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EDUCATION AND
CULTURE WARS
San Diego Sheriff invades Democratic
fundraiser and arrests host
LA Times
July 1, 2009

Shari Barman, 60, of Encinitas was
arrested on suspicion of assaulting an
officer, and Pam Morgan, 62, of
Rancho Santa Fe was cited for
obstructing an officer.

But Dist. Atty. Bonnie Dumanis said
her office will review the incident,
possibly interviewing witnesses,
before deciding whether to pursue
charges against the two.

The deputy's use of pepper spray is
the subject of an internal affairs
investigation ordered by Undersheriff
Bill Gore and Sheriff Bill Kolender.

The incident occurred Friday night at a
fundraiser at Barman's home in the
upscale Cardiff neighborhood of
Encinitas for Democratic
congressional hopeful Francine Busby.
Busby met with Gore to complain that
the deputy overreacted and used the
pepper spray on people who posed no
threat to him.

"An independent decision on whether
or not to file criminal charges will be
based on the evidence and the law,"
Dumanis said in a statement...




Fundraiser host says arrest may be
political dirty trick
FOX 5 San Diego Staff
June 29, 2009

ENCINITAS, Calif. - The woman
arrested for alleged battery on a
sheriff's deputy and resisting an
officer at a fundraiser for Democratic
congressional candidate Francine
Busby in Cardiff-By-The-Sea said
Monday the incident might be
politically motivated, provoked by a
heckler who was outside the home.

Shari Barman, 60, said Deputy
Marshall Abbott's "unprofessional
behavior'' was also at fault for the
"shocking'' incident Friday night on
Rubinstein Avenue.

The deputy, acting on a noise
complaint, arrested Barman for
allegedly hitting him when he
responded to the house. Barman, who
is well known in local tennis circles and
is the partner of Acura Classic
co-founder Jane Stratton, was booked
into the Vista Detention Facility and
released Saturday morning.

In a statement e-mailed to reporters,
Barman denied hitting the deputy,
who has been with the department for
two years.

The event in the home she shares with
Stratton was to raise funds for Busby,
who has twice unsuccessfully run for
the congressional seat held by Brian
Bilbray, R-Carlsbad, and plans to try
again next year.

Barman said approximately 50 people
attended the event, which included a
speech by Busby, and it was breaking
up when Abbott arrived.

Barman said she gave the deputy her
name but refused his request for her
date of birth. He then grabbed her
arm and threw her to the ground, she
said.

Stratton told Abbott to be careful with
Barman because she had recently had
shoulder surgery, but he threw
Stratton to the ground, Barman said.

While Busby was speaking earlier, a
neighbor male heckler shouted at her,
so the initial noise complaint might be
politically motivated, Barman said.

According to The San Diego
Union-Tribune, Busby plans to meet
with sheriff's officials Monday to
determine who made the noise
complaint.

Sgt. Thomas Yancey told the
newspaper a man called around 9:30
p.m. to say someone was talking on a
loudspeaker, and the crowd was
yelling and cheering, keeping him
awake.

Barman said Busby used a
loudspeaker, but her talk was over
long before the complaint was made.

A woman who attended the event and
lives in the neighborhood said the only
noise from the gathering came from
the heckler. She agreed with
Barman's assessment that the
incident was politically motivated.

"We had two louder parties last
weekend in the neighborhood,'' said
the woman, who asked that her name
not be included in this story.

She said she left before the deputy
arrived and was shocked to find eight
to 10 patrol cars and a helicopter
outside.

"It was an extreme over-reaction to
what was going on,'' she said.

Yancey told the newspaper that a
crowd surrounded Abbott and a
female member of the psychiatric
emergency response team who was
with the deputy, and someone kicked
the ride-along.

Barman has a notice to appear in
court by Aug. 11 to answer to two
misdemeanor counts.
Statement from Shari Barman-Statton
June 29, 2009

As the Cardiff homeowner involved in the
incident on June 26, I want to issue the
following statement in an attempt to
address much of the misinformation which
has been reported.

On June 26, we hosted a fundraising event
for Congressional candidate Francine
Busby. The event was scheduled from 7pm
to 9pm and was an opportunity for those
interested to meet Ms. Busby.
Approximately 50 people attended. At
around 8:15pm, on our back patio, Ms.
Busby made a brief speech to those in
attendance with the use of a PA system.
During her remarks, a male heckler from
another property behind our home started
shouting disparaging remarks about Busby
as well as gays. Ms. Busby finished her
remarks at around 8:45pm and the event
continued. Shortly thereafter, most people
started leaving. Other than quiet
background music there was no other
entertainment.

At approximately 9:35pm, as the event was
winding down, with the remaining guests
just standing around engaged in
conversation, a Sheriff's deputy named
Marshall Abbott walked into our home
unannounced and asked for the
homeowner, at which time I identified
myself. In a very aggressive manner,
Deputy Abbott said he had received a noise
complaint and I explained that Ms. Busby
had used a PA system for approximately 30
minutes but we were very aware of
finishing before the 10pm sound ordinance
went into effect. Deputy Abbott asked for my
name and date of birth. I gave him my
name and politely asked him why he
needed my date of birth. He said it was for
identification purposes in case they
needed to return to the premises. Because
he had my name and I had identified
myself as the homeowner, I asked why he
would need my date of birth. He told me I
was under arrest, grabbed my right arm,
twisted it behind me and threw me on the
ground. Some of the 25 or so people who
were still in attendance observed what was
happening and started asking the deputy
what was going on. My partner, Jane
Stratton, asked him to please be careful as
I had recently had right shoulder surgery.
His response was to knock her to the
ground. At this point, some of the guests
attempted to come to my aid and to Ms.
Stratton's. Without warning the deputy
started pepper spraying everyone, even
those who were simply standing in the
area. All of this happened in a matter of
minutes. I was subsequently arrested and
transported to the Vista detention center
and released the following day at 11am.

Contrary to what has been reported, I did
not in any manner strike Deputy Abbott. He
and I had only been conversing for a
minute or two when he grabbed my arm,
twisted it behind me and threw me on the
floor. His actions were completely
unexpected, excessive and I believe,
unwarranted. The remaining guests who
witnessed what occurred and who were
pepper sprayed were stunned and
outraged.

Also contrary to what has been reported,
this was the first time any deputy had been
to my home that evening. I believe the
noise complaint to the police may have
been politically motivated based on the
shouting we heard during Ms. Busby's
speech.

In my opinion the charges brought against
me are unfounded and were brought only
in order to cover up Deputy Abbott's
unprofessional behavior. What happened
in our home was shocking and I don't
believe would have happened had the
situation been handled properly.