Karren Baird-Olson, 73 year old, CSUN Professor brutally attacked by LAPD Police

[bapyou]

Cops are such drama queens. They like to imagine they are in some sort of "dangerous" situation, therefore it's more exciting for them. Even if it is a peaceful protest, they'll imagine all sorts of things are going on to make the event into something that it's not. Also, cops will force arrests in order to bolster their record. That way they'll be promoted over other cops with less total number of arrests. It's a game they play. A stupid little girly game.

[chivas4188]

I am one of the students arrested, and we need as much video and pictures to prove what really happened March 4. The police brutalized us and disrupted the peace. Thanks to everybody that has shown support.

[NolramNrets]

To anyone who is defending the police, you should sincerely experience the feeling of a police boot shattering your upper arm bone against the pavement in response to you standing up for the right to bear arms or against abortion "murderers" or whatever it is your sick and twisted value system encourages.

[LAHarborCollegeASO]

Take a look at this other video, you can clearly see the police is the aggressor: watch?v=kmp1BXk6qGY

This was not a Students vs. Police demonstration, it was a cryout by students to bring attention to the fiscal attacks against California's Institutions of Higher Education. In an ideal society we should praise and support those who risk their lives to protect us. However, what happened here (March 4, 2010) to students and members of the community was completely unwarranted and unjustified.

[JWF505]

@LAHarborCollegeASO

they were in the street. you cant do that without a permit. i watched from the B3 parking structure and laughed as they walked into reseda. what did they think was going to happen? this was a stupid protest and leading it into the street forced the police to push them out. big deal.

[ciitizenjournalist]

One comment states you cannot see police hitting anyone in this video. You can clearly see this is a "peaceful protest" until I zoomed in on "Vollmer's" name tag. Someone said he was one of the officer's that was roughing students when arrests where being made. Other media pictures appear to collaborate that allegation. Right after I zoomed in on "Vollmer's" name tag the police starting pushing and hitting us with their batons. IT WAS NOT THE PROTESTERS WHO INSTIGATED THE CLASH.

[danthemar]

@offcrazad

So I take it you or someone you know is a cop? While I agree the video is poor, the audio no so much. Clearly there was an officer aggressor during the unfocused portion. LAPD is known (and proven on multiple accounts) to be malicious and use grossly excessive force. Police dont face any real danger anymore; THEY ARE THE DANGER! Its not a cliche', its a fucking fact. When was the last time anyone felt safer after seeing a cop much less have them be of any actual use. Broken system.

[danthemar]

*not so much..

[jbuck114]

Where in this video did the police do anything wrong? I just see a bunch of whiny cry babies. Go out and get a job to pay for your education. And by the way, California spends way more money on education than prisons. Look it up.

[offcrazad]

For all the people that say she was hit by a baton, stomped on show me where in this video that it happens. There is nothing in this video that shows her being hit or stomped on, half of the video is blurry and you can't make out what's going on.

And second I was there and saw what happened, how many of you that are posting were actually there and saw what happened? If you weren't there and didn't see first-hand what happened, don't talk.

[brainembargo]

@offcrazad

This video is serving as a forum for discussion of what happened--many of us discussing here WERE actually there.

Can I ask you what part you played in the protest? None of the protesters would tell people not to talk... only one side was doing that.

[BobForehead]

You must be confusing the country i love for somewhere else, bro. American cops have better things to do then to even begin to form lines against student protests, no matter what Bill Clinton said. Get those chips off of your shoulder and your job will get a whole lot easier, and no-one will ever wonder "Who whumped Granny?" coz it won't happen.

[59201WP]

@BobForehead The lady your calling granny is a hell of a lot smarter than you, she is my mother and my question to you is "What would you do and how would you feel if it was your mother?" short note: there is other videos that show what happen.

[BobForehead]

@59201WP admittedly, my sardonic veneer was a bit thick that day; but i still think that the second sentence's hyperbolic blanket-apologia (wherein i disavow the entirety of US student activism's history of getting shot, beaten and jailed for daring to show up in public) is sufficiently fanciful enough to carry the idea that the comment is meant as satirical voicing; and the hypothetically unusable rhetorical question is obviously not referring to a specific person.

[BobForehead]

@59201WP If it was my mom, i would feel pride in her willingness to stand up in the face of Authority for something she believed in; and surprise because that's not at all in her nature. I'd be obliged to Molatov the person who hits my mother in any situation. I trust you also understand this to be the acceptable thing for a son to do.

