FAST FACTS:
Suspects fight with cop outside Gay and Lesbian Community Center They were caught burning pride flag One suspect tried to take officer's gun
(Memphis 11/11/2009) Ross Burton's face is battered and bruised after a brawl with Memphis police officer Russell Woolley. The fight happened early Wednesday morning outside the Midtown Gay & Lesbian Community Center.
Court records show the plain clothed officer spotted Burton and another man with "an unknown object which he had lit on fire."
There were still scorch marks on the rope from where they're accused of trying to set the pride flag on fire.
Will Batts heads the center. "Crimes like this are intended to intimidate or create fear and so it's not just about me or about the flag, it's about our community at large. These kinds of things happen in small ways all the time."
This is the second time in two months a very public symbol of the gay, lesbian and transgender community has been defaced. In August, vandals tore down a billboard of a former soldier promoting National Coming Out Day.
"It's sad regardless of the opinion, " said Carter Baldwin who works in Midtown. I personally don't agree with that lifestyle but I'm not going to go set flag on fire it's ridiculous."
No word on a motive or whether Burton and his accomplice are connected to the billboard crime.
But court records show after getting caught by Officer Woolley the two weren't going out without a fight.
Woolley says after Burton "swung his fist at him, " the other guy jumped on his back and tried to take his "service pistol from the holster."
After Woolley hit the unidentified man with his radio, he took off.
But Burton never gave up the fight. It took a good samaritan and some pepper spray to get him to comply.
Batts just hoping what the two vandals tried to do to the community's symbol of solidarity isn't a wave of the future.
"I think things are changing and maybe as they're changing there's some last hold outs of intolerance so we'll just keep fighting."
Burton has two previous DUI charges. We've learned he lives in Midtown and had been at nearby Celtic Crossing earlier.
Police have a possible name on the other suspect. So far he's not been arrested.
Suspects fight with cop outside Gay and Lesbian Community Center They were caught burning pride flag One suspect tried to take officer's gun
(Memphis 11/11/2009) Ross Burton's face is battered and bruised after a brawl with Memphis police officer Russell Woolley. The fight happened early Wednesday morning outside the Midtown Gay & Lesbian Community Center.
Court records show the plain clothed officer spotted Burton and another man with "an unknown object which he had lit on fire."
There were still scorch marks on the rope from where they're accused of trying to set the pride flag on fire.
Will Batts heads the center. "Crimes like this are intended to intimidate or create fear and so it's not just about me or about the flag, it's about our community at large. These kinds of things happen in small ways all the time."
This is the second time in two months a very public symbol of the gay, lesbian and transgender community has been defaced. In August, vandals tore down a billboard of a former soldier promoting National Coming Out Day.
"It's sad regardless of the opinion, " said Carter Baldwin who works in Midtown. I personally don't agree with that lifestyle but I'm not going to go set flag on fire it's ridiculous."
No word on a motive or whether Burton and his accomplice are connected to the billboard crime.
But court records show after getting caught by Officer Woolley the two weren't going out without a fight.
Woolley says after Burton "swung his fist at him, " the other guy jumped on his back and tried to take his "service pistol from the holster."
After Woolley hit the unidentified man with his radio, he took off.
But Burton never gave up the fight. It took a good samaritan and some pepper spray to get him to comply.
Batts just hoping what the two vandals tried to do to the community's symbol of solidarity isn't a wave of the future.
"I think things are changing and maybe as they're changing there's some last hold outs of intolerance so we'll just keep fighting."
Burton has two previous DUI charges. We've learned he lives in Midtown and had been at nearby Celtic Crossing earlier.
Police have a possible name on the other suspect. So far he's not been arrested.
