Homeless vet ticketed for searching trash
Posted: Mar 12, 2013 10:00 PM EDT | Updated: Nov 5, 2014 8:32 PM EDT
HOUSTON -- A ticket given to a homeless vet is sparking outrage in Texas.
The man was searching through a trash can for food when a Houston cop gave him a ticket.
The officer wrote "disturbing the contents of a garbage can in the downtown central business district" and “acknowledging there's a need to keep parks clean and safe."
Activists say it is a waste of resources.
"That doesn't really doesn't do anything to help that person overcome the issues that drove them to need to look for food out of a garbage can in a park," said Marilyn Brown, CEO of Coalition for the Homeless.
The Houston Police Department defended the cop in a written statement.
An attorney has offered to represent the homeless man for free.