(FOX40.COM) — Police are investigating after a man said he was assaulted while protesting ICE in downtown Sacramento.
Scott Stauffer told FOX40 that a group of “MAGA” supporters showed up around 3 p.m. Saturday when he was protesting alongside a few others outside the John E. Moss Federal Building, which houses the Sacramento Immigration Court and has faced criticism from local leaders over its use as an ICE detention facility.
“They show up [with] 20 trucks, take up this whole road,” Stauffer said. “I don’t know what they got upset over.”
At first, a few people broke Stauffer’s car windshield, he said. When he fought back, Stauffer said the group then beat him with baseball bats and metal implements, wrestled him to the ground and “bear sprayed” him. A video (warning: graphic content and language) posted to social media by 916 Today shows Stauffer being beaten by a group of at least six people while the street is blocked by a large number of vehicles, many of which flew American flags.
“I got hit with the bat a couple times in the ribs,” Stauffer said. “Other than that, I’m sore from wrestling… No busted mouth; I didn’t go to the hospital. Just the ribs [are] sore.”
Stauffer believes there was “intent” behind the alleged assault: “You don’t come out that deep and just cruise around.”
The Sacramento Police Department told FOX40 that officers responded to the alleged assault on the 500 block of N St just before 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, but the suspects had already fled. The department said officers have investigated and are “actively conducting follow-up.”
“The Sacramento Police Department continues to monitor demonstrations and responds to them as necessary,” the department said in a statement. “While we support and protect individuals’ First Amendment rights to lawfully protest, the safety of everyone involved remains our priority. Acts of physical assault will not be tolerated.”
Stauffer told FOX40 he grew up in Los Angeles and has traveled to various cities for protests and rallies. He’s been in Sacramento for the past month, he said, to support friends and family and show his opposition to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — “we want to get ICE out.”
“We’re tired of people being separated from families,” Stauffer said. “We’re tired of all the horrible stuff that’s going on.”
A GoFundMe has already raised nearly $6,000 to help Stauffer, who called the community support “overwhelming.”
Despite what happened, Stauffer returned to the Moss Federal Building on Monday — despite fear that incidents like the alleged assault will continue.
“This is where we are. It’s happening. People are being attacked daily in different cities, all the time,” he said. “It’s not a fear of, ‘Is it going to happen?’ It’s the fear of, ‘How far are they willing to take it?’”
Suggest a Correction
Brett Stover
Source link