Occupy Oakland: 10 questions police must answer over Scott Olsen injuries

More than 36 hours after an Iraq veteran was seriously injured by a police projectile, Oakland PD chief Howard Jordan has said the incident will be 'vigorously investigated'. Here are 10 questions police must answer

Occupy Oakland protesters carry Scott Olsen away after he was hit in the head on Tuesday night. Photograph: Kimihiro Hoshino/AFP/Getty Images

1. Did police officers from outside Oakland obey OPD rules on what sort of anti-riot measures could be taken? Numerous units from neighbouring police forces participated in the action against the protesters and OPD has said they were obliged to obey OPD procedures. Did outside forces uses flash-bang grenades which OPD has specifically said it did not usebut protesters have reported? If other forces overstepped OPD guidelines, why did they do this?

2. Did any law enforcement agency involved in the police action use rubber or foam bullets? If so, why?

3. Did the OPD exceed the advice and instructions of Oakland mayor Jean Quan? Quan, who was in Washington at the time of the operation, has said she asked OPD to do "one thing" which was to make sure the operation happened when it was safest to do so. What was the exact nature of discussions between OPD and the mayor's office?

4. Do the police have evidence for their claims that protesters threw illegal M-80 fireworks at officers?

5. Given the serious head injuries to Scott Olsen, what sort of measures were OPD taking to insure the projectiles they fired were not shot directly into the crowd?

6. Exactly what sort of projectile hit Olsen: a bean-bag round, a smoke grenade, a tear-gas canister or something else?

7. What measures are OPD taking to identify the individual officer who fired the projectile that hit Olsen and caused such serious injuries? How did that projectile come to hit Olsen in the head? Was it fired directly at him at head height?

8. Video shows at least one explosive projectile thrown by a police officer at protesters as they go to help the clearly injured Olsen who is lying prone on the ground bleeding. Why did police use such force on people as they helped an obviously wounded man? Which officer or officers were involved?

9. Exactly what are the guidelines for the use of non-lethal weapons by OPD and why was the decision taken to deploy such tactics while clearing the Occupy Oakland encampment in Frank Ogawa Plaza?

10. What specific and actual evidence does OPD have to back up its claims that the Occupy Oakland encampments were such a threat to health and safety and law and order that a dawn raid to clear the protestwas necessary?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/27/occupy-oakland-scott-olsen-questions