on January 20, 2008 at 2:17 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
There's a good possibility granny is past the point where she should be behind the wheel anymore and an even better possibility that the police officer shouldn't be either. Contrary to what some Cops think, they are not the Gestapo and on private property grabbing munchies at a drive through they have no more right to harass someone than any other citizen. The polite thing to do would have been to aproach the woman and asker to move so they could get by, not blow their horn and wave. There is never an excuse for lack of courtesy. I hope someone checks out granny to see what she's able to continue and takes a good close look at the cop who has no idea how to do his job or maybe even what his job should be.
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Posted by ( scottybcoder ) on January 20, 2008 at 2:49 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by ( JonBear ) on January 20, 2008 at 6:58 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Why did the cop need to have her move from the pick-up window? I never says in the article. Why didn't he just walk up to the pick-up window instead of walking up to this old lady's car? This whole thing sounds crazy and he sounds like a big jerk.
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Posted by ( Gladiator ) on January 20, 2008 at 7:16 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
The first thing he did wrong was blow his horn. Typical hothead behavior.
He should have just went to her to see if there was a problem not create one.
as already said here no problem solving skills.
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Posted by ( bluesman ) on January 20, 2008 at 8:15 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
he should have walked up to her first it would have avoided all that. by the same token he shouldnt have to be yelled at for 20 minutes either.
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Posted by ( marclar71 ) on January 20, 2008 at 8:16 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Wow. Can you believe this? If he had some emergency to go to, he wouldnt have wasted his time harrassing the lady-he just would have found a way to get around her. He could have even offered to have her get out so he could move the car for her, as she thought there was a curb in her way. Officers are trained to be superior drivers, so surely he could have moved the car into the designated spot better than she. Maybe even put the car where HE obviously WANTED it to be. But no, he had to just go off on her. I dont care if she was calling him every name in the book and making remarks about his MOTHER, he STILL could have handled it better. Whatever happened to respecting your elders? Or how about "picking on people your own size"? What a fine example for law enforcement you set there, Mr COP, I hope you wind up a rent-a-cop at a manure factory!
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Posted by ( rcg2 ) on January 20, 2008 at 8:18 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
My Goodness! Did she ever get her fries??? Next week she'll be back with a knife demanding her fries... oh wait, that's a cheeseburger at Burger King. Maybe cop was related to the anti-Happy Meal mom and was just arresting her to keep her from eating junk food.
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Posted by ( LoveTampa ) on January 20, 2008 at 8:56 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Another tough cop story! Fire him! I wonder how he treats his own grandparents? Would be interesting to know what kind of a kid he was in highschool. A bully? A wimp who got picked on and now has to take it out on elderly people?
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Posted by ( Spin_echo ) on January 20, 2008 at 9:07 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Ah..I remember when I was young. Now that I'm 110, I just can't tell off 'the man' like I use to.
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Posted by ( Spin_echo ) on January 20, 2008 at 9:07 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Ah..I remember when I was young. Now that I'm 110, I just can't tell off 'the man' like I used to.
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Posted by ( scottfwtx ) on January 20, 2008 at 9:15 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Wouldn't it be the restaurant's responsibility to ask her to move and not an irrate, over-zealous police officer in a hurry for his free Big Mac?
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Posted by ( URY914 ) on January 20, 2008 at 9:49 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Why couldn't the lady just move up when he asked her to?
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Posted by ( java ) on January 20, 2008 at 9:50 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
It does not take 20 minutes to make fries with no salt. By the way where is the manager of the McDonald's when all this is going on? It's unusual a manager would call the cops because someone won't pull up at a drive-inn window waiting for something. When they tell me to pull up I ignore them and wait for my food. Dumb cop.
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Posted by ( TampaRealtor ) on January 20, 2008 at 9:53 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
FIRE THE PUNK! It's private property, don't they need McDonalds' permission or request to have this jerk deal with her on this type of thing? On traffic issues, ect, that's my understanding. I mean it would be different if this lady murdered someone, but for crying out loud she was not parked 1 foot from where she was supposed to be?? what a freaking JOKE. AGAIN FIRE THIS PUNK COP. I bet he is afraid now, knowing he will most likely be competing for a job against Barney Fife at the local mall as a security guard!
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Posted by ( URY914 ) on January 20, 2008 at 10:04 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by ( scottfwtx ) on January 20, 2008 at 10:18 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
URY914, how do YOU know what she said? You're the a-hole here my friend.
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Posted by ( PJ ) on January 20, 2008 at 10:20 a.m.
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Posted by ( cruzinwmb ) on January 20, 2008 at 10:21 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
shame on him,arresting someones grandma!
now get her fries without salt and coffee!
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Posted by ( lolafalala ) on January 20, 2008 at 10:25 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
This poor little innocent old woman was obeying the law by patiently waiting for her french fries..check out what happened when a JAX MCD's didn't give a guy his order of fries...
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/mostpopular/news-article.aspx?storyid=99920&provider=top
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Posted by ( marymcq ) on January 20, 2008 at 10:33 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
What?!? She didn't move when he wanted her to? I'm surprised she didn't get tased, or 5 warning shots in her back. He needs his badge taken off and put right up his ***!! I hope I don't get arrested for that comment. I too am a grandmother.
