WICHITA, August 26, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A year after her violent arrest while protesting against abortion at the Kansas Coliseum, 20-year-old Karen Myers was declared innocent of failing to obey a policeman’s order. The judge declared August 24 that the police officer’s order – to move back from the Coliseum driveway 100 feet – was unlawful. Sheriff’s Deputy Edwin Simpson not only issued an unlawful order to Myers and the other protesters: he also inflicted severe injuries on the girl while arresting her, threatening two others with “you’re next” if they did not leave the scene. According to witnesses, Simpson grabbed Myers without warning, twisted her arms and threw her to the ground. He then put his full weight on her back with his knee and cuffed her as she screamed in pain and begged him to stop hurting her. Soon after the slender 20-year-old was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance.
Operation Rescue President Troy Newman, who was arrested with Myers (charges against him were later dropped), said after Tuesday’s ruling, “Our attorneys did a magnificent job defending not only Miss Myers, but the First Amendment as well,” adding that a civil lawsuit against the officers involved, especially Deputies Edwin Simpson and his companion Elton Bowman, was being seriously considered. See full coverage at https://www.operationrescue.org/archives/000090.shtml
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