A Michigan resident who paid a parking ticket in pennies defecated himself while being kicked out and allegedly choked by courthouse security personnel.
Ordered to pay a $10 parking ticket in February, Anthony Sevy expressed his displeasure with both the system and their credit card surcharges by paying for his fine – in pennies.
“He wasn’t happy about it (the credit card surcharges) so, in symbolic protest, he brought back penny rolls to pay for his ticket. The clerk wasn’t too happy about that, they refused to allow him to pay with penny rolls,” Sevy’s attorney, Jonathan Marco said.
Surveillance video from the courthouse shows a court security officer who, seemingly displeased with Sevy’s protest, appears to exchange words with him and orders him to leave.
However, it did not end on a clean note.
According to Sevy’s lawyer, “as he was leaving the courthouse with his back to the officer, the court officer began to choke him out, grabbing him, brought him to the ground. Mr. Sevy passed out and defecated himself.”
Shortly after coming to, Sevy was arrested and taken to jail for disturbing the peace and “assaulting or obstructing a police officer.”
Sevy and Marco are now suing the Royal Oak court officers, who claim the penny protester suffered more than just physical wounds.
“I think the more profound and long-lasting injury is the psychological injuries he’s suffering as a result of this. He’s supposed to be in a safe place,” he said.
According to Fox 2, Sevy pleaded no contest to disturbing the peace and the assault/obstruction charge was dropped.
