WATCH the moment two police officers arrest an autistic man in his own home for making a controversial social media post.
Pete North was arrested at his home in Easingwold, Yorkshire, for a public order offence after posting to the social media platform Twitter/X.
Two officers carted Pete off to jail because of his words[/caption]
One of the officers is seen putting on rubber gloves[/caption]
Pete’s post showing the footage quickly went viral[/caption]
It is alleged that the autistic man, who says he also has tourettes, was taken into custody for sharing a post on social media.
The X post by activist Pete quickly gathered a massive 800,000 views.
A clip shared on social media shows two police officers arresting Pete over the alleged offence.
He and his wife are described as a “hate team” by the North Yorkshire coppers.
In the footage, which shows Pete arguing with the police officers, they are heard saying: “There are offences there we need to explore.”
The cops go on to say there are concerns Pete is spreading “racial hatred”.
Following the confrontation with the officers in the activist’s home, he is arrested and taken to Harrogate police station for further questioning.
It is understood Pete was kept in an outdoor cell for hours before finally being called for interview.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Pete said: “I’m disgusted by the police, because they could have done this in an orderly, civil way, but they chose maximum intrusion, and it was essentially [being treated like] an act of terrorism.
“They were trying to find evidence that I had intended to stir up racial hate with it. Which is unbelievable.
“It’s crass. The meme itself is a controversial sentiment, but controversial is not illegal, and it happens to be my opinion.”
Following his stint in the cells, Pete was released on unconditional bail until late December.
Doubling down on the words that got him into trouble he said he still endorses his post.
Pete said he felt very shaken by the experience and has been having trouble sleeping since he was arrested.
The man compared the North Yorkshire cops to a “snatch squad”, sharing the video of his arrest with the caption: “Here is North Yorkshire Police’s hate crime snatch squad taking me in for tweeting a meme.”
Pete would go on to claim that his wife was also left very shaken by the ordeal.
She was left alone after he was taken to the station and, according to Pete, she was “in bits.”
The Free Speech Union has since taken up the case, claiming the arrest was reminiscent of “Stasi in East Germany.”
Lord Young of Acton, head of the Free Speech Union, said he believed Pete will be able to make a wrongful arrest or false imprisonment case.
Pete continues to protest his innocence and said he wanted to express his solidarity for the principle of free speech.
The activist said he would continue to express his opinions on social media even if he lands himself in prison.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: “Following receipt of a report, a man was arrested yesterday on suspicion of publishing or distributing written material intended to stir up racial hatred. He has been released on bail while enquiries continue.”
Father Ted creator arrested by armed cops
It comes after Father Ted creator Graham Linehan was controversially swooped on by armed cops at Heathrow Airport after posting three tweets.
Linehan was accused of “inciting violence” and detained as soon as he disembarked a plane from his current hometown of Arizona, US.
He has vowed to sue the Metropolitan Police after he claimed he was “treated like a terrorist” during his arrest.
The IT Crowd co-creator said he was escorted to hospital because the stress caused his blood pressure to skyrocket at the airport.
