Monday, July 14, 2008

Another Assault at the P.I.N.K.O.Detention Center

This from the Lone Protester, Tom Wenning:

Victoria

: I was assaulted and my camera broken again today.
Guillermo Cruz-Ramirez came out of the day labor center lot about 8:30 am and pushed my camera into my face as I was taking a picture. He continued walking and I yelled at him to stop. He kept walking. I grabbed him and told him he was under arrest. He kept walking. I grabbed him again and threw him against the center's chain link fence. People started filing out of the center's lot, taking pictures and surrounding me, shouting, "Let him go. You're assaulting him." I told them, "He's under arrest and I'm holding him for the police." One of the guys said, "You can't arrest him, you're not a cop." At that time an Hispanic male ripped my camera from my hand and threw it across NE Everett, to the cheers of the day laborers. He then ran away.
The police came and took Guillermo's info. They will forward the info the the DA for a possible charge of Harassment. The camera thrower is still at large.

6 comments:

Keith Moore said...

Meaning no disrespect to Mr. Wenning but... grabbing a guy and throwing him against a chain link fence because he pushed your camera into your face makes it look like it wasn't this Cruz-Ramirez twit that was breaking the law. And it's perfectly legitimiate to point out that a private citizen can't decide that someone is under arrest and detain them until the police show up. Otherwise, I feel bad for Tom.

u∃∃l!∃ said...

:-)

That seems like a rather non biased response.

Keith Moore said...

You say that as if you're amazed, Eileen. Intellectual honesty inherantly leads to minimal bias and I do strive to be intellectually honest. :)

The Lone Protester said...

Yes, you are right; I should have handled it differently, even though I did it legally. I was stunned when it happened - these guys should know by now I'm exercising my rights and they are not to impede me - and I did not want another one get away. The Portland Police Lieutenant told me, and I agree, get a picture and let them handle the physical stuff.

cnskate36 said...

Tom, I have a suggestion for you. Wear a sandwich board on your body the the statement that its perfectly legal to take photos. And when they come at you, sit down under the sandwich board so they cant hit you, we used to do this at the abortion clinics when we were protesting them. It works really well.

jonny said...

Jeez man, get a life. If you keep harassing them they might come after you again, and you might really get hurt next time. Don't you have a day job? At least the are trying to work for a living.