Tampa man arrested for desecrating American flag

TAMPA -- Police arrested a man on Monday they accused of desecrating the American flag.

Donnie James White, 45, of Tampa, was arrested in the 3600 block of W Hillsborough Ave. just after 11 a.m. He was charged with one count of public mutilation of the flag, a misdemeanor.

Police spokeswoman Andrea Davis said officers patrolling Hillsborough Avenue saw White dragging a flag from his bicycle for about a week, but they didn't make an arrest until Monday, when employees of a nearby business called 911 because White was "disturbing their peace."

"He was rubbing the flag between his legs and stomping on it," Davis said. "They asked him to leave, he wasn't willing , so they arrested him on that charge."

"He broke the law. He was arrested on a very valid charge,'' Davis said.

-- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Comments

[Tubby]

Maybe an art project?

[S]

God blesss this nation! I hope we can round up all of those that feel this nation is so bad and send them happily on their way over the imaginary border fence we have...

[Lori]

Frankly, I'd send the guy for a psych eval, and start enforcing the law when it comes to Real Estate agents and other business owners attaching their business cards to flags and placing them on thoroughfares around the City. Or car dealerships who display them on cars as a way of drumming up business - a gross violation of federal flag laws. Or what about the car owners who drive around with tattered flags barely hanging onto their cars? Those flags eventually fly off and end up in a filthy gutter somewhere to become landfill fodder. How about busting those guys?

[JIm]

A fine Tampa resident. Look him up prior to the crimes he's about to commit.

[Is]

No duh!! what a moron!

SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWW day for news, eh?

reminds me of many years ago when one of "tampa's" finest" busted a kid for having an environmental flag on his car. i mean, it was green and white and in the union was a peace sign.

a REAL THREAT to the nation, wasnt it?

but since he is black, lets call him a lot of names, too!!

[Bonnie]

Why can't the cops be looking for sex
offenders or crack dealers? It is a piece of cloth for God's sake. Get a grip! I hate when people say "men are over seas fighting for that flag." If my child ever went and put his life on the line for a piece of cloth, I would be one wet off mother. Fight for your country and its principles, but not a piece of cloth.

[mike]

It's funny, I can point to a post where someone calls the President a monkey, but I've apparently had my posts deleted for referring to a crackhead rubbing the flag on his crotch on a downtown street, as a monkey. Gotta love the SPT political correctness police!!

[Mary]

Comment to Bonnie: You moron - our soldiers do not fight for a piece of cloth but what the cloth (the American flag) represents - this country

[Bonnie]

Mary, not every one who disagrees with you is a moron. The flag has been taken over by the Republicans who use it to
scare people. You are obviously proof that it works. This country is not symbolic of a flag aka piece of cloth. It is symbolic of hard working, dedicated people who live on the farms of Ohio and plow the wheatfields of Kansas or grow produce in California or
work the steel mills of Pittsburgh.
It is you and I being able to disagree.
It is pride in helping each other and the ability to buy a new house and the resolve to own your own business. Those things have nothing to do with a flag. Are you serious? Do you really believe that if that man wears an American flag as a diaper, this country will be threatened or its beliefs sacrificed? Shame on you! It would take a lot more than someone ripping up my flag to shake my sense of believe in the United State of America!

[Patrick]

The guy is obviously disturbed and not making a political statement. Has the crime in Tampa dissipated so quickly that the cops have nothing better to do?

[Simon]

Mary, technically displaying the flag on anything but a flag is considered desecration. Bumper stickers, t-shirts, hats, or anything else with the flag is in violation.

[Mellie]

I agree with Mary: the flag is a symbol of your freedom and what it cost to gain that freedom, NOT the other way around, Bonnie.

Mr. White already has spent more time in jail than Scooter Libby. That's a crime in inself.

Symbols are meaningless without context. A flag is a piece of cloth.

The police in this case used what "tools" they had available to get a person in need of clinical evaluation off the street.

[Eric]

I think anyone doing this to the flag should be arrested. If you don't like this country... LEAVE

[Rob]

Hey Bonnie, people "live on the farms of Ohio and plow the wheatfields of Kansas"? That's a helluva commute to work everyday, don't you think?

[Eugene]

Mr. White was out to insult as many Americans as he could in one shot. He was fully aware of what that flag represented. That's why he chose it. For those that don't think it was a big deal, How about if it was a picture of your mother? Still no big deal? How would you feel about others that didn't join you in your outrage over him rubbing her picture over his private areas? After all both are just symbolic actions, Right? If nothing else everyone should honor our flag for all those that fought and died under it so that future generations could live in freedom. Also no political party Republican or Democrat could ever change the true meaning of our flag and what it represents, except to those that never understood it's true meaning in the first place. It is the one single symbol all Americans should rally under reguardless of personal politics. And finally for you 1st amendment people This act had about as much to do with free speech as yelling FIRE! in a crowed theatre.

[Bill]

I have no problem with what this person did. I think arresting him is unconstitutional. I also happen to think "hate speech" should be protected. Visuals aren't going to hurt you. Pound your chest, point to your american flag pin, you'll feel better, but arresting this man is to forsake the freedom that made this a great nation.

Florida is pretty pathetic. There are a lot of weak people here, that take to religion and phony nationalism. It's obvious the greater economic changes are leaving the mass of poorly educated natives in the dust, and they cling to symbols. I guess it gives their empty lives meaning. Florida is not going to remain part of the ignorant south for long, and that's why so many are heading for Tennessee and Georgia. It ain't the university educated that are leaving.

I'm a big enough man to let words and visual expressions pass. It's what expected from real Americans.

[Bonnie]

Bill, hurray for you! It is only insecure people who have to wag a flag
to feel patriotic. We should kick someone out of the country if they don't like the flag? Now isn't that ridiculous? This state is so redneck I can't stand it. Think of what you are saying. This country was built on the backs of immigrants, but how quickly you all forget that. You have no right being here yourselves unless you are a pure bred
American Indian. Did the Indians fly some big flag around and swear to God by it and DIE for it? NO. If you want to get technical, you right wing religious zelots, if you worship the flag, you are sinning by worshiping an idol. Go check your commandments.

[Bill]

I think displaying a rebel flag is about as offensive as burning a US Flag. The rebel flag stands for a group who fought against this country. I'm sure those who fought for the slaveholders would have burned US Flags.

With that said, I still support the rights of ignorant rednecks everywhere to display their symbol of hatred.

[Jesus]

Its funny you American "loyalists" who think burning the flag is a crime. What if the man was babbling nonsense,looked confused, and had nothing in his hands? You "loyal" Americans would drive by and laugh. You wouldn't ask him if he was alright, you don't even think to help. You just drive by and thank god it isn't you in those conditions. Being an American is helping your neighbors in time of need. This man needs help. Who cares about a piece of cloth.
We should have laws that protect a piece of cloth? What about laws that protect our children? Why don't we take this energy we have because of this piece of cloth and call our congressman/senators and pressure them to pass laws that keep these sick pedophiles off the street instead of next door.
Freedom is kids playing outside without worrying about sickos taking them. Freedom isn't a piece of cloth waving in the air. Sure, it has deep, deep, meaning but lets not get carried away with it and lose sight of more important, pressing issues.

[Al]

Florida also has a law on the books to protect the racist Confederate flag.

[Al]

They should have arrested the person(s)who called 911 to report this EMERGENCY!

[Al]

TAMPA - Donnie James White, arrested this week for the public mutilation of a flag, was released from a Hillsborough jail on Thursday after prosecutors called the law unconstitutional.