Man cited for disorderly conduct after incident with recall petitioners

BROOKFIELD -- Recall petitioners in Brookfield say they often get yelled at, and people use obscene gestures, but one particular driver pulled over on Saturday, and crossed a line that got him cited for disorderly conduct. The petitioners caught the whole incident on camera.

Steve Spieckerman has been collecting recall signatures along Bluemound Road in Brookfield almost every day. This past Saturday, Spieckerman was on the sidewalk with another signature-gatherer who turned on his camera when he noticed a driver in a truck taking pictures. Spieckerman says the man wanted to know what the signature-gatherers don't like about Governor Scott Walker. "He kept saying 'name one thing,'" Spieckerman said.

That's when Spieckerman gave the driver an answer he didn't seem to like. "I said, 'he's hurting public education with the cuts,' and then he was out of the truck, shouting obscenities, heaping abuse on me," Spieckerman said. The driver, 59-year-old Fred Frisby of Brookfield, then confronted both of the petitioners, and tried taking their picture. However, Frisby didn't seem to like having his own picture taken, and apparently took the petitioner's camera and shoved it into Spieckerman's chest, and then made a fist at Spieckerman.

Both petitioners called the police, and Frisby has been cited with non-criminal disorderly conduct. Republican leaders are calling on their supporters to use their passion in a more productive manner. "They can put up yard signs, put up bumper stickers, they can man phone banks. There's plenty of work to be done on both sides, without getting violent," Spieckerman said.

FOX6 attempted to reach Frisby for comment but no one was home at his address. FOX6's media partners at the Brookfield Patch say Frisby told police "he got fired up over the matter."

For additional details on this story, check out the Brookfield Patch article.