Posted on 12/08/2007 1:04:17 PM PST by wagglebee
Video shows angry attack followed by police violation of civil rights
Fort Madison, Iowa – Pro-lifers with graphic signs were attacked by a man wielding a club during a protest at a Hillary Clinton campaign stop in Fort Madison, Iowa, on Friday, yet responding police threatened to arrest the pro-lifers if they did not immediately leave the public sidewalk. The incident was captured on video. (View video below.)
Police were parked across the street from where Dan Holman of Missionaries to the Pre-Born was standing on a public sidewalk on December 7, when a man in a pickup truck got out of his vehicle and approached Holman with a club, shouting at him to get off his property. Holman was attacked and struck with the club.
“The man continued to try and assault me in the presence of three Fort Madison police officers,” Holman told Operation Rescue. “Rather than arresting the attacker the police threatened to arrest me! The police acknowledged that I was on a public right of way but said our presence posed a traffic hazard.”
Police told Holman that if he wanted charges pressed against the man with the club, he would have to go to the police station and fill out a report. Holman complied with the order to leave under threat of arrest, and later filed a complaint against his attacker, identified as Jim Mitchell. Holman is considering legal action against the Fort Madison Police.
Holman’s group was protesting Clinton, a radical supporter of abortion, in advance of the Iowa Caucuses, which will be held on January 3, 2008. He has protested Clinton at 32 of her Iowa appearances.
“Police departments across the nation have shown a disturbing disregard for the First Amendment rights of abortion protesters in recent weeks,” said Operation Rescue spokesperson Cheryl Sullenger. “We have a great deal of respect for the vast majority of police officers, who are decent people, trying to do a very difficult job. However, rogue officers who bully and falsely arrest peaceful protesters that are simply exercising a precious right in defense of innocent babies, are put on notice that they will be held legally accountable for their abusive behavior. We urge every police department to train their officers concerning First Amendment activity in order to bring an end to this kind of abuse.”
Assault at Fort Madison
Uploaded by antiaborticide
No problem, but I really don't think the ACLU will dispatch a team of lawyers on this guy's behalf.
Sorry, not very Christian of me......but I’d feed the sumbitch that club and dare the cops to do a damned thing about it.
To Serve and Protect......who?
Your typical knuckle-dragging liberal.
To Serve and Protect......who?
You are absolutely correct about Political speech. Hillary's name was
on the sign, and thats enough because she is running for public office,
And she is a current Senator. This is a serious violation of the 1st amendment..
I have heard tell of police standing by while a victim was being assaulted in third world countries. The USA has become a third world country. This does not bode well for the police. The Democrats must be proud.
Mr. Policeman is just a unionized government worker sticking up for abortions and his gal Hillary.
I lifted this from another forum:
"A follow up phone call to the Ft. Madison PD shows that Jim Mitchell WAS arrested for assualt of Mr. Holman. I didn't persue it past that. So, the guy who hit Dan Holman WILL probably be either paying a fine or spend a few days in the clink. This is after talking with the police officer who answers their phone. 319.372.2525 "
Good.
Not to be picky, "but" all I saw were two people. Then one walked across the road away from the signs.
I hardly call a single person standing on the corner "a group".
Unless your counting the Aborted baby and Hillary on the sign.
Ok, that would make three. Four if you count the person that walked away.
Just my observation.
Same here, one of the two of us would have been spending the night in the hospital because when a guy comes at me with a bat, knife, gun etc. the instinct kicks in and my flight option never did work very well.
I would suggest that Mr. Holman obtain a concealed carry permit. Purchase a handgun then get some training and shoot the next person who attacks him with a club right between the eyes. Then he can exercise his First Amendment rights and Second Amendment rights at the same time making him much more productive.
Time to roll the CBR RCC trucks in Iowa just in time for Christmas... Just to highlight how much the Democrats believe that Jesus should have been aborted as well as other babies...
Me neither, but who brought up the ACLU? Not me.
Pro-life bump. The video is illuminating.
I have family that lives in a small Iowa town and they live next door to a Captain in the Iowa State Police. I will be getting with him on this one in a couple weeks.
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