A 43-year-old homeless man was arrested on Sunday, Oct. 6 after running out in front of traffic near the Third Street Promenade to dance.
An officer of the Santa Monica Police Department saw a man cross the intersection of Third Street and Arizona Avenue against a red traffic signal just after 5:30 pm.
The man had paused in the middle of the street so that he could perform a dance in front of a vehicle. The vehicle had been required to make a sudden stop in order to avoid hitting this man, and possibly making it the man’s last waltz.
The officer spoke with the man about the traffic violation and the man told the officer that he (the officer) was not allowed to stop him for doing that. The officer had a contrary opinion (supported by law) and asked the man to sit on the sidewalk.
This man refused and said, “Make me sit on the sidewalk.”
The man then walked away, and additional officers were called to the location.
Then the officer attempted to grab hold of this man but the man pulled away.
When the additional officers arrived at the scene this man was controlled. This man was arrested and charged with the traffic violation as well as obstructing the police.
His bail was set at $10,000.
Editor’s Note: These reports are part of a regular police coverage series entitled “Alert Police Blotter” (APB), which injects some minor editorial into certain police activities in Santa Monica. Not all of the Mirror’s coverage of incidents involving police are portrayed in this manner. More serious crimes and police-related activities are regularly reported without editorial in the pages of the Santa Monica Mirror and its website, smmirror.com.
