When Peacekeepers turn violent
Warning - this video news story portrays violence, intimidation, and profanity - https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=573734137201762
"I'm going to tell you this: Some people in this community criticize a group in town called the Central Oregon Peacekeepers," he said. "I think highly of them. They gave me evidence that I shared with the Bend Police Department about this case that we didn't know when we gave it to them. I give them kudos, I thank you." - John Hummel, District Attorney
https://centraloregondaily.com/%e2%96%b6%ef%b8%8f-da-announces-second-degree-murder-charges-in-shooting-of-barry-washington-jr/
"You lied and said you had permission from Barry Washington's mother to share the video of his murder. You're not journalists. You're a trash tabloid that publicized what was essentially a snuff film that you were given by the fiance of the murderer. Play the victim all you want, but there's a reason why every other news outlet besides you was welcome in that crowd today." - Michael Satcher, co-founder of the Central Oregon Peacekeepers
Calm inside, Chaos outside https://www.facebook.com/CentralOregonDaily/videos/573734137201762
In an outdoor evening press conference worthy of a Roman gladiator spectacle Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel announced the outcome of a Grand Jury hearing in the shooting death of Mr. Barry Washington at the hands of Mr. Ian Cranston. Hummel was quick to praise the assistance his office received from the Central Oregon Peacekeepers while minimizing the initial investigatory efforts of the Bend Police Department and supporting local and federal law enforcement agencies, to include the FBI which would be the lead federal agency in any kind of hate crime investigation of the murder.
Hummel did not mention the same group's recent storming of the offices of the Central Oregon Daily News in their effort to intimidate the station's broadcasting of a video clip showing the shooting. In addition, the Peacekeepers urged their social media followers to call the station where they further vilified the staff and management to the point where the phones had to be placed on voice mail, further interrupting the station's business operations.
The station's Facebook page was also targeted with numerous comments defaming the station and its employees in an effort to cause further trauma and fear should it continue to cover the Cranston murder case and upcoming trial in a manner unwanted by the Peacekeepers.
Bend Police were called to the station's business officers. It is unknown if citations were issued. In the past the District Attorney has routinely dismissed trespass citations issued by the Bend Police Department, after officers have been advised by the various property owners they do not want the group on their property, to members of the Peacekeepers. Hummel recently issued a multi-page memorandum accusing Chief Mike Krantz and his agency of being "obsessed" with the group, a group he has increasingly made it clear he will use his office to protect.
Local business owners wishing not to be identified for fear of reprisal by the Peacekeepers are raising their concerns, as well. The week before the Peacekeepers co-sponsored a boycott of the news channel asking business owners to cancel or withhold their advertising or face being picketed and cyber-attacked on social media. One such business provided the above message, offering it had stopped its advertising as the owner was concerned about being subjected to the kind of harassment the news station fell prey to just a week later.
Indeed, the founder of the Peacekeepers, Mr. Luke Richter, posted this comment on his social media page as the boycott effort was underway.
"Its a good day to let people know not to support Central Oregon Daily News and anyone that does business with them. Saxons and Hooker Creek have made it known they will be doing something about this. If i dont see more companies do the same soon ima just start showing up places."
The legal ramifications of attacking a Free Press
PHYSICAL VIOLENCE
In recent years, journalists have had more and more reminders that while doing their jobs,?their safety?(and that of their families) may be on the line.
IT LOOKS LIKE THIS:
领英推荐
THE EFFECTS ARE:
Protect your right to know - https://protectpressfreedom.org/threats/
Are the Central Oregon Peacekeepers truly peaceful? Their increasing trajectory toward physical violence and intimidation of the community they offer they are "protecting" appears otherwise.
Author bio
Greg Walker (ret) has written and lectured on domestic and international terrorism for over two decades now. His articles have appeared in Jane's International Police Review and the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Report. He was a guest lecturer on community policing in London, England, while a serving police officer in Astoria, Oregon, and has spoken on the same theme for the Oregon Department of Justice.
A retired Special Forces intelligence soldier, Mr. Walker served at the Coalition Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC-Main) on a specialized intelligence team during the ramp-up for the ground war in Iraq. In 2006, he medically retired from the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office in Bend, Oregon, as a criminal intelligence detective.
Today, he lives and writes from his home in Sisters, Oregon, along with his service pup, Tommy.
Published Author
3 年The "evidence" as reported elsewhere (Bend Weekly Source) that the Peacekeepers provided to the DA Office consisted of screen shots made of alleged posts on both the suspect and his fiance's FB pages. Those pages have since been shut down and the screen shots cannot be verified (again, per the Bend Weekly Source).