Shawn Lonsdale: Difference between revisions

{{Infobox person

|name = Shawn Lonsdale

|birth_date = 1969

|birth_place =

|nationality = [[United States]]

}}

 

The Church of Scientology hired private investigators and discovered a criminal record on Lonsdale, and this was subsequently publicized by a Scientologist on fliers and on a website. Lonsdale was subpoenaed by the Church of Scientology in 2006, and they accused him of being affiliated with the [[Lisa McPherson Trust]], a group critical of Scientology which was restricted in where it could protest in Clearwater. In 2007, Lonsdale appeared on the [[BBC]] ''[[Panorama (TV series)|Panorama]]'' program ''[[Scientology and Me]]'' and was interviewed by [[journalist]] [[John Sweeney (journalist)|John Sweeney]]. Later in the program, Sweeney lost his temper and shouted at a Scientology representative when he was accused of giving Lonsdale a "soft interview". Lonsdale died suddenly on February 16, 2008, and a Clearwater police spokeswoman stated that the death appears to be due to [[suicide]].

 

==Critic of Scientology==

 

On July 8, 2006, Lonsdale got into a physical altercation with a Scientologist while filming the Church of Scientology in Clearwater.<ref name="hesaidtheysaid">{{cite news | last =Staff | title =He said, they said | work =[[Bay News 9]] | publisher =[[Bright House Networks]] | date =July 10, 2006 | url =http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2006/7/10/168101.html?title=He%20said,%20they%20said | accessdate =2008-03-05 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080112051047/http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2006/7/10/168101.html?title=He+said,+they+said |archivedate = January 12, 2008}}</ref> A spokeswoman for the Church of Scientology told ''[[Bay News 9]]'' that Lonsdale had been harassing their staff members, and that the fight was not related to the church.<ref name="hesaidtheysaid" /> Lonsdale stated "Basically, I'm filming a pseudo-documentary for one of our free-access Pinellas web channels," and said that while filming a Scientologist came out of a coffee shop and yelled that Lonsdale was a religious bigot.<ref name="hesaidtheysaid" /> Lonsdale stated "I picked up the camera again and started filming him ... He went right for my face and my head, backed me up into a pole to which I had no other choice but to defend myself."<ref name="hesaidtheysaid" /> The Scientologist was arrested by Clearwater police and charged with battery, but the State Attorney's Office of Florida decided not to pursue charges.<ref name="Scientologist won't face trial">{{cite news | last =Farley | first =Robert | title =Scientologist won't face trial in scuffle with critic | work =[[St. Petersburg Times]] | date =August 29, 2006 | url =http://www.sptimes.com/2006/08/29/Northpinellas/Scientologist_won_t_f.shtml | accessdate =2008-03-05 }}</ref> After the incident the Clearwater police Deputy Chief viewed a videotape of the altercation, and concluded that Lonsdale was the victim and that his police officers made the right decision in arresting the Scientologist.<ref name="Scientologist won't face trial" /> After viewing the videotape, the Assistant State Attorney stated "it is just not going to be a prosecutable case," and said that the video shows "pretty much mutual aggression" between Lonsdale and the Scientologist.<ref name="Scientologist won't face trial" /> The Assistant State Attorney stated that the video showed aggression on both sides, and that Lonsdale's criticism of Scientology on the internet made the case "unprosecutable".<ref name="Scientologist won't face trial" /> Lonsdale's attorney Luke Lirot stated "It is another example of the State Attorney's Office's historical reluctance to tangle with Scientology."<ref name="Scientologist won't face trial" /> Scientology spokeswoman Pat Harney said that church members had been told to avoid Lonsdale, and told the ''St. Petersburg Times'' that Scientologists had complained to police that they felt Lonsdale was stalking them.<ref name="fries">{{cite news | last =Fries | first =Jacob H. | title =Two tussle over filmmaker's camera: A longtime Scientologist has been charged with battery in a sidewalk scuffle over a filmmaker's videocamera | work =[[St. Petersburg Times]] | date =July 11, 2006 | url =http://www.sptimes.com/2006/07/11/Northpinellas/Two_tussle_over_filmm.shtml | accessdate = 2008-02-29 }}</ref> The police did not charge Lonsdale, stating that he had the right to take photos and video in public places.<ref name="Scientology's scourge" />

 

 

