Clearwater man at odds with Church of Scientology

Click here for an enlarged image of one of the posters.

A man who is making a documentary about the Church of Scientology in Clearwater says he's being targeted.

Shawn Lonsdale of Clearwater got into a fight with someone claiming to be a Scientologist while he was filming on a street corner across from the church on July 8. After looking at Lonsdale's videotape, police arrested the Scientologist, Michael Fitzgerald, on battery charges.

Now, posters with a mugshot of Lonsdale are popping up in store windows near the church warning people that he's dangerous and has been arrested for sex crimes.

The church says it didn't hand out the fliers, that they came from an organization called the Cleveland Street Safety League.

Lonsdale admits he did get into trouble years ago, but says the charges were misdemeanors and that the Scientologists are just trying to scare him away from completing his documentary.





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