05 May 2007

Police Brutality Update

Update to the LA Police Brutality post:

(click image or on link below to view)

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/05/03/1357234

The link includes some footage from the protests. I saw much more the night of the attack. It is unfortunate that this is the only outlet I have been able to find that is providing footage, so far. Please send in any other footage you locate. Are those who are being trained to protect us train in reason, logic and negotiation or just small arms, tazer and hand-to-hand combat?

Text from the link:

The Los Angeles Police Department is coming under increasing criticism for violently crushing a largely peaceful immigrants rights march on Tuesday. Police with riot guns fired 240 rounds, shot tear gas and clubbed protesters and journalists gathered in MacArthur Park. At least ten people were injured including seven journalists.

Pedro Sevcec was broadcasting live for the Spanish-language television network Telemundo when police knocked over his monitors and lights and hit his staff with batons. Sevcec told the Los Angeles Times a police officer grabbed one of his cameras and threw it more than fifteen feet to the ground. He said police pointed a riot gun at his face, hit him with a baton and forced him out of the park.

Patricia Nazario of the public radio station KPCC was also injured. On Wednesday Nazario described to listeners what had happened to her.

  • Patricia Nazario, reporter for KPCC.
Others assaulted include four employees of KVEA-TV Channel 52 and a reporter for the public radio station KPCC hit by a police baton. Christina Gonzalez, a reporter for the Fox affiliate KTTV-TV Channel 11, suffered a bruised shoulder after she was shoved to the ground. Her camera operator suffered a broken wrist. The incident was caught on tape.
  • Report by Fox affiliate KTTV-TV Channel 11.
The LAPD says it gave orders to disperse but several journalists and protesters have disputed the account. The order was made only in English and not even near the main crowd. LA Police Chief William Bratton admitted the actions taken by the police were inappropriate. He said "I was disturbed at what I saw." The LAPD has launched a pair of investigations. Several news groups say they're considering legal action.


1 comment:

QuirkyGirl123 said...

I would say that I'm shocked, but with the way things have been lately, even this horrendous event doesn't surprise me anymore. We seem to be moving more and more toward a police state mentality.

CNN video link for you found on Think Progress:

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/02/immigrant-march-disrupted-by-police/