UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
William Thomas,
Plaintiff, pro se,
v. C.A. No.________________
Judge __________________
The United States, et. al.
Defendants.
Declaration of Concepcion Picciotto
Re: November 4, 1996
I, Concepcion Picciotto, declare under penalty of perjury that the following
is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and recollection.
On November 4, 1996, I left my signs for a few minutes and Thomas was
attending them.
On my return I noticed Thomas facing a TV camera talking into a microphone
held by a woman. As I got closer Thomas was walking away from the camera and
the news people were leaving, and Thomas sat down between our signs. A couple of
police officers approached and told Thomas to take his stuff and get out of the
Park.
I said, "Oh, no, Mr. Thomas works with me. He has been here since
1981." The officer said that they were my signs and not Thomas' .
I told him to look on the sign and he would see that Thomas' name was
written on it.
He insisted that Thomas get out of the Park.
Thomas didn't say a word, but just read a newspaper.
One of the officers was talking on his walkie-talkie, something about
preparing for an arrest.
I knew that Thomas had things he was planning to do, and asked him to leave
the Park so he wouldn't get arrested.
Thomas said he wasn't doing anything wrong, and they had no reason to arrest
him.
I kept encouraging him to leave, and after a few minutes, he got on his
bicycle and rode away.
With a sarcastic smile the police officer said, "He had to leave. He
had to leave."
"He only had some business to attend to." I said.
Mr. Thomas returned and was speaking to Frank. The police officer rushed
toward Thomas, and knocked the cup of chocolate out of his hand.
Thomas was handcuffed, and driven away in a Park Police cruiser.
Concepcion Picciotto
November 5, 1996
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