Summary: A photographer who covered a Donald Trump Rally in Virginia on Monday claims that he was choked and tackled to the ground by a secret service agent as he was trying to leave the media pen. A video of him leaving because a protest broke out was posted on social media by a witness and it proved this incident true. The photographer said he stepped 18 inches outside of the pen and was immediately grabbed by the neck and choked and slammed to the ground. He has decided to not press any charges. The secret service spokesmen said they are aware this occurred and they're working to get all the necessary details of this event, but they don't have enough information yet.
Analysis: We will never truly know what made the agent tackle the photographer. Did he look like one of the protesters? Did he mean to tackle someone else? We'll never know, unless we uncover more information. This incident reminds me of how Hoover handled the Bonus Army. That police officer fired into the crowd in Washington D.C., killing 2 veterans. Did the cop mean to shoot those 2 veterans? Were they being disorderly? Was the shooting on accident? America will never know.
Link: http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/29/politics/donald-trump-event-protest-rally/
How interesting! I know myself that I would certainly press charges, especially if no apology was made. But perhaps there's more to the story than is revealed at the time...
ReplyDeleteI would press charges as well.
ReplyDeleteWish we had more information, but the video really emphasized the atmosphere- chaotic.
ReplyDeleteMatthew Taylor
Nicholas Godfrey Period 8:
ReplyDeleteI find this event quite odd. I saw on Twitter a video of the events before, and it showed that the secret service and the photographer had a conversation before he assaulted him in which the photographer looks right at him and says "F*** you." This in no way justifies the actions of the secret service agent but it at least shows some point of motive. There's also a photo that shows the photographer with his hands on the agent's neck which some are saying happened before the agent assaulted the photographer while some are saying that it came after the agent made the first attack.