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Drivers Ticketed For Honking Horn At Picket Line

MARYSVILLE, Calif. (CBS13) -- A police chief says officers shouldn't have ticketed three drivers who honked their horns in support of a union demonstration in front of a Marysville business last week.

Union organizer Sammy Trujillo from the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades recorded video of a Marysville police cruiser immediately pursuing a driver who honked his horn twice in front of a picket line at a glass company.

The video doesn't show what happened after the traffic stop, but the Marysville Police Department said they handed three drivers a $233 ticket for the improper use of the horn. The state vehicle code says drivers should only use their horns to give audible warnings.

Union representatives said someone inside the glass company called police to complain about the honking, and an officer set up his patrol car on company property to wait for offenders.

Police Chief Wallace Fullerton told the Appeal-Democrat, "I'm not much into getting the middle of labor disputes. Part of our responsibility is to be neutral."

Fullerton said he plans to ask the court to dismiss the three tickets.

Organizers said they plan to be back at the Marysville business on Friday to demonstrate in support of forming a union.

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