Protester accidentally shoots self in foot outside Florissant police station

[Sherman A1]

Protester accidentally shoots himself in foot outside of Florissant Police Department, police say

A protester accidentally shot themselves while demonstrating in front of the Florissant Police Department Tuesday night, according to police.

https://www.kmov.com/protester-accidentally-shoots-self-in-foot-outside-florissant-police-station/video_6104d84d-78ba-5d91-bb84-bebd7ba2340c.html

[PTWB]

1. It said he was carrying a rifle and police helped him...

Do we know if he was one of those right winger “counter protesters” or what?

[Sneederbunk]

2. A metaphor?

[LakeArenal]

3. That is annoying when they don't specify what protest.

Leads us to think maybe someone would like to pin it on BLM.

[gratuitous]

5. The wording is cagey, isn't it?

The caption to the video is "A protestor accidentally shot themselves." What the fuck? "A" protestor shot "themselves"? The editor off at lunch when that got typed in?

[FBaggins]

6. Photo

"Police said the man has been known to protest outside the police department with a long rifle"
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/protests/florissant-protester-accidentally-shoots-himself/63-6b2c3326-396d-4a5b-89d8-fb21826b8b18

?resize=640%2C427

[greenjar_01]

4. D'oh!

[KY_EnviroGuy]

7. This is the incident on which this protest is based....

Florissant detective Joshua Smith loses job, under criminal investigation for assaulting man with vehicle and fists
By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

Link: http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/florissant-detective-joshua-smith-loses-job-under-criminal-investigation-for-assaulting-man-with-vehicle-and/article_1cc786f0-ab5d-11ea-a8e5-e77dda3fe00d.html

(snips)

At about 11:30 p.m. on June 2, a Florissant police officer driving an unmarked SUV ran into and over an unarmed young black man. The officer then exited his vehicle, pinned down the injured man and struck him twice with his fists. The victim repeated four times, “I don’t have nothing” while the officer cuffed his hands behind his back.

The assault, captured on Ring video that was posted by Real STL News, took less than 30 seconds. The incident occurred in the 9800 block of Eastdell Drive, which is in Dellwood. At first the officer was suspended with pay; the victim reportedly was hospitalized.

Florissant Police Chief Timothy Fagan said the officer was a 31-year-old detective who had been on the force for nine years. Cop Blaster was the first to identify him as Detective Joshua Smith.

Related article from 6/17 with video:

Florissant cop charged with felony assault, armed criminal action
Joshua Smith struck unarmed pedestrian with police SUV then kicked, punched him during arrest
By Chris King Of The St. Louis American
Jun 17, 2020

Link: http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/florissant-cop-charged-with-felony-assault-armed-criminal-action/article_f6a9bd06-b0bd-11ea-911f-43c7ad2a787f.html

(snip)

After more than a week of protests and one day after the release of an incriminating video, Joshua L. Smith was charged with 1st Degree Assault, Armed Criminal Action and 4th Degree Assault for driving a Florissant Police SUV into an unarmed man, then kicking and punching him on the ground before cuffing him.

The charge of 1st Degree Assault is a Class A felony. Smith’s bond was set at $50,000.

St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Tim Lohmar announced the charges on Wednesday, June 17. The day before, attorneys for the victim released a new surveillance video that shows Smith veering off the road and deliberately striking a fleeing pedestrian with his unmarked SUV. Smith then exits his vehicle, kicks the injured man on the ground, and then strikes him with his fists twice before cuffing him.

Attorneys Jermaine Wooten and Jerryl Christmas, who have been retained by the victim, claimed the video is sufficient evidence to charge Smith with Assault 1st Degree and Armed Criminal Action. Clearly, the special prosecutor agreed.

I've found no information from a number of news sources that describes who the protester was that experienced a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

KY

[FBaggins]

8. His shirt appears to be a variant of the Black Panther Party logo

See photo above

[KY_EnviroGuy]

9. I believe it's the "New Black Panther Party"...

The ADL says:

New Black Panther Party
Group Status: Active

The New Black Panther Party for Self Defense (not related to the original Black Panther Party) is the most extreme organized racist and anti-Semitic African-American group in the United States.

From: https://www.adl.org/education/references/hate-symbols/new-black-panther-party

and form the SPLC..........

Link: https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/new-black-panther-party

The New Black Panther Party is a virulently racist and antisemitic organization whose leaders have encouraged violence against whites, Jews and law enforcement officers.
Extremist Group Info: SPLC Designated Hate Group
Date Founded: 1989
Location: Washington, D.C.

Founded in Dallas, the group portrays itself as a militant, modern-day expression of the black power movement. Although it frequently engages in armed protests of alleged police brutality, non-racist, left wing members of the original Black Panther Party of the 1960s and 1970s have rejected the new Panthers as a “black racist hate group” and contested their hijacking of the Panther name and symbol.

KY