Federal Appeals Court Heard Arguments Today in Law Enforcement Brutality at Backwater Bridge at Stan
ST. LOUIS -- A federal appeals court heard arguments in the class action lawsuit filed for excessive force at Backwater Bridge at Standing Rock. The issues argued included whether water protectors were free to leave, whether law enforcement feared for their lives, and whether the use of munitions, including bean bags filled with shot, and water sprayed on water protectors in temperatures below freezing, was justified or legal.
Rachel Lederman, lead counsel for water protectors, said law enforcement fired indiscriminately in a "free for all" grabbing whatever weapons they could that night.
Lederman pointed out that the National Congress of American Indians described those at Standing Rock as "non-violent" and said they posed no dire threat.
Three hundred water protectors were injured on the night of November 20, 2016, at Backwater Bridge at Standing Rock. Twenty-six were seriously injured and taken by ambulance to nearby hospitals.
Attorney Shawn Grinolds, defending Morton County and law enforcement, said officers feared for their lives because a month earlier, on Oct. 27, 2016, at north camp, water protectors "stampeded buffalo." Grinolds said another reason they feared for their lives was at Backwater Bridge officers were "flanked" by water protectors "into the prairie."
Although law enforcement claims water protectors threw metal objects at officers, and had weapons in camp, Lederman said law enforcement claims are disputed.
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2023/09/federal-appeals-court-heard-arguments.html