Footage shows police beating 'peaceful' Iraq war veteran Kayvan Sabehgi

Occupy Oakland: footage shows police beating 'peaceful' Iraq war veteran
Oakland police investigating after ex-marine Kayvan Sabehgi suffered a ruptured spleen in apparently unprovoked incident

Adam Gabbatt
guardian.co.uk, Friday 18 November 2011

Video footage has emerged of a police officer beating an Iraq war veteran so hard that he suffered a ruptured spleen in an apparently unprovoked incident at a recent Occupy protest in California.

The footage, which has been shared with the Guardian, shows Kayvan Sabehgi standing in front of a police line on the night of Occupy Oakland's general strike on 2 November, when he is set upon by an officer.

He does not appear to be posing any threat, nor does he attempt to resist, yet he is hit numerous times by an officer clad in riot gear who appears determined to beat him to the ground.

Sabehgi, 32, an Oakland resident and former marine who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, has since undergone surgery on his spleen. He says it took hours for him to be taken to hospital, despite complaining of severe pain. Police have told the Guardian they are investigating the incident.
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original story
Iraq Veteran in intensive care after beating

Iraq veteran in intensive care after being beaten by police

With all the uproar over Scott Olsen being hit by a teargas canister, this should really set veterans off since Sabehgi was beaten, so there is no way he was hit on accident.

Occupy Oakland: second Iraq war veteran injured after police clashes
Kayvan Sabehgi in intensive care with a lacerated spleen after protests in Oakland, a week after Scott Olsen was hurt. He says police beat him with batons

Adam Gabbatt
guardian.co.uk, Friday 4 November 2011

A second Iraq war veteran has suffered serious injuries after clashes between police and Occupy movement protesters in Oakland.

Kayvan Sabehgi, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, is in intensive care with a lacerated spleen.

He says he was beaten by police close to the Occupy Oakland camp, but despite suffering agonising pain, did not reach hospital until 18 hours later.

Sabehgi, 32, is the second Iraq war veteran to be hospitalised following involvement in Oakland protests. Another protester, Scott Olsen, suffered a fractured skull on 25 October.

On Wednesday night, police used teargas and non-lethal projectiles to drive back protesters following an attempt by the Occupy supporters to shut down the city of Oakland.

Sabehgi told the Guardian from hospital he was walking alone along 14th Street in central Oakland – away from the main area of clashes – when he was injured.

"There was a group of police in front of me," he told the Guardian from his hospital bed. "They told me to move, but I was like: 'Move to where?' There was nowhere to move.
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Oakland Police Officer Joshua Smith's life saved by badge

Oakland Police Officer Joshua Smith's life saved by badge
A police officer survives being shot at point blank range due to his badge. WMC's Lori Brown reports.

Well that was the story but one of Wounded Times readers left a comment with what happened after this was posted. Here it is!

Former Oakland officer pleads guilty to lying about shooting

Action 5 News
By Nick Kenney
Published: Dec. 9, 2010

OAKLAND, TN (WMC-TV) - A former Oakland police officer pleaded guilty Thursday to making up a story about his badge stopping a bullet and saving his life.

Last December, Joshua Smith claimed his police badge stopped a bullet during a Christmas Eve traffic stop on Highway 64 in Oakland.

Smith told investigators a passenger got out of the stopped car and swung a knife at him. As he subdued the man, Smith said, the driver pulled out a gun and shot at him.

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