Homeless Navy veteran ticketed for looking through trash for food
- March 12, 2013
- By Jim Johnson
A case involving a homeless veteran being cited in Houston for rummaging through trash for something to eat is receiving national attention.
James Kelly was ticketed by a Houston police officer after being caught looking in a garbage can near City Hall, according to the Houston Chronicle newspaper.
The citation indicates Kelly was charged with "disturbing the contents of a garbage can in [the] downtown business district," the newspaper reported.
"I was just basically looking for something to eat," Kelly told the newspaper.
Houston Police Department, in a statement, said the law is specific to the city's central business district.
"It is a violation for anyone to remove any contents of any bin, bag or other container that has been placed for collection of garbage, trash or recyclable materials," a portion of the statement reads, the newspaper reported.
Kelly has an attorney, Randall Kallinen, who called the law crazy, the newspaper said.
The ticketed man told the newspaper he served in the Navy for nine years, but the paper indicated it could not verify his service.
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