Man fires pepper spray on protesters outside Marine's funeral

[babsbunny]

Man fires pepper spray on protesters outside Marine's funeral

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/08/28/nebraska.funeral.protest/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn

By the CNN Wire Staff
August 28, 2010 11:28 p.m. EDT

(CNN) -- A motorist fired pepper spray Saturday at a group of demonstrators and counter-protesters outside a funeral for a U.S. Marine in Omaha, Nebraska, police said.

The incident occurred shortly before 10 a.m. (11 a.m. ET) as members of a small Kansas church that protests at military funerals and counter-protesters stood nearly a block away from First United Methodist Church during services for Staff Sgt. Michael Bock, 26, who died August 13 in Afghanistan's Helmand province.

A man in a Ford-150 pickup truck drove by, extended his arm and sprayed with a large can, police said. His vehicle was stopped a few minutes later.

"Initial indications are he was probably targeting the Westboro Baptist Church" protesters, said officer Michael Pecha, a spokesman for Omaha police.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

1. Even bad people have a right to the protection of the law.

Purely verbal aggression never justifies a physically violent response. This man was wrong, and should be prosecuted, no matter how contemptible the WBC are.

[Ian David]

2. I don't condone it, but I understand it. n/t

[MajorChode]

3. Would that be considered a 'drive-by'?

[pipoman]

4. Too bad he hit the counter protesters

otherwise I would think he should be convicted of some minor misdemeanor and sentenced to a free steak dinner.

[old mark]

5. I hope they don't spend a lot of time searching for that evil

perpetrator...(better luck next time)


mark

[stray cat]

6. Only progressives deserve free speech protection?

[old mark]

7. Yes. nt