XPost: sac.politics, or.politics, alt.politics.liberalism
XPost: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
A high school teacher and activist want to sue the city of
Seattle, claiming police officers unlawfully pepper sprayed him
as he left a peaceful rally on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Jesse Hagopian, a history teacher at Garfield High School, spoke
during an MLK rally in Seattle and says he was on the phone
while leaving the Jan. 19 event. As Hagopian, a father of two,
was walking to meet family, he says he was pepper sprayed by a
Seattle police officer.
The incident was captured on video and uploaded to YouTube on
Wednesday, the same day Hagopian's attorney filed a claim
against the city. A claim is a first step that can lead to a
lawsuit against a public agency.
"I felt the piercing pain shoot through my eye, my ear drum and
my nostril, all over my cheek and face," Hagopian said,
recalling the incident. "I yelled out. My mom was in distress as
she heard me yell."
Seattle Police spokesman Patrick Michaud said he hadn't seen the
video as of Wednesday afternoon and couldn't comment. Michaud
said the video was not taken by SPD staff.
"(Jesse) was pepper sprayed irrationally by a police officer -
no provocation and no reason," said Hagopian's attorney, James
Bible. "We view this as a challenge to free speech."
Bible, who is president of the local chapter of the NAACP,
joined other community advocates in the lobby of city hall
Monday. Many say the police have been heavy-handed at recent
rallies, despite being under federal orders to improve training,
supervision, and accountability.
"We have worked to create and implement a comprehensive and
transparent police accountability system that will be the most
robust in the nation," said Mayor Ed Murray, in an emailed
statement. "Under the accountability system that we've set up,
the uses of force that occurred during the MLK protests are
currently under review and being investigated."
"Any justice for Jesse I hope will amount for justice for every
single person who has exercised their First Amendment right to
remind this country that black lives matter," added Nikkita
Oliver, a community activist. "We are watching you and no longer
accept the attack on black and brown peoples."
Bible's office released the 15-second clip of the incident
Wednesday and was working to make a longer segment available to
the public.
"The pain that shot through my face only lasted so long,"
Hagopian added, "but the painful memory is something that I
don't know when will leave me or my family."
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/komo/article/Seattle-teacher- activist-files-claim-against-city-6048395.php
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