John Weston
Osburn, News Photographer, Sues Oakland Cops for Being Too Aggressive
A news
photographer is suing Oakland cops for allegedly employing their heavy-handed
tactics, similar to the complaints we've heard from Occupy Oakland protesters.
The photographer,
John Weston Osburn, a longtime member of Indybay Media, was covering a Oscar
Grant protest in downtown Oakland on July 8, 2010 when police tackled him and
wrongfully detained him, according to a lawsuit filed in Alameda County. The
protest was in reaction to the involuntary manslaughter verdict handed down to
BART Officer Johannes Mehserle, who shot and killed Grant on New Year's Day.
Osburn was
covering the protest for the online news publication when he says he was
singled-out by riot police, tackled and injured. Osburn says the cops pointed
him out and then went after him, "maliciously and sadistically"
twisting his wrists and handcuffing him so tightly he was severely injured, and
unable to hold his camera to do his job.
He was
charged with attempted arson and detained by the Oakland Police Department for
five days, the claim states. Alex Katz, chief of staff of the Oakland City
Attorney's Office, told SF Weekly last week that the city has not yet been
served with the federal lawsuit, and therefore would not comment.
Calls to
Osburn's attorneys went unreturned.
Osburn is
suing the City of Oakland, Sgt. B. Ortiz, Officer J. Cunnie, and Lt. (fnu)
Hamilton. He is seeking punitive damages for unreasonable seizure, and
constitutional violations, including denial of due process.