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Veteran Scott Olsen Could Be The First Person To Die At A Wall Street Protest
Business Insider ^ | 10/27/2011 | Linette Lopez and Robert Johnson

Posted on 10/27/2011 8:47:22 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

Scott Olsen survived two tours of Iraq, but his life could be over after being critically injured by a police projectile at Occupy Oakland, The Guardian reports. He's 24 years old.

As we know, Occupy Oakland got incredibly ugly this week as police tried to remove protesters from their camp in front of City Hall by using tear gas, fire crackers, and rubber bullets.

Olsen suffered a head injury on Tuesday night, and is now in critical condition in Oakland's Highland Hospital. Jay Finneburgh, a photographer on the scene, managed to witness and take pictures of the incident. Police policy specifically prohibits the firing of these weapons at a person's head.

"This poor guy was right behind me when he was hit in the head with a police projectile. He went down hard and did not get up," Finneburgh wrote.

At first, Doctors told Olsen's friends that he was in critical, but stable condition. Now they're being told that his skull has been fractured and his brain is beginning to swell. Neurologists are in the process of determining whether or not he will require surgery.

According to Keith Shannon, a friend who served with Olsen during his time in Iraq, Olsen was hit in the head with a tear gas or smoke canister, and he has the scar on his head to prove it.

Meanwhile, Oakland police admit that they used tear gas and baton rounds, but have denied the use of flash bang grenades. Protesters, however, say they saw police use them, and the more video that comes out, the harder it is to believe the police.

Olsen hails from Wisconsin, served tours of Iraq in 2006 and 2007, and is active in both Veterans for Peace and Iraq Veterans Against the War.

(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Philosophy; US: California
KEYWORDS: california; dadt; occupyoakland; occupywallstreet; protest; scottolsen
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To: SeekAndFind
Scott Olsen survived two tours of Iraq

Has this been verified? Just curious.

21 posted on 10/27/2011 9:07:42 AM PDT by SamuraiScot
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To: TheGunny

My issue is his affiliation with Veterans for Peace, more than his status as a front line or support personnel.

To me, that makes no difference whatsoever, as you said. However, his affiliation with that putrid anti-American group is what put him and me on opposite sides.

I don’t wish for harm to him, and hope he recovers, but if he swam in those waters, he brought misfortune on himself and has no one to blame apart from himself, in my opinion.

The goulish Left, however, would love a martyr.


22 posted on 10/27/2011 9:08:18 AM PDT by rlmorel (9/11: Aggression is attracted to weakness like sharks are to blood, and we were weak. We still are.)
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To: SeekAndFind

If he’d behaved himself like a good citizen instead of going out like a punk looking to riot, he’d be fine. No frikken sympathy from me.


23 posted on 10/27/2011 9:08:36 AM PDT by Fire_on_High (Gohmert ROCKS!)
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To: TheGunny

Ayup. Charlie did not seem to care what your MOS was, nor the Army, for that matter.

RVN: ‘69-70’, 100% P&T disabled from combat.


24 posted on 10/27/2011 9:09:53 AM PDT by firebasecody (Orthodoxy, proclaiming the Truth since AD 33)
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To: US Navy Vet

I thought all those veterans were heros?


25 posted on 10/27/2011 9:10:09 AM PDT by stuartcr ("Everything happens as God wants it to...otherwise, things would be different.")
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To: US Navy Vet

Considering what we learned from kerry’s winter soldier campaign is he even a veteran?


26 posted on 10/27/2011 9:10:26 AM PDT by pfflier
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To: rlmorel

That would be the “ghoulish” Left...


27 posted on 10/27/2011 9:10:56 AM PDT by rlmorel (9/11: Aggression is attracted to weakness like sharks are to blood, and we were weak. We still are.)
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To: US Navy Vet

I thought all those veterans were heros?


28 posted on 10/27/2011 9:10:56 AM PDT by stuartcr ("Everything happens as God wants it to...otherwise, things would be different.")
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Genghis Khan? Never heard of him.

Is he related to the Jen-Jiss Kahn that John Kerry mentioned before Congress?


29 posted on 10/27/2011 9:13:31 AM PDT by Retired Greyhound (.)
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To: SeekAndFind
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

My parents taught me not to riot or throw things at cops, nor stand next to or even in the vicinity of people taunting cops.

