Oakland Police Critically Injure Iraq War Vet During Occupy March

[M3Bahn]

WASHINGTON -- The Oakland Police Department fired tear gas on Occupy Oakland demonstrators Tuesday night as they marched through downtown, determined to reclaim the camp that officers destroyed that morning. As the marchers zigged and zagged in search of safe ground, authorities bombarded and barricaded the activists into a drawn-out stalemate that resulted in further arrests.

The local police's use of force seriously injured an Occupy activist and Iraq War veteran.

Scott Olsen, 24, remains sedated on a respirator, in stable but critical condition at Oakland’s Highland Hospital after being hit in the head with a police projectile.

Shannon first got to know Olsen serving in Iraq from August 2006 to May 2007, when the two worked tactical communications as part of the Marines' 3rd Battalion. Olsen subsequently served a second tour. "We both came out against the war," Shannon said.

Olsen was never injured during his two tours in Iraq.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/1...n_1033159.html

[Turkeybaster115]

Hopefully, this will wake up the veteran community, so we can add some much needed muscle to this movement!

[FDfranklin]

This video is fucked up also:

You can clearly see someone his hurt and they all go in to help him then fire a round into the crowd.

[Quick6EF]

Quit fucking protesting

[KingOfJericho]

Like they singled out the veteran... stupid headline. Seriously, go home. Party is over. You're accomplishing nothing and costing the state and city a fortune.

[abisson]

Like half these people even know what they are protesting about...

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by abisson

Like half these people even know what they are protesting about...

sssssssshhhhhhhhhhh it's a secret!

[oneintheory]

they were told they had to leave. they did not. they were forced out. they tried to come back.


anyone else having a hard time seeing where the police are in the wrong here?

[ragingclue]

Why does it make a difference that he was an OIF vet?

Also I have to agree with abisson here; so many of them have no fucking clue why they're out there, and many are projecting their disgust in situations that they have created themselves as individuals (e.g. being lazy, establishing a police record, choosing not to finish/further their education, running up debt like it's cool knowing there was no way they were going to be able to stay ahead of it, buying shit they couldn't really afford, not educating themselves on finances, etc...).

The cause, in theory, is a good one. However, it's turned into some sort of trendy circus.

[Kroy]

Originally Posted by oneintheory

they were told they had to leave. they did not. they were forced out. they tried to come back.


anyone else having a hard time seeing where the police are in the wrong here?

nothing wrong with what you say but i think most people are talking about the downed vet. people were going over there to help him because he looked incapacitated. look at him not moving on the floor. the police were not helping the downed man so regular people decided to become good Samaritans and pull him to safety. their reward was a can of gas.

[chungdae]

These protestors are absolute morons.

[Elliott@DetailAddict]

Sigh... glad I didn't go on my normal bike ride last night and get caught up in that.
Seems like alot of the people turn up just to turn up and arent educated on the cause.

[oneintheory]

Originally Posted by Kroy

nothing wrong with what you say but i think most people are talking about the downed vet. people were going over there to help him because he looked incapacitated. look at him not moving on the floor. the police were not helping the downed man so regular people decided to become good Samaritans and pull him to safety. their reward was a can of gas.

while i guess i agree that he wasn't treated well, the fact remains that they should not have been there.

[san~man]

They were given more than enough warnings and had ample time to leave, but they chose not to. The fact that he was injured was unfortunate, but primarily his own fault. Had he left, he would be fine.

[Kroy]

Originally Posted by oneintheory

while i guess i agree that he wasn't treated well, the fact remains that they should not have been there.

i'm not arguing if they should have dispersed in a timely matter or if the man deserved to be knocked unconscious. We don't know if that vet was injured while fleeing or due to his own stupidity. But the fact remains that a man was downed; what do you do in that situation? leave him on the floor or help him. these people chose to help a helpless man. the riot officers pretty much fired additional cans AT the downed man as a reaction. i watched with no sound so i don't know if they gave a warning at that point, but it looked excessive to me.

whatever though; oakland's gonna have another riot on their hands soon enough. i'm sure people will be up at arms over this.

[M3Bahn]

Originally Posted by san~man

They were given more than enough warnings and had ample time to leave, but they chose not to. The fact that he was injured was unfortunate, but primarily his own fault. Had he left, he would be fine.

I guess he should have stayed in Iraq where apparently he was safer.

[Kroy]

Originally Posted by M3Bahn

I guess he should have stayed in Iraq where apparently he was safer.

[san~man]

That may be so. However, no one (including you) can argue that if he had left, he would not be injured.

[Mr Tonka]

Originally Posted by Kroy

i'm not arguing if they should have dispersed in a timely matter or if the man deserved to be knocked unconscious. We don't know if that vet was injured while fleeing or due to his own stupidity. But the fact remains that a man was downed; what do you do in that situation? leave him on the floor or help him. these people chose to help a helpless man. the riot officers pretty much fired additional cans AT the downed man as a reaction. i watched with no sound so i don't know if they gave a warning at that point, but it looked excessive to me.

whatever though; oakland's gonna have another riot on their hands soon enough. i'm sure STUPID people will be up at arms over this.

Fixed....

[Kroy]

Originally Posted by MP0WER

Fixed....

haha, no doubt. i just hear about riots happening in the bay area way too often. they just rioted over that bart shit. this'll be just another excuse.

[infinitekidM2C]

Originally Posted by M3Bahn

I guess he should have stayed in Iraq where apparently he was safer.

it is safer
i drove through Oakland once...what a cesspool

[Mr Tonka]

Originally Posted by Kroy

haha, no doubt. i just hear about riots happening in the bay area way too often. they just rioted over that bart shit. this'll be just another excuse.

all too true.