The "twinkie defense" - to be recycled?

Those who say there's nothing new under the sun are correct. Can anything and everything can be repurposed, recycled and re-used? Good news for the environment, bad news in other quarters.

DAMMIT JANET! suspects that Deputy Marshall "Pepper" Abbott may have to find a novel way to defend his over-reaction two weeks ago when he arrived at a house in an upscale suburb in response to a noise complaint, and ended up calling for back-up, with the result that a contigent of his colleagues, including a canine unit, a helicopter and a firetruck had to rescue him from a "Code Lavender".

The incident is under investigation by the local district attorney's office since it appears that Deputy "Pepper" may have over-reacted to a perceived threat from a group of middle-aged Encinitas lesbians gathered at a backyard fundraiser for Democrat candidate hopeful Francine Busby.

According to a police document leaked to the media,

Busby has said that the event was not loud, but was a standard fundraising house party, at which she briefly spoke through a microphone and had finished up her remarks at some time around 8:30 p.m.

The Sheriff's deputy arrived about 45 minutes after that, and things got ugly. By the time it was over, multiple people had been pepper-sprayed, one of the hostesses and a guest were arrested, and a full Sheriff's Department backup had come in, including even dogs and a helicopter -- to deal with a crowd of middle-aged Democratic donors.

The police report says that Deputy Marshall G. Abbott used his pepper spray because he felt threatened by guests who were surrounding him. It also says that he ended up with "several scratches and minor swelling on both of his arms."

Busby and others who attended the event believe that the caller is probably the same person as an unidentified heckler who shouted obscenities and anti-gay slurs at the assembled crowd.

"Several scratches and minor swelling on both his arms" ... Abbott must be suffering from an ailment known only to imaginative lawyers, likely a combination of homosexual panic and a physical allergy to lesbians. Throw in a twinkie defense, and he's all set.

Everything old can be new again.

Deputy Sheriff Pepper Sprays "Threatening" Lesbians.

A San Diego deputy sheriff's actions are under investigation after he allegedly assaulted and injured two Encinitas resident and pepper-sprayed guests at a backyard fundraiser.

The investigation into the disruption of a Francine Busby political fundraiser, which resulted in the arrests of two of her supporters at a house in Encinitas, has been turned over to the District Attorney's Office. ... Those who attended said a heckler shouted obscenities and derogatory comments from behind bushes during a brief talk by Busby. No one seems to know who the heckler was or whether it was the same person who made the noise complaint. ...

About 9:30 p.m., sheriff's deputy Marshall G. Abbott arrived in response to the noise complaint. Abbott walked into the house and asked Barman, the host, for her date of birth for his report, according to statements by witnesses and Sheriff's Department officials.

In a statement, Barman said she questioned Abbott about why he needed her date of birth, and Abbott twisted her arm behind her back and dropped her to the ground. Barman said her partner, Jane Stratton, 55, also was knocked down by Abbott when she told him to be careful because Barman had recently undergone shoulder surgery.

Abbott used pepper spray because he felt threatened when guests at the party surrounded him and tried to free Barman, a Sheriff's Department spokesman said. Barman, Busby and others at the party described Abbott as being “out of control” and said that he indiscriminately used pepper spray on people trying to talk to him.

The event ended in chaos. ... A sergeant, six deputies including a canine unit, a helicopter and a firetruck responded to Abbott's call for backup.

Perhaps Abbott was feeling a little anxious because he believes everything Pat Robertson says about lesbians?

More information here. Should we thank gawd that Abbott was not armed with a Taser?