Scuffle leads to arrest of lawyer
Warren Hope Dawson is charged with disorderly conduct after he shoved a cameraman who was working on a film about tolerance, police say.
By STEPHANIE HAYES
Published June 25, 2006
TAMPA - A prominent Tampa civil rights lawyer and candidate for the Florida House of Representatives was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct Saturday after a scuffle involving a Tampa police officer and an independent film crew.
Warren Hope Dawson, 66, argued with a police officer and shoved a camera operated by a crew member, according to Tampa police.
Dawson arrived at his law office, 1467 Tampa Park Plaza, about 12:30 p.m.
There, about 20 members of an independent film crew were set up on the sidewalk.
"They were using my office essentially as a staging area," Dawson said. "Tables, chairs, cameras, water. They were not happy with me asking them to move."
The crew from Moment Entertainment of Belleair was working on a short film about tolerance and racism called Oneiric, said 29-year-old Jayson Matteucci, a freelance videographer.
The crew hired Tampa police officer Gary Metzler to work off-duty security detail, and also to use his police cruiser in one of the shots.
Dawson "never asked us nicely to move" the equipment, Matteucci said.
"We politely said we'd move it, and we started to move it and he was still yelling."
At that point, Dawson went into his office.
Metzler and Tampa police officer Michael Stout, who was also off duty, went in to talk to Dawson, according to police.
"I had gone not only into my office but into the back, and I heard the door open," Dawson said.
The officers talked to Dawson inside briefly before coming back out to the sidewalk, police said. There, police say, Dawson argued with Metzler.
Matteucci jumped at the chance to film.
"I grabbed my camera and started filming from across the street," he said. "As soon as I had a chance, I ran up to film right next to him."
That's when things escalated.
"He put his hand on the camera. He didn't want his picture taken," said Tampa police Lt. John Newman. "He was told to leave the camera guy alone by the officer."
Then, Dawson shoved Matteucci's camera back, Newman said.
Matteucci said it wasn't a hard shove, but he was displaced backward. He said he told Dawson, "I'm on public property. Please do not touch my camera."
Metzler charged Dawson with disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor.
He was handcuffed and held in the back of the police car, but was not taken to jail.
According to police, Dawson apologized to the officer and the film crew, and everyone shook hands.
Dawson, a Democrat, is running for the State House District 59 seat held by Arthenia Joyner.
He has unsuccessfully sought political office five times since 1970.
Dawson's legal clients have included the city of Tampa, Hillsborough County and the Tampa Housing Authority.
He was the plaintiffs' attorney in the federal lawsuit that guided desegregation of the Hillsborough County school system.
Matteucci said he got five minutes of video footage, which he turned over to police.
He plans to use the footage for the film's behind-the-scenes segment.