- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Spicy Pork costs a lot


Pepper-sprayed protester sues police for $50,000
A veteran protester is accusing police of assault and wants $50,000 compensation after suffering a week-long headache from being pepper-sprayed, Rotorua District Court was told. Simon Oosterman, of Auckland, was sprayed during a protest at Rotorua's Scion on January 30, 2005, the Daily Post reported. He is seeking costs for assault and breaches of his rights. A three-day hearing into the case began yesterday before Judge Chris McGuire. Mr Oosterman was charged with resisting and obstructing police following the protest but cleared on both charges. Yesterday, Mr Oosterman's lawyer Graeme Minchin said the issue was whether police actions during the protest were reasonable. Mr Oosterman said he was part of what was intended to be a peaceful but noisy protest organised by the Rotorua GE Free group against genetically modified trees. He said he was pepper-sprayed when he tried to stop police from grabbing the group's media adviser. Mr Oosterman suffers mild asthma and had trouble breathing. He was taken to the police station where he continued to wash out the pepper spray but the pain did not ease. Mr Oosterman went to Rotorua Hospital when he was told to continue putting water in his eyes. "The pain continued for perhaps an hour and afterwards I had a serious headache for over a week," he told the court. The case is continuing.

There is a certain joy in watching the Police have to explain their actions with the possibility of being forced to cough up cash for their abuse of power, because using pepper spray on a person who isn't resisting, or has even been threatened with arrest is simply not acceptable, and the only way to make sure they don't pull that stunt again is by making them pay, and pay big. Interesting how a taser can not be used to force compliance, it can only be used IF someone is armed and a threat and there is no other way to disarm them, yet we look at how the Police mis-use pepper spray without even threatening arrest - how can anyone think the Police won't mis-use tasers?

11 Comments:

At 23/4/08 2:47 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Diddums lol

 
At 23/4/08 2:49 pm, Blogger Bomber said...

...
Oh if it costs them $50 000 I'll see your smirk and raise you a smug.

 
At 23/4/08 4:20 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yeah right...bet you virtual $50k it doesn't cost them a bean ;)

 
At 23/4/08 4:42 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

lol - you hit a raw nerve there bomber, his smirk looks a little nervous now

 
At 23/4/08 7:55 pm, Blogger peterquixote said...

them police misuse guns bomber,we know that already, what would you rather have, a headache or a corpse what is you,

 
At 23/4/08 10:34 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yeah bill I can smell the fear over the interweb.

Moron

 
At 23/4/08 11:55 pm, Blogger Paul said...

He said he was pepper-sprayed when he tried to stop police from grabbing the group's media adviser.

Um, I'm assuming he tried to intervene physically? In which case he gets what he gets. Whether or not the police were justified in grabbing the media adviser.

 
At 23/4/08 11:57 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think that this guy got what he deserves what a fool trying to stop the police form arresting some one they should have tied him up and spayed him every hour on the hour in both eyes and genitals

I reckon he also helped add his own genetics to the trees by hugging them and letting a bit of his own sap out on the tree.

what a stupid fool good job

 
At 24/4/08 12:56 pm, Blogger Bomber said...

...
Hmmmm - In your haste to hang Simon, I think you are missing the procedures the Police need to apply before they pepper spray someone.

 
At 24/4/08 8:44 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Simon was heard to yell "don't taze me bro!" right before he got red hot chili peppered.

 
At 25/4/08 1:34 pm, Blogger Bomber said...

...
Oh and notice the cop who pepper sprayed Simon wasn't given permission to take his pepper spray to the protest - VERY interesting.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home