David Allan Coe Speaks Out About Arrest & Lawsuit
On Thursday (4-27-11) a judge in Iowa ruled that 71-year-old David Allan Coe could continue a lawsuit that stems from an incident in June 2008 at the Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona, Iowa, that resulted in Coe being arrested. Coe had been gambling with his girlfriend, now wife, and not performing. The altercation happened after Coe hit the jackpot on a slot machine. There was confusion as security guards gave him orders that he did not comply with because, as he states, he couldn’t understand them because of hearing loss. The situation escalated until Coe was tackled by two sheriff’s, detained, and eventually jailed briefly.
Charges of “Disorderly Conduct” and “Interference with Official Acts” were dropped against Coe in 2008, but he took out a lawsuit in 2010 against numerous parties for “False Arrest”, “Assault”, “Malicious Persecution”, and “Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress” according to the Des Moines Register. The reason for Thursday’s court date was because Coe and his attorney had neglected numerous requests for information from the defendants in the case. Coe says he’s “not a computer person”, is often on the road, and only checks his post office box “once every three months or so”. Coe also says the result of the altercation is that he now has to walk with a cane, and sit down to perform; limitations he did not have to deal with before.
Judge Robert Blink on Thursday ruled that Coe must pay some of the defendants legal expenses incurred by not responding to their requests, but said his lawsuit could continue, though he also told Coe, “I think you’re going to have to have some way to make yourself more available to counsel. Otherwise, frankly, this suit is going to falter.” No court date has been set yet for Coe’s lawsuit.
David Allan Coe spoke to a reporter after leaving court on Thursday.
May 1, 2011 @ 8:55 am
hell yeah… i hope he ends up owning the casino…
May 1, 2011 @ 7:15 pm
DAC owned casino that would be badass
May 1, 2011 @ 9:23 am
DAC is a god.
May 1, 2011 @ 9:34 am
thats a fuckin outlaw, hope it turns out in his favor. gonna go listen to some DAC right fuckin now.
May 1, 2011 @ 10:53 am
DAC has been sitting down at his shows long beofre this happened..
May 1, 2011 @ 11:30 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBHSv3qo7_I
May 1, 2011 @ 11:42 am
??? In March if 2006 at the Machine Shop in Flint, MI he was on a stool for much of the show..
May 2, 2011 @ 5:56 am
I just saw him about 2 weeks ago and he sat down the whole show. He made it out on his own though. I was surprised because a lot of reports say he needs help. But anyways, for a 70+ year old man he ROCKED the shit out of that show.
May 2, 2011 @ 6:53 am
I think the whole sitting down comment is to show he’s not a threat to some casino security guards who treated him and his wife poorly from the get go.
June 20, 2012 @ 5:48 pm
What. Does David Allan Coe sitting down for a partial performance have to do with a 71 year old man being tackled , harrassed , detained , by security officers younger than DAC children ? If a Man doesn’t make a stand & fight back against those who willfully & knowingly violate our freedom & constitutional rights than you will be controlled by the new Police Socialist Society sooner than you think.Obviously your raidio station condones communistic control within the American Society. David Allan Coe is Man enough to stand up & fight for his rights as a U.S. Citizen. This Country no longer has a Constitution to stand on. America has
become a smelting pot where illegal immigrants have more rights than Americans.Take your radio station to Red China & get the respect your entitled to. Friend Of Big Jim Nolans. David Lee Laskiewicz
October 21, 2012 @ 1:58 am
yea fuck em keystone cops gotta end soon no more police state clown private prisons bull shit suits making more and more laws to fuck a working man whom have had our jobs taken away any how fuck em all THATS all !!
May 2, 2011 @ 3:16 am
He has been sitting for a while. My first Coe show was around ’97 and he sat for a portion then. But, if you’ve seen him in the last two or three years it is something. He still rocks and once he’s sitting its still usually a killer show. But, along with the cane he has somebody’s arm leading him to and from the stool. If this casino is truly at fault I hope they pay throught the fuckin nose. Long Live DAC.
June 2, 2012 @ 4:41 pm
He never said he hadn’t sat down at shows in the past… What he said was now he HAS TO sit down at shows, where he didn’t before.
June 20, 2012 @ 6:04 pm
David Allan Coe said he now has to sit down to perform. Older people bones can break easily. I have had senior citizen acquaintances die from a fall. David Allan Coes in his 70s. Have some respect for your elders. He is lucky to not be confined to a wheel chair after being brought down by 4. Security Guards for no reason.
July 23, 2014 @ 10:29 am
What are you trying to do ? Are you trying to imply something? Who watches the video and makes a remark like that? You are punished,no more computer time for you GoodBy!
October 14, 2022 @ 9:11 pm
He was standing through the whole show the last time I saw him perform at the Iron Horse Saloon about 10 years ago. Maybe that makes me old, too.
May 1, 2011 @ 5:33 pm
I’m sure the folks at the casino were just taking the usual precautions….god only knows how many times guys in their late 60’s have suddenly cut loose with a roundhouse kick while playing the slots….those oxygen tanks are deadly weapons in the hands of a well trained geezer.
May 26, 2024 @ 5:43 pm
That’s good, I laughed so hard!! Thank you
May 2, 2011 @ 5:45 am
It sounds like some security guards misused their authority.
Discrimination should probably be put in there too. His wife Kim told them he was hard of hearing. It looks like a total disregard of his civil rights.
I hope he wins.
