Cop Identified in Scott Olsen Incident?

[demmiblue]

Source: East Bay Express

<snip>

One of the most indelible images of the Occupy movement to date is that of Marine veteran Scott Olsen being carried away from a skirmish line of riot police at 14th Street and Broadway on October 25 in Oakland. Stunned and bleeding from an ugly gash on his forehead, the 24-year-old Wisconsin native had been struck in the head by an unknown projectile during the first salvo of tear gas, flash-bang grenades, and less-than-lethal munitions fired at hundreds of Occupy Oakland supporters facing off against Oakland police and several other Bay Area law enforcement agencies called in on mutual aid.

<snip>

But an extensive review of video footage and Oakland Police Department records by this reporter indicates that Robert Roche, an acting sergeant in the Oakland Police Department and member of OPD's "Tango Teams," threw the flash-bang at Olsen and his rescuers. It's also not the first time that Roche's actions have come under scrutiny. Police records show that Roche had previously killed three people in the line of duty.

In one clip of footage shot on October 25 by KTVU, the camera zooms in on a helmeted, gas-mask wearing officer in OPD insignia pointing a shotgun at the crowd. Olsen's inert body is also visible in front of the barriers. Another video clip shows the same officer training his shotgun on the crowd, lowering the firearm as a crowd gathers around Olsen, and stepping back behind a line of San Francisco sheriff's deputies on the barricade line. A grenade is then tossed at Olsen's body as rescuers arrive.

<snip>

OPD's "Tango teams," or tactical teams, have been at the heart of some of the most intense clashes of the Occupy Oakland movement (see "Oakland Used Violent Cops Against Occupy," 12/21/2012). Aside from the Olsen incident, video from the evening of the November 2 General Strike shows an unidentified OPD officer wearing a rucksack emblazoned with "Tango Team" striking US Army veteran Kayvan Sabeghi with a baton. Sabeghi was later hospitalized for a ruptured spleen.

http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/cop-identified-in-scott-olsen-incident/Content?oid=3131933

[KansDem]

1. He's killed three people "in the line of duty?"

Police records show that Roche had previously killed three people in the line of duty.

Isn't that a bit unusual?

[backscatter712]

2. Paging Anonymous! Paging Anonymous! A doxing is in order!!!

I hope he likes having pizzas delivered to him at 4am...

[AnotherMcIntosh]

3. One fatal shooting of a 15-year old led to a $500,000 pay out.

The officers' defense was that the 15-year old was in possession of a sawed-off rifle at the time.

"In March 2008, fifteen-year-old Jose Buenrostro was shot to death by Roche and two other officers while in possession of a sawed-off rifle on 79th Avenue in East Oakland. Buenrostro's family received a $500,000 wrongful death settlement from the City of Oakland in 2010, even though police claimed that Buenrostro pointed the weapon at them."

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/02/22/18707905.php

Although that was dis-believed by the 15-year old's family, and although a settlement was reached so that that issue could not and would never be resolved by an impartial court of law, that claim was sufficient to satisfy Roche' s superiors so that he was not disciplined by being fired.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

4. Note, Roche was not the only one involved in the shooting.

http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/cop-identified-in-scott-olsen-incident/Content?oid=3131933