The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Immigration protests shift to City Hall after camp torn down
PHILADELPHIA » Philadelphia protesters angry over federal immigration policies have shifted their protests to City Hall a day after police cleared out their encampment of tents, canopies and umbrellas outside federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices.
Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney says he sympathizes with the demonstrators and calls ICE policies “cruel.”
But he’s defending the police decision Thursday to tear down an encampment that officials say was blocking access to ICE offices and other businesses. He says the demonstrators ignored repeated warnings.
The protesters are now set up on a side of City Hall. They want a detention center in Pennsylvania for families in the U.S. illegally to be shut down.
Philadelphia only turns over immigrants in the country illegally to federal authorities who have a warrant signed by a judge. he played football in college, testified he and the victim were scuffling and that he eventually “tackled” the victim during the scuffle.
“I’m a football player. I tackled him the only way I knew how to tackle him. I didn’t want to hurt him. I didn’t come down to Bridgeport to fight,” Heuer testified, claiming he immediately backed away when the victim complained that his leg was injured. “I tackled him, that’s all I can say.”
Defense lawyer John McMahon Jr. argued it was “an unfortunate incident” during a “very emotional situation.”
“His purpose, his intent was not to hurt (the victim). What this case comes down to is basically a tackle that had a fluke result,” said McMahon, arguing the injury “was not a natural and expected outcome of Mr. Heuer’s conduct.” “It was a tackle.”
McMahon also suggested Heuer acted in selfdefense and tried to get the victim into a position where he couldn’t hurt him during the scuffle.
But Assistant District Attorney Douglas Lavenberg argued Heuer intended to cause injury to the man.
“This is not a fluke injury. These are the actions of someone acting deliberately. This isn’t mutual combat,” Lavenberg argued.
Lavenberg also showed the jury a social media post Heuer made about 30 minutes after the incident in which Heuer stated, “I picked him up and body slammed him and dislocated his knee.”
When police arrived at the scene they found the victim sitting on a curb unable to walk and in extreme pain. The victim was transported by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment, according to the criminal complaint filed by Bridgeport Police Officer Steven Bailey.