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peter watts
Dec. 11th, 2009 02:10 pmSpreading the word from a link via ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
seachanges: Dr Peter Watts, Canadian Sci-Fi Author, Beaten and Arrested and US/Canadian Border. He's been released on bail, now, but will be called back to court in Michigan, and has been charged with felony assault of an officer.
So far, I'm not seeing any mainstream media picking up on this. I'm sure we'll get more details as they come out. Personally, I'm not familiar with this gentleman, but if his statements regarding what happened are true, this is a horribly appalling situation.
Further comments over on Making Light. It is deeply strange that someone would be searched leaving the US (in my experience, they don't give a damn if you're going elsewhere...). I don't know what the hell to make of this - I'm hesitant to give an automatic "he couldn't possibly have done anything," given that I don't know the guy and that it's easy to get freaked out and riled by those kinds of situations, and escalation quickly follows. But in whatever case, the whole thing is extremely disturbing, and I feel very badly for Watts.
A Pay-Pal donation system has been set up to help out with legal fees for the case - see the first link in this entry if you'd like to help.
seachanges: Dr Peter Watts, Canadian Sci-Fi Author, Beaten and Arrested and US/Canadian Border. He's been released on bail, now, but will be called back to court in Michigan, and has been charged with felony assault of an officer.So far, I'm not seeing any mainstream media picking up on this. I'm sure we'll get more details as they come out. Personally, I'm not familiar with this gentleman, but if his statements regarding what happened are true, this is a horribly appalling situation.
Further comments over on Making Light. It is deeply strange that someone would be searched leaving the US (in my experience, they don't give a damn if you're going elsewhere...). I don't know what the hell to make of this - I'm hesitant to give an automatic "he couldn't possibly have done anything," given that I don't know the guy and that it's easy to get freaked out and riled by those kinds of situations, and escalation quickly follows. But in whatever case, the whole thing is extremely disturbing, and I feel very badly for Watts.
A Pay-Pal donation system has been set up to help out with legal fees for the case - see the first link in this entry if you'd like to help.
