Cop Identified in Scott Olsen Incident?

[cory777]

East Bay Express

One of the most indelible images of the Occupy movement to date is that of Marine veteran Scott Olsen being carried away from a skirmish line of riot police at 14th Street and Broadway on October 25 in Oakland. Stunned and bleeding from an ugly gash on his forehead, the 24-year-old Wisconsin native had been struck in the head by an unknown projectile during the first salvo of tear gas, flash-bang grenades, and less-than-lethal munitions fired at hundreds of Occupy Oakland supporters facing off against Oakland police and several other Bay Area law enforcement agencies called in on mutual aid.

Video from the tear gas-soaked night of the 25th shows a prone Olsen lying in front of metal barricades and police in riot gear. As several protesters ran to Olsen's aid, someone from the cluster of police appears to lob a flash-bang grenade into the crowd gathered around the young veteran. The stun grenade explodes amid a cloud of tear gas and deafening noise, scattering Olsen's rescuers.

The footage of the flash-bang grenade exploding practically on top of Olsen and his rescuers, as well as dramatic video of a stunned and bloody Olsen being carried away from the intersection, went viral within hours, propelling Occupy Oakland to international attention and setting the stage for the November 2nd General Strike.

In the weeks and months afterward, rumors and accusations flew about the identity of the officer who fired the projectile that wounded Olsen, and the one who threw the concussion grenade on top of him. Rumors circulated on the Internet that either a San Francisco sheriff's deputy or an officer from the Palo Alto Police Department was responsible. Members of Anonymous even went so far as to publish pictures and the personal information of a San Francisco sheriff's deputy they believe tossed the stun grenade at Olsen.

read more - http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/cop-identified-in-scott-olsen-incident/Content?oid=3131933

Breaking Activist News - http://activistnews.blogspot.com/

[Bozita]

1. "Police records show that Roche had previously killed three people in the line of duty."

Quote is from the Eastbay link in the OP.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

4. Cops investigating cops Must stop. n/t

[EFerrari]

2. And Scott Olsen turned out to be one of the sweetest human beans

you'd ever want to me. I'm still angry about what they did to him for no reason at all.

[sabrina 1]

3. Gratitude to the investigative reporter who has identified this criminal. The OPD seems to

be unable to identify their own cops. Airc, in the original video when people slowed it down online, it was the same cop who shot Olsen who then shot at the crowd.

He's killed three other people in just a few years and the city had to pay out a half million dollars to settle a wrongful death suit against him. Why is this dangerous threat to society still allowed anywhere near American citizens?

Roche is a rifle officer who has also served in gang enforcement units. He has been involved in three fatal shootings during his career. In 2006, he fatally shot seventeen-year-old Ronald Brazier after the teenager fired on Roche and two other officers. In 2007, Roche shot and killed an unarmed Jeremiah Dye in a crawlspace under an East Oakland house. Dye had run from police after his cousin shot and wounded an OPD officer during a traffic stop. In March 2008, fifteen-year-old Jose Buenrostro was shot to death by Roche and two other officers while in possession of a sawed-off rifle on 79th Avenue in East Oakland. Buenrostro's family received a $500,000 wrongful death settlement from the City of Oakland in 2010, even though police claimed that Buenrostro pointed the weapon at them. Buenrostro's family contended that he did not threaten the officers.

And a member of his 'team' apparently was responsible for the attack on Iraq Veteran Kayvan Sabhegy, also nearly killed by these thugs according to this article:

Aside from the Olsen incident, video from the evening of the November 2 General Strike shows an unidentified OPD officer wearing a rucksack emblazoned with "Tango Team" striking US Army veteran Kayvan Sabeghi with a baton. Sabeghi was later hospitalized for a ruptured spleen.

These cops are a serious threat to society. And where is the Mayor on all of this? Why have the cops not been able to id their own cops when the press can do it?

He should be fired and then charged with attempted murder if he is the one who fired at Scott Olsen.

[saras]

5. Some people are more tired of it than others

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2891

note in particular the FAIR article's comments on the difference between reactions to this song and reactions to white people singing about the same subject

[Iggo]

6. Yay, Cops!

They're the best!

[dmallind]

7. That headline writer terrible syntax has. nt

[hootinholler]

8. I would also like to see an investigation into the police's duty to respond

They have someone injured right in front of them and they didn't render aid. I thought there was a duty to respond and render aid.

[truebrit71]

9. ...not when they're "protecting and defending the shit out of you"...

...then you're just a dirty hippy, that needs to shower and go and get a real job...like jacking un-armed protesters upside the head..

[ManiacJoe]

10. There is no such duty.

[hootinholler]

11. In general that's true

In this case the cop may have created a special relationship when he shot him.

[gateley]

12. I am SO late in seeing this! I was dreaming about Scott Olsen this morning and

that I was posting about him on DU because he seems to have slipped under the radar. Googled his name/news and of course found that DU had already covered it.

I was so moved by this guy, he made such an impression on me. I want so much for him to be well.

Thanks for posting this.