Carolina Place Mall security illegal detains woman for “politicking” www.privateofficer.com

Pineville NC May 9 2012 A woman filed a police report with Pineville police on Tuesday after she says a public safety employee at Carolina Place Mall blocked her car because of her homemade “Vote Against Amendment One” sign on her vehicle.

Lori Taylor, 41, of Ballantyne, stopped off at the mall on Tuesday to run a shopping errand at Belk. When she returned to the parking lot, Taylor said she saw a mall security vehicle with flashing lights parked right behind her car, blocking her from getting out.

Taylor said in an interview with the Observer that she got into her car and put her car in reverse, but the mall security vehicle still stayed in place.

She said he got out of his car and walked over to the driver’s side, where Taylor put her window down.

Said Taylor: “I said, ‘Can I help you?’ He said, ‘There’s no politicking at Carolina Place.’ And I said, ‘Excuse me?’”

She said he shook his head at the homemade laminated sign taped to the outside of her rear window.

Amendment One is the proposed marriage amendment on Tuesday’s ballot, which, if approved, would ban same-sex marriage and civil unions in North Carolina.

“I said, ‘Sir I’m not breaking the law. I’m not putting out anything at Carolina Place Mall, or anything of the sort.”

“…He just kept saying there’s no politicking. He didn’t give me a reason. He was detaining me.”

Taylor said after about five minutes, she asked to speak to a supervisor. After the public safety employee contacted a supervisor by radio, he moved his vehicle, Taylor said.

“He looked at the back window and shook his head and got back in the car,” Taylor said.

A person answering the phone at the public safety office at Carolina Place Mall late Tuesday afternoon said he would forward an Observer request seeking comment to mall officials.

Pineville police said a report was filed, and the case is still under investigation.

Taylor said she made her own laminated flyer and taped it to the back of her car window because organizers of the vote against movement ran out of stickers.

“I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was aimed toward the amendment one sign,” Taylor said.

“I waited for an apology. I waited for an ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to detain you.’ ..there was nothing but a smirk. And then he left.”

Source:www.charlotteobserver.com