User:Viriditas/Scott Olsen

Scott Olsen is an Iraq war veteran who suffered a skull fracture caused by a police projectile during the Occupy Oakland protests.

Occupy Oakland
On October 25, 2011, Scott Olsen, a 24-year-old former Marine and Iraq War veteran, suffered a skull fracture caused by a projectile that witnesses believed was a tear gas or smoke canister fired by the police.

A video by protesters shows the explosion of what appears to be a flash-bang device thrown by one officer near protesters attempting to aid Olsen. The Associated Press later reported that it was not known exactly what kind of object had struck Olsen or who had thrown or fired it, but that protesters had been throwing rocks and bottles. The Guardian reported that a projectile found near where Olsen fell was a so-called "bean bag round". Olsen was rushed to the hospital by other protesters, who were fired upon with unknown police projectiles while attempting to aid him. Doctors said that he was in critical condition. At least two other protesters were injured. The American Civil Liberties Union and National Lawyers Guild are calling for an investigation into the use of excessive force by Oakland police. However, the investigation by the Citizens Police Review Board is expected to last several months.

Olsen served two tours of duty as a data network specialist in the Iraq War, was awarded seven medals (including the Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal), and received an administrative discharge as a lance corporal in November 2009 after serving four years. While still an active-duty servicemember, Olsen created a website called "I hate the Marine Corps" as a forum for "like-minded grunts to vent". Despite the site's title, Olsen insists he doesn't in fact hate the Marine Corps, nor does he regret his enlistment.

At least 1,000 people held a candlelight vigil for Scott Olsen in front of Oakland City Hall on October 27, 2011. He was released from the hospital around November 10, and is gradually recovering from his injuries but has difficulty speaking. On November 14, he posted a statement on a social networking site stating, "After my freedom of speech was quite literally taken from me, my speech is coming back but I've got a lot of work to do with rehab." A video interview with Olsen, the first since his injury, was published November 28, 2011, on the San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center web site. In short order, Olsen was subsequently interviewed on three nationally televised cable news shows: MSNBC's The Ed Show (Nov. 29), MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show (Dec. 1) and Current TV's Countdown with Keith Olbermann (Dec. 2).

In March 2012, a report revealed Olsen was hit by a beanbag round, rather than a tear-gas canister as had been suggested.