Will Grigg?s Liberty Minute

October 3, 2012

Antony Jon Jackson was taken to a detox center in Duluth, Minnesota. As he was being processed at the facility, the drunken man was surly and uncooperative. Surveillance video captured him making vaguely hostile statements about throwing his jacket at a female staffer.

Officer Richard Jouppi, who had brought Jackson to the facility, grabbed the smaller man?s right wrist in a control hold, and pulled his arm back behind his head. This had the predictable ? and, most likely, intended -- effect of provoking Jackson to swipe pitifully at Jouppi?s face. Jouppi retaliated by slugging Jackson ? who was in a wheelchair -- at least four times. The heroic officer then threw Jackson face-down on the floor before mounting him.

When the female staffer protested, Jouppi snarled:  ?Shut up ? back up, or I?ll arrest you, too!?

In his official report, Jouppi claimed that Jackson?s feeble swat at his face ?caused me to feel pain. ?

Jackson was originally charged with felony assault because he merely touched a police officer. That charge was dropped, and now Jouppi may be charged with fifth-degree misdemeanor assault for repeatedly slugging a man in a wheelchair.

Officer Jouppi, incidentally, is listed as an advisor to Duluth?s affiliate of the Police Explorers program, which trains Boy Scouts to become police officers.

Let us take back the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.