Story Archive

Bacon Taken

“This is law and order in action,” said a University of California, Berkeley, police officer. He made the comment as he removed money from another man’s wallet. His justification: the man was an unlicensed seller of bacon hot dogs outside a university event. The officer had grabbed his victim’s wallet when the vendor took too long to retrieve his I.D.; the cop pulled out the I.D. — and the man’s money. “That’s not right,” said Berkeley graduate Martin Flores, who captured the scene on video and launched an online fundraiser for the vendor. The video went viral, and he raised more than $85,000 for the man. Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor Scott Biddy said it was normal to take money as “evidence.” (AC/Los Angeles Times) ...It’s evidence that when honest business is illegal, “law and order” can look like robbery.