Lonsdale's employer and landlord received phone calls from Scientology representatives who claimed that he was a religious bigot and dangerous.<ref name="abel" /><ref name="Scientology's scourge" /> Lonsdale was subpoenaed by the Church of Scientology for a deposition in the fall of 2006, and the Church claimed that he belonged to an anti-Scientology group which had previously been barred from protesting in certain areas in downtown Clearwater, the [[Lisa McPherson Trust]].<ref name="abel" /><ref name="helgeson" /> Luke Lirot, the lawyer who defended Lonsdale in the matter, told the ''[[St. Petersburg Times]]'': "I found him to be quite affable and truly a very intelligent man ... I certainly hope that a very thorough investigation is conducted."<ref name="abel" /> In his deposition, Lonsdale stated he was unemployed and began to educate himself about Scientology while working on a photography project on homeless people in Clearwater.<ref name="helgeson" /> After reading more about Scientology, he decided to shed light on the organization and irritate Scientologists.<ref name="helgeson" /> Of the claims Scientology made that Lonsdale was affiliated with the Lisa McPherson Trust, Lirot commented: "It was obvious to everybody he had nothing to do with the trust, and the trust had been disbanded and dissolved many years prior ... They just wanted to try to come up with a way to preclude him from exercising his right to picket in downtown Clearwater, and they were unsuccessful in doing that."<ref name="moncada" />

==Scientology and Me==

{{Main|Scientology and Me}}

 

== Death ==

In 2007, Lonsdale let his Scientology critique website lapse, and posted less frequently on his blogs and anti-Scientology message boards and chat forums.<ref name="abel" /><ref>{{cite news | last =Shah | first =Neel | title =Anti-Scientology Activist Found Dead | work =Radar Online | publisher =[[Radar (magazine)|Radar magazine]] | date =February 19, 2008 | url =http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2008/02/antiscientology-activist-found-dead-in-home.php | accessdate = 2008-02-29 }}</ref> Spokeswoman Pat Harney stated that the Church had not heard from Lonsdale for months before his death.<ref name="abel" /> Former Scientologist Randy Payne told the ''St. Petersburg Times'' that Lonsdale "found it impossible" to make a living while spending the majority of his time as a critic of Scientology.<ref name="abel" /> Payne stated that in December 2007 Lonsdale had found steady work, and had planned to go back to school in order to get a private investigator's license.<ref name="abel" />

 

 

Scientology spokeswoman Pat Harney called Lonsdale's apparent suicide "awful" and stated "It's just unfortunate anybody feels they have to go to that length ... I wouldn't wish that on anybody."<ref name="helgeson">{{cite news | last =Helgeson | first =Baird | coauthors =Carlos Moncada | title =Scientology Critic's Death Thought To Be Suicide | work =[[Tampa Tribune]] | publisher =Media General Inc. | date =February 20, 2008 | url =http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/feb/20/me-scientology-critic-found-dead-at-clearwater-hom/ | accessdate = 2008-02-29}}</ref> Jerald Rowlett, a fellow Scientology critic and friend from Michigan, told ''[[The Tampa Tribune]]'': "In many ways Shawn was a hero to me ... He had a hard life and a history he knew Scientology would use to hurt him. And yet he still felt strongly enough to try to inform the public about the actions of Scientology."<ref name="helgeson" /> On March 1, 2008, John Sweeney remembered Lonsdale and spoke about him on the [[BBC Radio 4]] program, ''From Our Own Correspondent''.<ref name="adie">{{cite news| last =Adie, Kate | title =FOOC: Justin Webb on US Democrat primaries 1 Mar 08| work =From Our Own Correspondent| publisher =[[BBC Radio 4]], John Sweeney reports on the death in Florida of a noted opponent of Scientology: 17 minutes, 30 seconds into Podcast| date =March 1, 2008| url =http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/podcasts/fooc/?focuswin| accessdate =2008-03-01}}</ref> Sweeney stated: "Clearwater got that little bit more creepy recently, with the death - the police are treating it as suicide - of Shawn. When alive a Scientology spokesman said of him: 'He has no redeeming value to anyone, anywhere.' Well, he was a bit of a hero to me ... I for one mourn the loss - of a brave and singular American".<ref name="adie" />

[[Category:1969 births]]

[[Category:2008 deaths]]

[[Category:Activists who committed suicide]]

[[Category:Suicides by carbon monoxide poisoning]]

[[Category:Suicides in Florida]]