Fri Nov 12, 2021: 2 men detained after vulgar banner shown during Va. Veterans Day ceremony
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2 men detained after vulgar banner shown during Va. Veterans Day ceremony
Joshua Barlow | jbarlow@wtop.com
November 12, 2021, 1:59 AM
Described as a “disagreement” over free speech by Virginia Capitol Police, two men were detained Thursday after a banner containing vulgar language was displayed during a Veterans Day ceremony in Richmond. ... The run-in began shortly after 11 a.m. when Ronald Hedlund, 60, of Glen Allen, drove his pickup truck over a sidewalk into a tow-away zone on Second Street near the base of the Virginia War Memorial’s amphitheater. ... There, he displayed a “vulgar” banner with language directed at President Joe Biden in clear view of ceremony attendees, Virginia Capitol Police said in a statement.
Police approached Hedlund and asked him to move. After he refused, officers chose to stay with him until the ceremony had ended to avoid further distractions during the ceremony. ... At the same time, Carl Grunow, a 58-year-old veteran from Chesterfield, Va., saw the banner and left the amphitheater during the ceremony. According to police, Grunow climbed into the bed of Hedlund’s truck, removed his suit jacket, and attempted to cover the banner with it. ... Police say there was no physical contact between Grunow and Hedlund.
After multiple attempts to coax Grunow from the truck, officers removed him from the vehicle, issued a summons for disorderly conduct, and escorted him to his car. ... Hedlund was ticketed for parking in a tow-away zone and allowed to leave.
“We are very sensitive to a person’s right to freely speak their mind, but when they will not work with our attempts to de-escalate matters, we are left with little choice.” Col. Anthony S. Pike, the agency’s chief, said. ... Pike also said Capitol Police might consult with the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office on whether additional charges should be filed against Hedlund.
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NEWS | LOCAL NEWS
Virginia veteran charged after covering 'F*** Biden' sign at Veterans Day ceremony
By: Scott Wise
Posted at 3:14 PM, Nov 11, 2021 and last updated 4:17 PM, Nov 12, 2021
RICHMOND, Va. -- Two men were detained by Virginia Capitol Police outside Thursday's Veterans Day ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond.
A 60-year-old Glen Allen man parked his pickup truck in an area of 2nd Street, near the memorial, that was blocked off as a special parking zone, according to a Capitol Police spokesperson. ... A sign in the bed of his truck displayed the uncensored phrase "F*** Biden."
"[He] drove onto a sidewalk, around the barricades, and back onto 2nd into the prohibited area," a Capitol Police spokesperson wrote in an email. "After he parked on 2nd in a spot that made his truck highly visible to the Veterans Day ceremony crowd, Capitol Police officers approached him and asked him to move." ... The truck driver, according to police, refused to move and questioned the officers' authority.
"Because the ceremony was already underway and Capitol Police did not want to cause further distractions, officers decided to remain with [him] at his truck until the ceremony ended before taking additional actions," the spokesperson's email continued.
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