June 2, 2012 @ 11:45 pm
You misread, the security guards escalated it, it was 2 jackboot chicken shit sheriffs that took him down. Unfortunately those two didn’t end up in prison and have continued to unnecessarily pull that shit on good citizens of IA who live in unincorporated areas and RR’s across the state. We deal with those county sheriff thugs out our way too.
I hope he wins big and it hits the news again to remind people how out of control the cops are. Kick some ass DAC
May 2, 2011 @ 9:44 pm
Fuck the greedy bastards. They wanna take it all but don’t wanna give none back.
May 9, 2011 @ 9:41 pm
i think i remember this night(unlesss its another time he got arrested !! we were on tour with david and he actually had to cancel the show….but the fans that were there were still wanting music so bruce (davids tour manager) announced that david was in jail but john waynes grandson bob wayne will play through the night!! we had a great show…the customers were happy…and then david played there the next day and so did we! the funny thing is the next day everyone brought theree john wayne memeroblia for me to sign!! ahahah
May 9, 2011 @ 10:45 pm
Damm… sueing is weak. How un-Coe of him. I want old Coe back!
December 27, 2011 @ 1:31 pm
He’s right there suing the bastards like he should. The hell with this outlaw shit . . . He is the bad ass and those “boys” are whupping on him? I sit down when I play but I could stand if I wanted. Maybe DAC can’t thanks to the tan shirts with brown boots.
Can’t believe they would treat a man in a suit with matching shoes that way.
May 22, 2011 @ 4:03 pm
This is pretty interesting.
I saw him play in Tunica a couple of years ago and a melee, which started right in front of the stage and took around 15 – 20 minutes to play out in the audience, happened and DAC completely ignored the whole matter.
A vastly overmatched (but courageous) security officer was unsuccessfully trying to cuff an extremely rowdy and violent biker, and I (foolishly) charged him and came down on top of him so they could cuff him.
I have been going to DAC’s shows for years, and they never disappoint.
He is a very gifted and prolific songwriter.
Tyler and the other guitar player, as well as Kimberly, add a lot to the music.
I would like to know where he lives in Tn (since he said that he has a Tn drivers license).
July 12, 2011 @ 5:29 pm
David Allan Coe is a looser. I saw him in Zanesville, OH a couple of weeks ago and he was late getting there. He walked on stage and played one song and then just played a bunch of crap medleys and performed for less than an hour and then left. It was a sorry show. If this incident @ the Casino happened in 2008 why did it take him so long to file a lawsuit??????????????
July 23, 2014 @ 10:36 am
You have to give the guy a break !He is in his 70,s! People have respect for DAC, he is a Legend. He has expressed himself in many ways! He had an energy in his shows before he got to this point! Be kind to DAC at this time I demand you to make an apology known with a post,if not you must sell your computer and never log on again Goodby!
July 23, 2014 @ 10:42 am
Nolan, you’re battling with people who left their comments over 3 years ago. You’re a little late to the party. If you have something to add, please do. But please don’t come out-of-the-blue and start harassing my commennters or your comments will be deleted.
February 29, 2012 @ 3:26 pm
hey wanda, bite me! d.a.c. is the best country artist going! I met him at at iron horse saloon bike week many years ago and he was nothing but gracious to me. So, as I said ,Bite me!
July 23, 2014 @ 10:37 am
Way to go Spiderlady!
March 10, 2012 @ 12:00 pm
DAC is awesome. I hope he bust there ass’s.
June 1, 2012 @ 8:34 am
Good thing it did’nt happen 30 years ago,somebody would have gotten hurt
October 1, 2012 @ 6:03 pm
My wife and I had a simular incident at harrahs New Orleans. After being comped for 3 days my wife was playing slots until checkout. A black security guard had her arrested for public drunk when she was drinking coffee. when she didn;t return by checkout i returned to harrahs and they wouldn’t tell me anything and claimed they didn’t know where my wife was. If your going to gamble stay away from harrahs N.O. You have racial black cops and casino personnel. The black security guard that had her arrested said YA GONNA GET IT NOW YOU WHITE BITCH. They beat her at the police station and when making her change into the orange jumpsuit they pushed her out naked in front of black inmates and guards. I might add that my 38yr old wife had never had so much as a speeding ticket. I later spoke to a top official on the gaming board, He said they were assholes in new orleans and that if your going to gamble stick to mississippi casinos. Needless to say we don’t frequent casinos anymore.
December 26, 2012 @ 12:31 am
David Allen Coe is a P.O.S. Dead Beat F’n Dad who has failed to take care of or have anything to do with his daughter. I had a good laugh at the “God” and “Awesome” comments. If this guy is such a F’n idol to any of you then I feel even worse for those who think it. An “awesome” person takes care of his responsibilities not f’n runs and hides from them. Take care of your kid you pathetic moron! Oh wait, thats right she has grown up and realized your just a waste of a human life and never cares to see, hear, or have anything to do with you ever. Honestly, who am I to argue with that. Oh yeah your music blows to!
October 22, 2013 @ 8:09 am
im a maori from new zealand,bin a DAC fan 4 bwt 27yrs,sure was hurt wen i saw them :”(*&%#$holes tackle him in that casino.david allan coe is god to me..the greatest country singer who ever lived……an i neva get tired of his music..cheers ..D.A.C.4EVA
December 21, 2013 @ 4:09 pm
They are lucky this didn’t happen in the 70’s,he would have kick their ass then gone home
March 27, 2019 @ 4:18 pm
Mr. Herring, I was wondering why your wife was approached at all, if she was only drinking coffee and playing the slots?? I hope you sued them to hell and back if all this happened.