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Posted by ( icedrybudz ) on January 20, 2008 at 10:37 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
ury914 you are big d-wad sounds like your one of these dumb a## cops.what if that was your grandma.
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Posted by ( john1919 ) on January 20, 2008 at 10:50 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
First of all Mc Donalds is private property.That officer violated her first amendment right of free speach. no just cause for arresting her.She needs to find a lawyer.
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Posted by ( bigpete ) on January 20, 2008 at 10:52 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
WOW---what will we hear next??? I can't seem to Mc-grab the reason behind this whole Mc-mess, and I also think that this cop needs to do some community service in a nursing home and maybe take some Mc-anger course on top of getting Mc-fired. Hamburgler is really getting a kick out of this one. On top of all my Mc-feeling go to the poor grandmother. I truly do feel for her.
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Posted by ( lolafalala ) on January 20, 2008 at 3:11 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
What is it with all of the FFR's (fast food rages)in the news lately. The teenage girl at BK w/ knife, the 31 yr old who created his own drive thru, and now a 75 yr. old woman...It seems to be an epidemic that is affecting all generations. Bring back Trans Fat!
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Posted by ( Teena ) on January 20, 2008 at 7:49 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
She was arrested for disorderly conduct. The trump card when there are no laws violated. It's called talking back.
IF it were us beeping our horns, flailing our arms out the window, and then going over there and say she has dementia we'd be ARRESTED for disorderly conduct= disturbing the peace!
IT probably took all he had not to crack her up side her head!
I loved the comment 5 warning shots in the back.lol
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Posted by ( ToeCutter ) on January 21, 2008 at 11:31 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Don't McTase me McBbro!
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Posted by ( flanders237 ) on January 21, 2008 at 11:56 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Where was the manager of this resturant? and where did the police officer get the authorization to arrest a person on private property. The police officer knows how to spell "disorderly conduct" but doesn't know what it means! Sounds to me, somebody might be in trouble. Managers come & go and police officers lose pay or rank. Toooooooooooo bad!!!
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Posted by ( queenamidala ) on January 21, 2008 at 1:48 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Maybe you all need to come to Lakeland. OLDIES are not nice here. And I back our police 100%. Seems to me when you don't need their services, you run off at the mouth. BUT when you need help, Oh pleaseeeeeeeeee send the police to save me. Maybe they need to sit back and think about helping you. Oh wait, they can't. Would be against the law right? Grandma, get over it. You are supposed to move up out of the way. But we all know the old ones, they do as they want and heck with anyone else. I am so sick and tired of old people. And guess what? I am not young and old people make me so mad. They can't drive and act like the world revolves around them.
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Posted by ( mlparco ) on January 21, 2008 at 2:43 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
To queenamidala,
The officer in question here is my younger brother. And in regards to this, the general pupblic have no idea of what really went down. He asked her to mover car three times politely while she verbally berated him. And she claims that she did not hear him ask her to mover her car forward one foot because she was blocking the entire side of the exit. BUT she can overhear him on his personal cell phone asking his supervisor what to do??? AND, she was constantly yelling "I know people!" There are many witness statements as to how the officer treated her and what really went down. I understand that they will be released tuesday by CPD and when it all comes to light, I hope that the same people that are so quick to berate someone that puts their life on the line daily, will also apologize just as fast when the truth comes out.
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Posted by ( hassle64 ) on January 21, 2008 at 3:02 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
This should have NEVER happened. It should have been worked out right there at Mickey D's. No matter what you say, that officer was wrong for what he did!!! So what if she was yelling he was honking his horn and waving his arms at her!!! What the hell! I would have stayed in the car and asked for back up. I do NOT TRUST the police, some of them have let the power go to there heads. They seem to think that they are above the law!!1
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Posted by ( hassle64 ) on January 21, 2008 at 3:08 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
P.S. I have needed the police before and they got there after the danger, so where were they?? Sitting at a McDonald's arresting an old lady because she wouldn't move her car!!!!
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Posted by ( jc40 ) on January 21, 2008 at 5:01 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Then why did the mayor apologize to the lady for the unprofessional actions of the officer?I`m sure she was nasty and belligerent with her mouth and could have moved up some,but the reports from witnesses state that the officer initially started to blow his horn and wave his arms trying to get her to move.Just like someone the police would charge with road rage if it was at a traffic light.Both parties were at fault and being an officer doesn`t make you above the law.How about a little common sense and mutual respect.
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Posted by ( compmend ) on January 21, 2008 at 7:45 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I grew up in a heavy crime area, and the cops never did anything to help, their excuse was always, that if they didn't see it, they couldn't do anything about it.Cops from my experience are patronizing, obnoxious, power hungry individuals, and grossly incompetent,who are a large part of the problem with society not the solution, I have seen cops arrest people many times who where completely innocent and the explanation for that is usually that they are not a judge, so they arrest everyone and let a judge sort out the guilty from the innocent.
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Posted by ( MamaMagic ) on January 22, 2008 at 12:36 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Yankeejib: Interesting comment.
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