Baton Rouge cop sues Black Lives Matter activist for 'riot' that injured him

By Thandisizwe Chimurenga
Tuesday Nov 08, 2016 · 6:51 AM EST

An unnamed police officer, identified only as “John Doe,” is suing DeRay McKesson over injuries sustained in Baton Rouge during a July 2016 protest. McKesson was in the city in support of a protest against the death of Alton Sterling by Baton Rouge police officers on July 5.

The unnamed officer's federal lawsuit says he was struck in the face by a piece of concrete or a "rock like substance" thrown at police during a July 9 protest over the death of Alton Sterling, a black man shot and killed during a scuffle with two white officers.

The suit doesn't accuse Mckesson, Baltimore schools administrator, of throwing anything at officers but claims he "incited the violence" on behalf of Black Lives Matter, which also is named as a defendant.

Mckesson "was in charge of the protests and he was seen and heard giving orders throughout the day and night of the protests," the suit says. "The protest turned into a riot."

The suit, which seeks unspecified damages, says the officer lost teeth and had injuries to his jaw and brain.

McKesson is acknowledged as one of several key figures in the Black Lives Matter movement—but not a member of the Black Lives Matter Network which claims approximately 30 chapters throughout the United States and internationally. McKesson and other activists are the co-founders of Project Zero which is a policy-oriented effort at police reform. The protests in Baton Rouge were called by the New Black Panther Party; McKesson was not in charge of the protests as erroneously stated in the anonymous officer’s federal lawsuit filed on Nov. 7.

A video in July showed Mckesson walking alongside Airline Highway on his way back to the main area where the protests were going on when he was arrested.

On the video, Mckesson could be heard talking with fellow protesters and describing what he said was provocative police behavior against protesters.

“The police in Baton Rouge have been truly awful tonight,” Mckesson said on the video. “They have provoked people, they chase people just for kicks. The police have been violent tonight. The protesters have not.”

Moments later, someone shouts, “This is the police, you’re under arrest! Don’t fight me! Don’t fight me!”

McKesson responds: “I’m under arrest, y’all!” before the camera is knocked to the ground. He was reportedly released from custody about 15 hours later.

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http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/11/8/1593156/-Baton-Rouge-cop-sues-Black-Lives-Matter-activist-for-riot-that-injured-him