My Occupy LA Arrest

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

By Patrick Meighan

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When the LAPD finally began arresting those of us interlocked around the symbolic tent, we were all ordered by the LAPD to unlink from each other (in order to facilitate the arrests). Each seated, nonviolent protester beside me who refused to cooperate by unlinking his arms had the following done to him: an LAPD officer would forcibly extend the protestor’s legs, grab his left foot, twist it all the way around and then stomp his boot on the insole, pinning the protestor’s left foot to the pavement, twisted backwards. Then the LAPD officer would grab the protestor’s right foot and twist it all the way the other direction until the non-violent protestor, in incredible agony, would shriek in pain and unlink from his neighbor.

It was horrible to watch, and apparently designed to terrorize the rest of us. At least I was sufficiently terrorized. I unlinked my arms voluntarily and informed the LAPD officers that I would go peacefully and cooperatively. I stood as instructed, and then I had my arms wrenched behind my back, and an officer hyperextended my wrists into my inner arms. It was super violent, it hurt really really bad, and he was doing it on purpose. When I involuntarily recoiled from the pain, the LAPD officer threw me face-first to the pavement. He had my hands behind my back, so I landed right on my face. The officer dropped with his knee on my back and ground my face into the pavement. It really, really hurt and my face started bleeding and I was very scared. I begged for mercy and I promised that I was honestly not resisting and would not resist.

My hands were then zipcuffed very tightly behind my back, where they turned blue. I am now suffering nerve damage in my right thumb and palm. . . .

Source: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/12/08-3

[lob1]

1. Our mayor says it was the LAPD's finest moment.

Mr. Mayor, you're a lowlife of a whole bunch of different levels.

[Modern_Matthew]

3. Your mayor should literally be thrown out of office. nt

[Modern_Matthew]

2. Thank you. That was difficult to read. I can't imagine being in that position... nt

[Kalidurga]

4. I am still waiting for someone to explain why local authorities are getting away with...

these flagrant violations of human rights, violating the First Amendment, and why they are going after people sleeping be it in tents or not rather than real criminals.