Rocky Mountain News has the video provided by George Kochaniec Jr. of an unidentified Denver... "cop", and I use that word as lightly as it applies, brutalizing 24-year-old Alicia Forrest of CodePink and then later arresting her for no known reason, dragging her off as she tries to respond to interview questions.
Alicia was arrested on Tuesday and held for five hours, then went through another two hours of questioning with the Denver Police Internal Affairs Department. CodePink was told that the "cop" has been pulled from protest duty and will not be permitted to interact with protesters, but no other known discipline against the piece of work is pending. Alicia is reportedly fine physically and in touch with a lawyer from the People's Law Project.
The technique that is used so resembled a life-threatening strike to the throat which my husband, a martial artist with 4 decades of experience is familiar with, that upon first viewing the video he was nearly beside himself with grief and rage. Only by doing a frame-by-frame review of the action were we able to determine that the creep drops his right hand at the last minute and strikes Alicia with the end of the baton rather than the center. Alicia told the Rocky Mountain News that the creep hit her four times with the baton.
Later, you can see Alicia talking to Rocky Mountain News reporters as the SAME "officer" homes in on her, preparing to drag her away for no known or announced reason.
This incident calls to mind the need for all protesters and activists to be prepared when police cross the line of professional and honorable behavior. Guidelines for how to handle harassment from the police were distributed shortly after the mandate in NYC that people and their bags could be stopped and searched without probable cause on July 22nd, 2005 while travelling NYC public transit.
The first thing anyone menaced or brutalized by any police officer should do is get that person's name and badge number. CodePink are probably aware of the identity of this jackass but they are not talking publicly... yet. I would not be surprised to hear there is a formal lawsuit in progress so that may limit what my CodePink sisters have to say on the matter.
Pepper spray was also liberally in use at the DNC on Monday during mass arrests if these pictures are to be credited:
Note that this protester came prepared - the bandannas and eye protection are not just for identity protection.
The presidential candidate debates are coming to Hofstra University on October 15th. Don't let this be us, NYC and Long Island. Be prepared.