Police Dispatch
By Saxon BurnsUA AREA, AUG. 17, 1:34 P.M.
According to a University of Arizona Police Department report, a UA football player who had parked in a fire lane--impeding paramedics who were responding to an emergency call--thought he should be exempt from state law, because he's a student athlete.
Defensive back Michael M. Turner, 18, allegedly parked his black sport-utility vehicle in a fire lane with its hazard blinkers on, and left.
Tucson Fire Department paramedics were unable to use the fire lane after receiving a call for a medical emergency in a nearby building, delaying their response time, because equipment had to be carried in on foot. Paramedics phoned police to get the vehicle towed.
Turner returned to his SUV about 15 minutes later and got inside. A representative from UA Parking and Transportation Services told Turner he was going to get a citation, and his vehicle would possibly be towed.
The report said there were three previously dated parking citations on the SUV's windshield; Turned admitted he placed them there so it would appear his vehicle had already been ticketed, and authorities would leave it be.
An officer told Turner he was parked in a prohibited area and hindered emergency access to nearby buildings. In response, Turner reportedly said, "Ya, I'm a football player."
An officer noted in the report that "Turner had a negative attitude toward the fact that he was aware he parked illegally and demonstrated that he did not care that he could have delayed response time had there been an even bigger emergency." Furthermore, the report stated that "Turner seemed to have the attitude/belief that he could park his vehicle there and leave it unattended because he was a football player."
Authorities issued Turner a civil citation for parking in a prohibited area. The football player reportedly apologized for "having an attitude" and said he didn't mean to disrespect officers for doing their job.
RIGHT IN THE KISSER
RIVER ROAD AND STONE AVENUE, AUG. 12, 6:32 P.M.
A man said a female neighbor shot him with a paintball gun when he told her he didn't have the $7 he owed her, a Pima County Sheriff's Department report said.
The man told authorities he went over to the woman's house to tell her about the money after she called him on the telephone. He accused her of shooting him above the lip and then in the back after he told her he didn't have it.
The woman and at least two other witnesses had differing stories about the sequence of events.
After hearing them all out, a deputy found there was probable cause to charge the woman with assault. However, the deputy was unable to reach her at the time of the report.
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