The video of the clash between Occupy protesters and Oakland police is disturbing. Gas, fire, rubber bullets, and bean bags. But now, one officer is being investigated for his role in the clash.
Captain Ersie Joyner approved the use of the non-lethal beans during the riots after Mayor Quan ordered the Occupy encampment cleared. The 20-year veteran didn’t order any particular officer to fire the rounds wantonly at the protesters. As Joyner says, he said that officers being approached by protesters could use force only after the protesters crossed a particular line.
However, a video appears to show one officer who violated the order and fired under suspicious circumstances. That officer has been taken off of a SWAT team and is also being investigated, but Captain Joyner (who was not at the scene of the shooting) has been assigned to a desk while the investigation continues. He faces charges of dereliction of duty and giving an unlawful order.
From the Oakland Tribune:
As outrage and debate continue about the tactics police have used against Occupy protesters, the Oakland Police Department is investigating the captain who approved the use of beanbag projectiles against demonstrators Nov. 3.
Capt. Ersie M. Joyner III, 42, said Wednesday that he could be fired or demoted pending the investigation. He was placed in a bureaucratic job in the department’s Office of the Inspector General about two weeks ago while the review continues, but he said he expects the investigation will show he did nothing wrong.
Read the full article here.