FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): New video evidence contradicts the Fort Wayne Police Department’s account of how a racial injustice protester lost his right eye during Memorial Day Weekend protests that turned chaotic.
Video released by the Washington Post seems to support 21-year-old Balin Brake’s account that he was hit in the right eye by a tear gas canister, fired by police, as he was walking away while police tried to break up demonstrations on Saturday, May 30th. He lost the eye as a result.
RELATED: Protester loses eye after being hit in face with tear gas
The FWPD had said Brake was bending down to pick up another gas canister to throw at police at the time that he was hit, that it bounced into him, and that there was no deployment of gas to any person’s head.
“According to our officers on the ground, the protester was still in the area after commands to leave the area were given. Gas was deployed in the area and the protester bent over to pick up the canister to throw it back at officers as many others were trying to do. When he bent over another canister was deployed in the area and that canister skipped and hit the protester in the eye. There was no deliberate deployment of gas to any person’s head,” said an official FWPD statement issued at the time.
An FWPD spokesperson declined a request to comment by the Journal Gazette, citing a developing legal case.
Find the Washington Post’s video here. Brake’s specific incident occurs at 2:12 in the video.
3 comments
Since I can’t watch the video without subscribing to the Washington Post, I won’t watch the video. But on the WP’s website of the Video (the part you can see behind the subscription screen) the caption below reads:
….”On May 30, at least eight people lost vision in one eye after being struck by police projectiles. The Post reconstructed the circumstances of three of those incidents”……..
There is no way any rational person would consider a “News” website’s reconstruction “New video evidence” and therefore, another Non-story
Is this story just to gain WP subscriptions? HAHA
The “Protester” was hit in the eye….while walking away…? So did the canister a) bounce off something making contact with his eye, or b) make a 180 degree turn in mid-air to hit him in the eye, or c) “protester” is lying.
In cases A & B above would not be intentional but case C is intentional.
On a side-note: kudos to WOWO for calling the Rioters “protesters”…makes them seem innocent
The “Protester” was in the street. It wasn’t at a crosswalk nor did he or anyone else have a permit to do so for this protest. Repeatedly ordered by the FWPD to leave, the “Protesters” declined. Only after teargas was being used did the crowd decide to oblige. These were lawbreakers. What do you expect? This “Protester” put himself in harms way. City Councilwoman Michelle Chambers wants these lawbreakers released. Are you kidding me? Now she chairs the City of Fort Wayne’s Commission on Police Reform. Wake up Fort Wayne. This isn’t progress. It’s unrelenting liberalism and fascism. Citizens of Fort Wayne, do you want this city to become another Seattle?