Dr. Peter Watts, Canadian SF writer, beaten and arrested at Canadian border
The story has shown up in a number of places, including Boing Boing, Whatever, and Making Light. Hugo-nominated Canadian author Dr. Peter Watts was beaten, pepper-sprayed, and arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol while crossing the Michigan border back into Canada.
In Dr. Watts’s post on his own blog, he states that his car was singled out for a search, and he got out of the car to ask the reason. He was first told to get back in his car, then was beaten up, pepper-sprayed, and arrested.
Held overnight without access to legal representation, he was then released without his possessions (or a jacket) in the middle of the night. He is subsequently facing charges for assaulting a federal officer, which could result in up to two years in prison.
Dr. Watts’s friends are organizing a legal defense fund. Donations can be sent via the PayPal link on the backlist page of his website (where his backlist can also be downloaded for free in multiple e-book formats under a Creative Commons license).
December 12th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
He is one of my favorite writers. I just sent a contribution to his defense fund.
December 12th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
Thanks for reporting this story, Paul. Is there a video tape that can prove that Peter Watts is innocent?
What possibly happened is a similar scenario to the Boston-area Gates case earlier this year. We can surmise that Watts did not respond with instantaneous obedience (along with a humble attitude) to the official’s demand, and then the customs officials could not think of any other (and more humane) way to respond than to treat this man as a dangerous criminal.
Potentially, both sides have a lot to lose in this case: Watts could spend 2 years in jail; or, if things go the other way, border patrol employees (and supervisors) could be fired and the Customs Department get sued, and suffer the humiliation and consequences of bad publicity.
If truth and justice are too optimistic to hope for, then maybe both sides can agree to call this “a tie”, and just go home and forget about it.
Good luck, Peter. We will be watching for news on the trial date, December 22.
Michael Pastore
50 Benefits of Ebooks
December 13th, 2009 at 3:04 am
I’m the one who reported the story, actually. Chris. Not Paul. Says so right up there in the by-line.
Reportedly there is tape, and I seem to recall hearing there were other witnesses as well.
It’s a little more complicated than “instantaneous obedience.” Possibly some culture shock is involved. Canadians are trained to get out of the car when stopped by police, but American cops tend to regard anything other than sitting quietly with both hands visible as possible aggression. Doesn’t render the border patrol’s behavior any more excusable, but does shed light on how the clusterf–k could have started small and snowballed.
(And for crying out loud, you’d think that border patrol agents would be trained on cultural differences like that.)
December 13th, 2009 at 9:08 am
Chris, thank you for reporting that story! … Time for my annual eye-sight exam!
Good point about culture shock. And another aspect of culture shock: Canadians are not accustomed to the rough ways of many (but of course, not all!) American officials.
Once, In Brussels, on a bicycle, outside their equivalent of Central Park, I was stopped by a police officer and asked for my passport. After he read that I was American, he asked me to wait. He returned in ten minutes, apologized for stopping me, and then handed me a large (grocery-sized) bag of Belgian food, that had been made by his mother. … That just doesn’t happen to a foreigner in the USA.
I would guess that Peter Watts, despite his extaordinary imagination, never envisioned that he would be treated that way, for standing his ground and for asking a simple question.
Michael Pastore
50 Benefits of Ebooks
December 14th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
There are obviously issues with the way the Border Patrol sometimes forgets to use common sense while on duty. Sadly, I believe it is true that they have more authority than the average cop to rifle through anyone’s belongings on a whim.
December 18th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Sam Wright all USA officials have to obey the laws, just as much as any other. There is no special extension. However they need no reason to search any vehicle as far as I am aware. Anyone leaving or entering the country is required to a random screening, it’s as simple as that. The way they did it or went about it is totalitarian and inexcusable. To many people get into these kinds of jobs for the power and abuse it. They must be fired, nothing less is acceptable. Who knows how often that might of happened if it wasn’t someone with a little celebrity.
January 8th, 2010 at 7:22 pm
In December of 2009, Watts was detained at the US/Canadian border by American border guards performing a random search of the vehicle as he was attempting to re-enter Canada after visiting friends. Watts is alleged to have assaulted a Customs Officer after refusing a direction to return to his vehicle. Watts was reported to have been verbally abusive towards the US CBP Officers prior to choking one of the Officers. Watts was turned over to local authorities to face charges; he was subsequently released, but remains charged with assaulting an officer. According to Watts he was assaulted, punched in the face, pepper-sprayed and thrown in jail for the night.
Watts’ report on the incident, published in his blog, has gone viral on the internet and the matter has since become somewhat controversial. The one thing clearly agreed upon by both Watts and the border guards is that Watts got out of the car and refused to return to it when told to. The one thing known at this time is that the matter has been turned over to the courts.
Do all Canadians feel that they are not subject to US laws when standing on US soil? Would they allow US citizens to ignore Canadian Laws when in Canada?
January 8th, 2010 at 7:50 pm
Well, Arv, it’s not clear that he broke a law by refusing to return to his car.
Also, in Canada, you’re supposed to get out of your car when you’re stopped by the police, as opposed to the US where you’re supposed to stay in it.
March 19th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
On Dr Watts’s own blog he reports on the trial and outcome.
http://www.rifters.com/crawl/?p=1186
Note that he was not convicted of violence towards a border official. Indeed, it’s admitted that he was struck in the face by the border guard.
What he’s been convicted of it not immediately lying down on the ground when ordered to by the border guards just after being hit in the face.
“After Beaudry had finished whaling on me in the car, and stepped outside, and ordered me out of the vehicle; after I’d complied with that, and was standing motionless beside the car, and Beaudry told me to get on the ground — I just stood there, saying “What is the problem?”, just before Beaudry maced me.
And that, said the Prosecutor in her final remarks — that, right there, was failure to comply. That was enough to convict.”
In short, if you don’t immediately comply with any lawful command by a border guard, you’re guilty of a felony.