A video by the Rocky Mountain News that depicts a police officer shoving a Code Pink activist to the ground with a baton at a Civic Center protest on Tuesday will be investigated by Denver’s police monitor.
Here is the video:
The News reports that Richard Rosenthal, head of Denver’s Office of the Independent Monitor, will review what happened:
The video shows an officer quickly shoving Forrest with the length of his baton, forcing her to the ground with a smack. Later, as she was speaking with reporters, the video shows police coming behind her and dragging her away.
Lt. Ron Saunier, a police spokesman, said the 30-second video is “kind of jumpy” on his computer and doesn’t give the full context of the situation.
“Just shown in that context, you don’t get what the whole dynamics or the full situation is,” he said.
Richard Rosenthal, Denver’s independent monitor, who saw the video online at the request of the Rocky, said the incident warrants additional review.
“Obviously, looking at that, I’d want to look at the use of force report. I’d want the department to look and evaluate,” he said.
Rosenthal declined to share his initial thoughts on the officer’s actions.
The 22-year-old woman who was shoved to the ground and subsequently arrested is Alicia Forrest from Courtside, Ariz. She is still in jail, according to police reports, and is being charged with interference with a police authority.
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