Photo: WXYZ Detroit
One of the most iconic tracks on N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton” album is the anti-police anthem “F*** tha Police.” It caused serious controversies when it came out in 1988, and as it turns out, it still has the potential to get police officers hot under the collar.
That’s the story one man and his attorney are sticky by. James Webb was ticketed at a Pontiac gas station for playing the anti-police song while a cop was doing a nearby traffic stop, and he’s making headlines for claiming that he wasn’t ticketed for a noise violation but because he was playing a song the cop didn’t like.
Webb says he went to the gas station on business and was just coming out of the store when the cop approached him, MLive reports. He tells other media outlets that he knew perfectly well what he was doing (i.e. that his choice of song would infuriate the police officer), but even so, he “meant no disrespect.” It was a “form of protest,” he says, failing to mention what he was protesting against.
The way he sees it, it was his right to play whatever music he wanted and being ticketed for it amounts to a violation of his freedom of speech. Webb’s attorney, Nick Somberg, who’s representing him pro bono after he found out about the case by being tagged on Facebook, insists this is a clear case of discrimination. Webb is driving a 2004 Toyota Corolla and the stock stereo on it couldn’t be loud enough to warrant a ticket.
“As a form of protest, he pulled up playing 'F*** tha Police,' and the officer, not liking the content of his protest, wrote him a misdemeanor ticket,” Somberg explains. “It's not just a ticket; it's punishable by jail time.”
Somberg is willing to let this go to a trial in front of a grand jury, to see that Webb gets justice done. His and Webb’s story seems to be backed up by Dejuante Franklin, the driver who the cop had pulled over when Webb pulled in at the gas station.
“The cop was talking to me, handing me my ticket, and was like 'is he playing that for me?' I was like 'I don't know him, you ask him that question.' He was like 'I'm sick of this ... I'm going over there now'," Franklin explains.
Webb says he went to the gas station on business and was just coming out of the store when the cop approached him, MLive reports. He tells other media outlets that he knew perfectly well what he was doing (i.e. that his choice of song would infuriate the police officer), but even so, he “meant no disrespect.” It was a “form of protest,” he says, failing to mention what he was protesting against.
The way he sees it, it was his right to play whatever music he wanted and being ticketed for it amounts to a violation of his freedom of speech. Webb’s attorney, Nick Somberg, who’s representing him pro bono after he found out about the case by being tagged on Facebook, insists this is a clear case of discrimination. Webb is driving a 2004 Toyota Corolla and the stock stereo on it couldn’t be loud enough to warrant a ticket.
“As a form of protest, he pulled up playing 'F*** tha Police,' and the officer, not liking the content of his protest, wrote him a misdemeanor ticket,” Somberg explains. “It's not just a ticket; it's punishable by jail time.”
Somberg is willing to let this go to a trial in front of a grand jury, to see that Webb gets justice done. His and Webb’s story seems to be backed up by Dejuante Franklin, the driver who the cop had pulled over when Webb pulled in at the gas station.
“The cop was talking to me, handing me my ticket, and was like 'is he playing that for me?' I was like 'I don't know him, you ask him that question.' He was like 'I'm sick of this ... I'm going over there now'," Franklin explains.
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