[GalacticJoy]

Did you see the new video.

You said that she was pushed off a curb by fellow protesters.

You were obviously lying.

Just like the people you are trying to protect do every day.

[SpreadFireFoxDotCom]

offcrazad is an acronym for:

 Officer Crazy, Asinine, & Dumb

[NolramNrets]

To make it clear what happened, Karren Baird Olsen, a 73 year old woman, had her arm stomped by police, and the bone was basically destroyed in her arm and shoulder. She had a metal rod inserted into her arm yesterday, March 6, 2010, in Northridge. These police need to be held accountable.

[GalacticJoy]

@offcrazad

HA! Spelling errors?

A defenseless peaceful elderly woman is in the hospital.

Our public education system is out of money.

Our prison system is over populated with inmates who were arrested solely because of their race.

(Instead spending money to feed, house, cloth and guard peaceful prisoners it could be spent educating the youth that desire more knowledge and a better education so passionately.)

And you nit pick over spelling errors. lol

Get your priorities straight.

[Thenebrosity]

lol you notice offcrazad is only pointing out trivial things like a missing letter to try to discredit this video? Also look how he said that "a fellow protester pushed her off the curb" and tried to make it seem like it's the professor's fault for "losing her balance and falling." This person has no credibility; just another person blindly supporting the police. They weren't on the curb when it happened.

[JayPhilosopher]

Unfortunately, the video doesn't really show what happened. However, the video does show that it was a peaceful demonstration and nobody should have been knocked to the ground.

If one or several police officers did over-react, they should be held accountable.

[offcrazad]

Whoever made this video needs to learn how to spell, so many spelling errors in the captions. Hostile has an i in it after the t, its not spelled hostle.

[crazylucho]

I wasn't there but many of my friends were & they said the officer in question did use excessive force on Dr Baird~Olson.

I've had her for a few classes & although she is always for a good protest, her 74 YEAR old self is hardly a threat to anyone let alone a bunch of police officers.

Sometimes you need to bend or break laws to make a point. If not many injustices that were LAWS such as slavery would still be codified in the books.

I'm just putting a broader perspective on things.

PEACE!

[GalacticJoy]

@offcrazad

I do not see any evidence in this video to support the claim you are making...Prove it

[offcrazad]

I say the same thing for the officer attacking her, no where in the video is that seen...Prove it

[offcrazad]

First off, this was an unlawful assembly; they did not have a permit to protest like the UCLA students did so it was an illegal protest. Second, the officers did nothing wrong, no excessive was used and the officers were doing their job, the trouble makers were removed and arrested. And don't talk trash if you haven't been in an officer's shoes because you have no idea what their job consists of.

[cowgirlmoon]

I don't know what happened, or how.... It's too bad this video doesn't show anything. For all we know, this could have been staged. I don't know Prof. Olson and cannot judge this event, as right, or wrong action, by either side. Justice can only be met with truth and there is nothing here, to help determine that.

[GalacticJoy]

@RyanInLA

Thank you for the info, Threw the eyes of this video there is obviously just as much of a chance that Professor Karren Baird-Olson was not pushed by Vollmer. Either way the truth will soon surface.

Whether or not Vollmer hit or pushed or stepped on this woman is a moot point.

People need to wake up and look at who the people are that are unjustly controlling them.

[GalacticJoy]

Please, if any one captured clearer video footage please post it as a video response.

Will it take another protest to get this Vollmer character dishonorably removed from the LAPD?

If he does not lose job.

Lets send the police a message. If they continue act in ways in which they acted during the 4/4 protests. We will be back in larger numbers and less compliant then ever.

[RyanInLA]

@GalacticJoy there is a video captured by KTLA sky cameras which appears to show the woman in question being pushed (it appears maliciously) by a fellow protestor.

Sorry -- i know how everyone likes to bash the LAPD. but not this time.

[cowgirlmoon]

@RyanInLA Sure wish I could see that video... if KTLA has it, they haven't uploaded it to youtube.

[offcrazad]

Thank you RyanInLA. The professor was at the front of the crowd, the crowd pushed forward and as stated, a fellow protestor pushed her off the curb, she lost her balance and fell.

[SaboCatGirl]

Yes, the protesters were not allowed to block off streets. However, a peaceful act of protest does not warrant violent action from the cops. I've been going to demonstrations all my life, and I know how the cops work in these situations. They push the crowds, split them up, cause confusion, and incite the violence so they can try to create an excuse for their own violent behavior. It's absolutely disgusting. Thugs in uniform.

