Scott Olsen, 24, is the Iraq war veteran who was shot in the head with rubber bullets by Oakland Police last night, after a peaceful Occupy Oakland demonstration took a violent turn.
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According to Keith Shannon, a close friend of Olsen, the Iraq veteran sustained a skull fracture and swelling of the brain and is currently in critical condition.
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Olsen was in the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, and served two tours in Iraq before leaving the military last year. He had been opposed to the Iraq war even before his first tour to the country, according to Shannon.
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The shooting was captured on video and Scott Olsen is depicted unresponsive and bleeding from the head as he is carried away by protesters. Olsen is a member of Veterans for Peace, a national organization that helps Americans vets returning from war.
Tear gas and rubber bullets filled the streets last night in a horribly violent and dangerous display.
The Occupy Wall Street movement, which aims to end corporate greed and flush the money out of politics, started in New York 40 days ago and has quickly spread across the country, with protestors setting up camp to demonstrate in various public venues, including Oakland, CA.
We support the Occupy cause. To find out how you can help, visit OccupyWallSt.org.
UPDATE:
Veteran For Peace released a statement on their fallen brother Scott Olsen:
“Veteran For Peace member, Scott Olsen, a Marine Corps veteran twice deployed to Iraq, is in hospital now in stable but serious condition with a fractured skull, struck by a police projectile fired into a crowd in downtown Oakland, California in the early morning hours of today. Other people were injured in the assault and many were arrested after Oakland police in riot gear were ordered to evict people encamped in the ongoing “Occupy Oakland” movement. Olsen is also a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War.”
To read the complete statement click over to Veterans For Peace
