8 Protesters Were Blinded in Single Day in May

'Washington Post' has a video investigation
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 14, 2020 10:14 AM CDT

By the count of the Washington Post, a dozen people were partially blinded by police projectiles during the week of protests in the wake of George Floyd's death. And eight of those people lost vision in one eye in a single day—Saturday, May 30. In a video investigation, the Post finds that the official police accounts of what happened in some of those instances is undermined by actual video of what transpired. The newspaper takes a look at three of the cases in particular, including that of Balin Brake, a 21-year-old in Fort Wayne, Ind.

In that incident, police say Brake was struck in the eye by a tear gas canister when he bent down to pick up another canister and throw it back toward officers. However, the video shows that while other protesters were doing that, Brake was not. "At the moment he is struck, Brake is standing near a street corner, after having moved away from the police position," says the video's narrator. "He is not bending over, and no canister is visible within reaching distance." Watch the video investigation here. (More George Floyd stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X