[offcrazad]

Thugs in uniform? If you don't like the police, next time you need help don't bother calling 911 then.

[cowgirlmoon]

This doesn't show what set this off, or who made the first violent, or agressive move.

[ybed06]

unfortunately...this video shows NOTHING of brutality. There is a lot of camera shaking and screaming...but no clear video that anything actually happened.

[xXSolitaryManXx]

This lil piggy is going to fry. Is that bacon I smell cooking?

[giancarlo1985]

I'm not going to side with the police here. But let me say this, you were issued a permit. You need to follow the rules to keep it fair. If it was a neo-nazi rally ,could they then go block off other streets? The state issues permits to maintain fairness. Not for people to violate the terms of that permit and block off streets. However, despite my view on this, if there was malicious action by the officer(s), then there should be disciplinary action/prosecution.

[lovemusic180]

do u see anyone violating anything. people are just standing and protesting. And knowing Pr. Olson she for sure did not violate anything for her to get her arm broken and end up in the hospital.

[giancarlo1985]

Um, they did violate the law and I'm in favor of someone being detained in a peaceful manner. I'm not for any violent action that may have occurred. Understand that please. TWO WRONGS DON'T MAKE A RIGHT.

[rugbait]

Officer Vollmer, if you are indeed the cop who knocked this elderly lady to the ground, then you are a gutless coward. I hope the City of Los Angeles coughs up $millions on this one! If she was "breaking the law" then you were too with your mindless, excessive force. Smacking a 74-year-old lady across the head with a billy club - that is despicable! Therefore, you are either a Fascist Nazi or you're just stupid, maybe both. Any attorneys out there listening?

[findyourham]

I"ve linked this video to the Northridge Scoop page and have sent it to my Facebook contacts. Thanks for posting this video of our beloved mentor and friend. I hope people can see this video and understand what went down yesterday.

We'll visit her tomorrow in the hospital where she is waiting for complicated surgery to contend with what happened yesterday.

[Owen253]

Shame on the LAPD (again), but shame on this cameraperson, too. Way to fail. You were standing right there and could have got irrefutable evidence of yet another LAPD over use of force, but instead you got nothing. Effectively, you gave the LAPD a free pass on this. I can only hope someone else got this on tape. You're at a rally and you have a camera, your job is to document and record. That is your weapon. Use it.

[Tigerlilyjive]

Shame on the LAPD!!!! Karren is my American Indian Studies teacher this semester. I cannot believe this could happen to such a wonderful woman. How dare them to treat her like that. I pray to God she heals and that her spirits are as high as they always are in the classroom. She is an amazing woman!

[TheBattleContinues]

Give the person a break. Have you ever been in a situation like that? I have--it's chaotic as fuck and not always easy, and especially when you have a camera, you are a huge target for the cops and they will do what they can to keep you from filming.

[Enthymene]

I wasn't there for this protest, though I drove by the roadblock that was preventing people from entering the area on Reseda Blvd. If you were one of those I see on this video with cameras, please come forward with whatever you've got of this incident. Also, if you're aware of a flikr photostream or suchlike related to this, we need to cross-link them.

[Enthymene]

Heh, I should clarify that I drove *PAST* the roadblock, not *THROUGH* it. They were letting people out but not in.

[omani15]

Dr. Karren Baird-Olson is my mother. I talked to her a few hours ago and even though I know she will be alright eventually I am sobbing as I watch this video. As of 11 am PT on Friday she was still waiting to have her arm set. It was broken when someone stepped on it. She told me that after she was hit alongside the head with a billy club and thrown to the ground, she looked up and saw a black military type boot coming down. Her arm wil take 6 months to a year to heal.

[lovemusic180]

If this really is Pr. Olson daughter then I really hope ur mom is doing better. She is in my prayers and I will try to visit her. This is really unfortunate and I wish the cop gets fired for good! Best wishes

[caligirlie123]

hey, have you emailed this to SQE (students for quality educaiton)? They need vids like this.. they're having a meeting today @ 2.

[skeelo0282]

I was here on March 4 2010! This is ridiculous!!! Students ONLY want what we should have without having to protest or do any of this! EDUCATION for crying out loud!! THERE IS ALWAYS MONEY FOR WAR but NOT EDUCATION!? HOW can this be??! And Mrs. Olsen.. Poor Mrs. Olsen .. LAPD SHAME ON YOU!! LAUSD SHAME ON YOU!!! OFFICER VOLMER SHAME ON YOU!!!!