Peter Watts beaten and arrested at US border

[dsrtao]

Peter Watts is a Canadian SF author. I've met him a few times in passing at conventions. His books tend to be depressing but very inventive. In person, he comes across as a very gentle guy.

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/12/11/dr-peter-watts-canad.html

[ edit: Peter's account: http://www.rifters.com/crawl/?p=932 ]

Comments

[its-just-me.livejournal.com]

According to this he did nothing, but he's being charged with assaulting a cop?

[dsrtao]

He's 6'4". The border guard in question may have considered him standing up to be a threat.

I think it's unlikely -- but I don't know, I wasn't there -- that Peter assaulted the guard in any way that would be recognizable as an assault in any normal context.

[seawasp]

Unfortunately if I understand correctly, legally, and from DHS' standpoint, he would have assaulted them if he at any time touched them deliberately and they didn't want him to. Including touching them on the shoulder "Excuse me, why...", or fighting back when being hit.

And I could see a 6'4" guy getting out of his car being a danger signal, but not one to warrant immediate assault, unless he had a weapon out or something.