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The Bird on Mayor Phil and why the Fonz can't tell the world, "F*ck the police" From the beak of The Bird to the ear of Stephen Lemons Published on April 24, 2008 SNIP FONZ FLOP It ain't every day that you hear a Justice of the Peace say, "F*ck the police." But JP C. Steven McMurry did, indeed, drop the F-bomb recently. This while ordering Fronzo West, a.k.a. "The Fonz," out of his court. "I am not having that 'F*ck the Police' [shirt] in the court!" screeched McMurry. Afterwards, McMurry was a little calmer. "Excuse me, but that was what was on his shirt," a somewhat chagrined Judge McMurry told this tweeter later of the Fonz's attire. "I misspoke. I wasn't expecting it." See, The Fonz is the head of a one-man org called "Stop Police Brutality — F*ck the Police," and he's known for wearing colorful attire of his own devising, every inch scrawled over with such timely questions as "How do you call the cops on the cops?" And phrases such as the ever-popular "f*ck the police," or in Spanish, "Ch*ng* la Policia." Fonz used to drive around in a F*ck the Police van, but since the van's been out of commission, he roller-skates everywhere, documenting the activities of the po-po, as well as sundry public events. Though the phrase "f*ck the police" is protected speech under the First Amendment, cops always find a reason to arrest Fonz, often on some really pathetic charge, like "failure to obey." Fonz, 64, figures he's been collared more than 100 times. A peaceful, soft-spoken fella, he's never aggressive but neither does he comply with cop commands. In fact, he refuses to speak with them at all! As soon as they approach him about his videotaping a traffic stop, he clams up. And if they lay hands on him, he pulls a Mahatma Gandhi (or should The Bird say Manu Ginobili) move and falls to the ground without being touched. Cops call it the "Fonz Flop." It was during Barack Obama's visit to the Valley on January 30 at Phoenix's Veterans Memorial Coliseum that, according to a Department of Public Safety incident report, Obama staffer Peter Cage complained about Fonz, who was subsequently carried out of the coliseum headfirst by a squad of burly DPS dudes. Fonz was charged with second-degree criminal trespass, and that's why he was in Judge McMurry's court the day he was thrown out. To be fair, Fonz had been warned previously by another judge not to come to court in his unique urban ensemble. But, as he says, "I'm always in uniform." So now the Navy vet faces a warrant issued by Judge McMurry for failure to appear, as well as the Obama charge. (McMurry says if the Fonz is wearing his F*ck the Police attire, then McMurry does not recognize Fonz as present and ready for trial.) Full disclosure: New Times attorney Steve Suskin represents the Fonz pro bono at all his court appearances. Be that as it may, Fronzo West did nothing wrong at the Obama rally, 'cept show up in his eff-you-copper duds. That is, The Bird watched Fonz's video footage from the Obama event. Other folks present were videotaping the happenings. So why was Fonz picked on? DPS says Fonz was intoxicated, but the Fonz rarely drinks, and DPS has no proof. No blood-alcohol test was administered. The fuzz and Obama flunkies may not like what Fonz is wearing, but Fonz is a law-abiding citizen who has served his country in the military. The Bird's saying: Lay off! Fonz is a true American original, and if the authorities don't like it, they should take the advice offered, free of charge, on Fonz's clothing. |
