THOMAS v. REAGAN
USDC Cr. No. 84-3552
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
WILLIAM THOMAS, et al
Plaintiff Pro Se
versus CA 84-3552
Judge Louis Oberdorfer
UNITED STATES, et al
Defendants
DECLARATION OF WILLIAM C. WARDLAW
RE NOVEMBER 10, 1986
I, William C. Wardlaw, hereby declare under penalty of
perjury, that the following is accurate and correct to the best of
my knowledge:
1) During the early afternoon of November 10, 1986 I
witnessed the arrest of William Thomas in Lafayette Park across the
street from the White House.
2) Thomas was attending a sign for a friend.
3) He came over to speak with me and another person who had
just arrived in the Park. He said that he was going to the
restroom and would be back in a minute.
4) Immediately after Thomas left Lt. Irwin of the U.S. Park
Police appeared and quickly began arrangements to have the briefly
unattended sign confiscated.
5) Thomas immediately returned and asked why the sign was to
be confiscated. Lt. Irwin looked at Thomas contemptuously, but
refused to respond.
6) When I asked Lt. Irwin the same question he replied with
apparent reluctance that the sign had been left unattended.
7) Thomas suggested that he (Thomas) was now tending to the
sign, and that if it was a matter of punishment for having briefly
left the sign then a a citation was the proper police response, not
confiscation of the sign. Lt. Irwin again refused to address
Thomas in any way.
8) When other Park Police officials arrived to confiscate the
sign, Thomas held onto one of its supporting props. Lt. Irwin and
another officer pulled Thomas away from the sign and handcuffed his
hands behind his back.
9) The police officials were unnecessarily rough in breaking
Thomas' grip on his sign. I observed Lt. Irwin use a "sleeper"
hold on Thomas' neck.
10) I have known Thomas well for over five years. I have
never known anyone more totally devoted to the principles of
non-violence than William Thomas. I have never seen Thomas, even
in situations of extreme stress and/or provocation, preform any act
of violence in word or deed.
Declared this _____ day of ____________, 1986,
____________________________________
William C. Wardlaw
1965 Biltmore Street, NW
Washington, D.C.
Case Listing --- Proposition One ---- Peace Park