OK, this is starting to get out of hand. Now a second Iraq/Afghanistan soldier has been injured in the conflict between occupy Oakland protest groups and Oakland Police Department. The first incident had mixed emotions, first a person could be hurt from the projectiles that the Oakland Police and were using but generally they would aim away from people and fire into small areas to disperse tear gas. Now another issue is if you have watched the YouTube video of Scott Olsen’s injury, which most have, you will see he was right out front standing at attention. This tells me getting hit might not have been an accident but more of an easy target. Now honestly in the confusion I think he might have been hit on accident but the second part of the video shows the opposite. It shows an Oakland police officer in his full swat gear throw what looks to be a flash/bang grenade at the group that is there to help the fallen soldier. This grenade landed and fired off lest then 3 feet from the fallen soldier. This was no accident, this hurt the rescuers’ less than if hurt the previously fallen and incapacitated soldier. This is more like kicking a man while he is down.
The second incident just as sick and wrong; it seems that this young Army Ranger was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The veteran, 32-year-old Kayvan Sabeghi, underwent surgery on Friday for a ruptured spleen. Walking home after the protest, he was then stopped by 4 officers, and then attacked Kayvan by hitting him 4 times in the abdomen before arresting him. The man was left in a holding cell with internal bleeding and a damaged spleen. He is reported at one point he did ask for assistance from the officers who replied to quit taking heroin or later, quit drinking while being diabetic, which neither is true. Mr. Sabeghi was held for 24 hours being refused of medical treatment before being released.
Now there is an investigation on this issue. Does anyone believe for a second this “investigation” is going to show any wrong doing by the police department? I only say that because there was a video of wrong doing the first time and nothing was done but an excuse for the socially irresponsible officer. Plus is it me or do the police around the country seem to be excited to use all of their new toys and weapons. It looks that maybe “this was the reason the joined the force”. New York had a show of force when they put snipers on rooftops while the protesters marched to the police station to protest police brutality. Snipers, really, was that just a reminder to everyone? I find all of this sickening.
These soldiers have had several trips to the Middle East without injury. Mr. Olsen has a swelled brain and is currently unable to speak and struggle writing correctly to this day. Doctors are hopeful that after the brain swelling goes down he will be back to normal and we are still waiting to hear about Mr. Sabeghi. These men fought for our country and survived, they came home and we are hoping they survive. I bet they never expected in their time in Iraq that their damage would come from their homeland police.