30 posted on 10/27/2011 9:13:55 AM PDT by DCBryan1 ("Forget the Lawyers! FIRST YOU MUST kill the journalists!" - Die Ritter, die sagen, "nee"!)
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To: SeekAndFind
The view of Olsen collapsing is obscured, so it's hard to tell what caused it. Maybe someone else can advance it frame by frame and see something. But, the initial flashes (tear gas?) occurred 20 feet or more away. If it was one of those, it would have bounced off his head first.

However, you can clearly see police lob another grenade into the middle of the group of people that go back to Olsen's aid.

31 posted on 10/27/2011 9:16:04 AM PDT by justlurking (The only remedy for a bad guy with a gun is a good WOMAN (Sgt. Kimberly Munley) with a gun)
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To: SeekAndFind
These people were BREAKING THE LAW. They were asked to move because they were overstepping their allowance to camp out by using hangers to illegally tap electricity and burning heaters inside the tents, to say nothing of filth and garbage.

This is a manufactured uprising and as someone posted here, you tak your chances when you face off with authority--WACO anyone? Ruby Ridge?--Only there, the media protected Reno and her goons-- and the BATF

It is VERY possible he was hit by something other than police projectiles.

If he dies, he becomes a martyr and we will all know his name because it will be on the alphabet stations 24/7.

vaudine

32 posted on 10/27/2011 9:16:04 AM PDT by vaudine
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To: SeekAndFind

Interesting...we denigrate the law enforcement people when they do stuff we don’t like, and praise them when they do stuff we like...


33 posted on 10/27/2011 9:16:44 AM PDT by stuartcr ("Everything happens as God wants it to...otherwise, things would be different.")
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To: skeeter

I believe this happens after any period of prosperity. You saw the same thing in the 1960’s after the boom of the 50’s. The kids raised in that boom have no understanding of how the world works because Mom and Dad sheltered them. Then they think they can change things and start this crap.


34 posted on 10/27/2011 9:16:45 AM PDT by TN4Bush
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To: rlmorel
his affiliation with that putrid anti-American group is what put him and me on opposite sides.

Exactly. Benedict Arnold was a damn fine general......and a traitor.
35 posted on 10/27/2011 9:18:39 AM PDT by cripplecreek (A vote for Amnesty is a vote for a permanent Democrat majority. ..Choose well.)
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To: stuartcr

For their service yes, but it’s what they do after discharge that makes them a good citizen of a scumbag.


36 posted on 10/27/2011 9:18:54 AM PDT by US Navy Vet (Go Packers! Go Rockies! Go Boston Bruins! See, I'm "Diverse"!)
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To: TN4Bush

Why are they always leftists/collectivists/statists?


37 posted on 10/27/2011 9:21:14 AM PDT by skeeter
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To: cripplecreek; Jim Robinson
I've noticed that you seem to strongly disapprove of the OWS movement.

Here's a serious question: Is our Constitutional right of assembly trumped by local ordinances? If our 1A rights are subject to 'no-camping' regulations, what time does curfew begin? 11pm? Would you complain if they moved it to an earlier time? In effect, once you agree with the position that local authorities can regulate 'assembly', just what are the limits? Why not, say, limited to between 2pm-3pm for public safety issues? (That is, non commute times.)

Now, let's jump over to the 2A. Do you agree that the 2A is trumped by local/state ordinances? If yes, which ones do you agree with? Do you agree with registration? If not, why not? If the 1A can be subject to permits, fees, etc, why not the 2A?

I'm having a hard time reconciling FR's position on this whole affair with regards to basic Constitutional rights. Just how far can they be regulated? What if JR's original march (in a wheel chair) was circumscribed by arbitrary time limits? What's the difference between shutting down the mall @ 1pm or 11pm? Because it's dark?

38 posted on 10/27/2011 9:21:14 AM PDT by semantic
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To: stuartcr
Interesting...we denigrate the law enforcement people when they do stuff we don’t like, and praise them when they do stuff we like...

Don't include me in that. I look at every individual case and make my decisions based on available evidence. Sometime I side with police and sometimes I side with the public.
39 posted on 10/27/2011 9:23:08 AM PDT by cripplecreek (A vote for Amnesty is a vote for a permanent Democrat majority. ..Choose well.)
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To: semantic
Where does the rest of the public's safe use and enjoyment of these public spaces fit in?

Or do they not enjoy any rights in this situation?

40 posted on 10/27/2011 9:23:25 AM PDT by skeeter
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