Billy Bean from No Trigger and Smartbomb has written us with some legal woes. The woes stem from the FEST VI weekend and some drunken conduct.
4 of us from No Trigger and replacement bassist/TM fly down on the friday before the fest. Perkins, the drummer and our boy from home drove down to get there for friday. Perkins and company pick me up from the rest of the group in Orlando. We "pre–game" for the evening at one of our friends house then head to downtown Orlando. About 1am I start to feel "overserved" by the bartender and step outside to puke up all the booze from the night. It gets pretty gnarly, im almost unconcious I was so trashed. Some dude who was a paramedic stopped to help me and Perkins called my phone and this guy picks up telling Perks to come pick me up before the cops do. SO they meet up to exchange yours truly. We head back into the bar for round 2. I step outside again about an hour later. The rest of the guys come out as we are about to leave. Perkins kicks over a trash barrel on the sidewalk next to about 15 cops in polo shirts. They pursue him, Perkins yells "Bean RUN!!" Being so trashed and not able to make the right decision, I ran. They caught up to perks and just told him to clean the trash up and he was able to go home. 4 cops chased my drunk barely standing ass downtown Orlando. I finally sit down against a SaniKan. They book it right at me and yell to stop resisting, grabbed my arm, threw me on my stomach, and began to tase me repeatedly. They tased me a total of 7 times on the back and hip. I was arrested and had to spend 18 hours in jail. My bond was set at $1200. Luckily my bail cleared in time and I made the show 20 minutes before we were scheduled to go on Saturday.
Bean apparently has the option of a plea bargain of "6 months probation, 40 hours minimum community service, and anger management classes" or potentially a year in Florida prison.
Bean is filing civil suit against the Orlando PD, citing problems with the police report and excessive violence. His whole message can be found below.
Yo guys,
This is Billy Bean. I play guitar in No Trigger and Smartbomb. Im writing because I was arrested in Orlando, Florida when No Trigger flew down to play the fest 6. Ive had to drive down there once with my mom and I just got back from my second trip which I flew down. My lawyer said if I dont take the plea bargain, which was 6 months probation, 40 hours minimum community service, and anger management classes, I would serve up to a year in Florida Prison. So this is the story:
4 of us from No Trigger and replacement bassist/TM fly down on the friday before the fest. Perkins, the drummer and our boy from home drove down to get there for friday. Perkins and company pick me up from the rest of the group in Orlando. We "pre-game" for the evening at one of our friends house then head to downtown Orlando. About 1am I start to feel "overserved" by the bartender and step outside to puke up all the booze from the night. It gets pretty gnarly, im almost unconcious I was so trashed. Some dude who was a paramedic stopped to help me and Perkins called my phone and this guy picks up telling Perks to come pick me up before the cops do. SO they meet up to exchange yours truly. We head back into the bar for round 2. I step outside again about an hour later. The rest of the guys come out as we are about to leave. Perkins kicks over a trash barrel on the sidewalk next to about 15 cops in polo shirts. They pursue him, Perkins yells "Bean RUN!!" Being so trashed and not able to make the right decision, I ran. They caught up to perks and just told him to clean the trash up and he was able to go home. 4 cops chased my drunk barely standing ass downtown Orlando. I finally sit down against a SaniKan. They book it right at me and yell to stop resisting, grabbed my arm, threw me on my stomach, and began to tase me repeatedly. They tased me a total of 7 times on the back and hip. I was arrested and had to spend 18 hours in jail. My bond was set at $1200. Luckily my bail cleared in time and I made the show 20 minutes before we were scheduled to go on Saturday. For What? Disorderly Conduct and Resisting arrest WITHOUT Violence. The shit they put you through down there. Go down on vacation and leave on probation is the saying I hear. Ive had to drop over $1000 in just driving and flying back and forth on top of the bail money.
Figured I would send a message across and see what people thought. I am going to take civil action and sue. The police report they wrote was wrong. They stated they shot 2 contact shots when evidence shows 7 different shots. Hopefully some of this makes it on. Thanks guys. Keep kicking ass!
Billy/No Trigger/Smartbomb