Evening star., 1953-10-08
AIexandrian Fined
In Scrappy Arrest
Involving 4 Police


Involving 4 Police
A wiry little man who kept
four Alexandria policemen busy
when they arrested him on Sep
tember % was fined $50 in Alex
andria Police Court yesterday on
charges of reckless driving and
resisting arrest.
Judge James N. Colasanto i'm,
posed the fines on George JEFF
ferson Wooten, Al, of the 500
block Edsall road, Alexandria.
Judge Colasanto said Wooten's
six children probably would suf-
fer if a more severe fine or Jail
term were imposed.
The judge gave Wooten a 30
day Jail sentence on the resist
ing arrest charge, but suspended
it pending the defendants good
behavior for one year.
Learn to behave yourself and
you'll get along BETTER" said
Judge Colasanto as he found
Wooten guilty.
Drinking Blamed.
The judge acknowledged that
Wooten obviously came out Sec
ond best in his engagement with
the four Alexandria police Of
fcerS.
"You apparently took plenty
of punishment, but it appears
you brought it on yourself" he
told Wooten. Drinking seems to
be your trouble. I am inclined
to believe the officers would not
have done what they are sup
posed to have done to you with
out provocation."
Wooten was in Alexandria
Hospital for two days after his
arrest. He said X-rays showed
no broken bones, but he had a
black eye and sore chest.
Judge Colasanto examined
Wooten's police record before
imposing sentence. He noted that
Wooten had been sentenced to
prison in Ohio on a manslaugh-
ter charge and fined in Fairfax
County on an assault charge that
had been reduced from a rape
charge.
To Lose Driving Permit.
The record also showed that
Wooten was arrested on a reck-
less driving charge in Fairfax
County last March and forfeited
$27 collateral. Judge Colasanto
said the Division of Motor We
hicles automatically will revoke
Wooten's driving permit.
Judge ColaSanto heard ID wit
nesses describe Wooten's arrest.
Few witnesses agreed on what
they -saW. This was the police
version:
Pvt. Cecil Kessler followed
Wooten home after he saw him
speeding along Lincolnia and
Edsall roads. Wooten refused to
accompany Pvt. Kessler when
the officer attempted to place
him under arrest. Pvt. Kessler
radioed for help and again tried
to get Wooten into the police
cruiser.
Pvt. Mason Saunders, who re-
Sponded to the call, and Pvt.
kessler picked up Wooten bodily
and put him in the cruiser, On
the way to police headquarters.
Wooten struck Pvt. Saunders and
grabbed the butt of his gun.
They struggled and fell out of
the car when the cruiser door
was opened by two other officers
who arrived on the scene, Pvt.
Archie Hall and Corpl. Jack Hall.
Finally Subdued.
During the tussle on the high
way beside the cruiser, Pvt. Hall
struck Wooten in the face. Woo
ten was subdued and placed in
the cruiser. Police carried him
to Alexandria Hospital.
Wooten acknowledged that he
declined to go with Pvt. Kessler
at first because he said he did
not think the policeman had a
right to come into his driveway.
He said that on the way to police
headquarters, Pvt. Saunders
started pounding" him. He de-
MED he reached for Pvt. Saund-
erS' gun or struck Pvt. Saunders.
A charge of interfering with
an officer, which had been placed
against the defendants wife.
Mrs. Jewel Wooten. was dis
missed. Both police and wit
nesses testified that she tried to
coax her husband to obey the