Photo by Paul Demko, Minnesota IndependentMy seventeen-year-old son is the young man in the photo, peacefully sitting in the street in front of an entire force of swat officers. He was later brutally beaten by five St. Paul police officers. Police Chief Harrington, your officers beat my son instead of protecting him when he was apart from the protesters and doing nothing illegal, dangerous or inappropriate.
. . . We are currently seeking legal advice for how to proceed. Any suggestions are appreciated.
In Peace and Sorrow,
Melissa Smith-Tourville
Menomonie, Wisconsin
I’m so sorry to hear this. At the anti-WTO protests in Seattle in 1999, the militarized police were similarly outfitted and violent. Why do we need these squads to “keep the peace” in our cities? So sad. 🙁
Sorry, no legal advice. You may find connections in the Seattle area, possibly through the Seattle Indy Media Center: http://seattle.indymedia.org. Thanks for blogging this.