Skateboarding Teen Secretly Hoping To Get Arrested For Skateboarding

FT MYERS, FL--Tyler Evans, a skateboarder from Ft. Myers, Florida is secretly hoping to get arrested for skateboarding. Evans, 15, owns a T-shirt that reads “skateboarding is not a crime” and frequently complains about the cops harassing him for doing something he loves to do.

“Man, I’m so sick of the cops harassing skateboarders all the time,” said Evans. “It's like, hey, we love to skateboard and nobody’s gonna stop us, OK? It's not a crime so don’t be giving me shit about it, pig.”

According to friends and family members, Evans frequently skateboards in the parking lot of the public library downtown, as well as in the abandoned lot near the police station. He and his friends have never actually been harassed by the cops, let alone arrested, but sources say that Evans secretly hopes that someday he will be busted.

“Oh please, that kid would so love to be arrested for skateboarding. He would feel like such a hero and a rebel,” said Adam Moreau, 14. “He’s always talking about how the cops hate when he skateboards down near the station, but they really don’t. He just wishes they did.”

Police officer Warren Brooks is familiar with Evans and often waves to the young man from his cruiser as he skateboards around town. He claims to like Evans, who comes from a good family and never gets into any trouble.

“Oh, Tyler, yea. He’s a nice kid. I went to high school with his dad. Every once in a while I see him skating around downtown and I wave. He just scowls at me, which I think is kinda cute. Kind of reminds of myself when I was his age. He says ‘Hey, copper, what are you looking at? Ever see someone skateboard before? It’s not a crime, you know.’ And I agree. I think it's great for a young man to have a hobby.”

Tyler, like many other young people his age, enjoys the music of Pavement, the Deftones, and Blink 182, all bands that promote the skateboarding lifestyle and rail against authority figures who would stand in their way. Their lyrics frequently complain about a perceived prejudice on the part of police officers against skateboarders.

“Oh, he listens to all those bands,” said Tyler’s mother, Diane. “What do you call it? Punk rock? They’re always carrying on about the cops, and how they’re always busting their butts about skateboarding. I think they’re getting all worked up over nothing. I think it's just fine that he likes to play with his skateboard. A young boy needs his exercise.”

Evans himself claims there is no truth to the rumor that he secretly hopes to be arrested for skateboarding so he can look like a rebel and a hero. He says he’s just minding his own business, trying to enjoy himself.

“I’m so sick of people giving me shit about skateboarding,” says Evans. “I don’t wanna get arrested and have to listen to a bunch of cops lecture me about skateboarding. This is the kind of stuff that skateboarders have been going through for years and I’m tired of it. I wish people would just leave me alone and let me do my thing. I’m not committing any crimes here...am I?”

Despite Evans’ obvious attempts to draw the ire of local police officers, there is little chance he will ever be apprehended for skateboarding and made a martyr among fellow skating enthusiasts.

“Arrest him? Oh please.” chuckled officer Brooks. “I've got better things to do than arrest little kids for riding around on their skateboards. The closest I've ever come to arresting him was the time I saw him trying to skate on the rail at the steps of the library. I told him he oughtta be careful, he might scrape his knee or something. And he just said ‘Hey, copper, why don’t you go to the donut shop and have a donut? Skaters are united and will never be divided!’ I thought, ‘Well that’s nice. I think I will go get a coffee’. Then I told him to say hi to his dad for me.”