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FICTION VERUS FACT: SEIU ATTACK ON KENNETH GLADNEY | Missouri Political News Service

FICTION VERUS FACT: SEIU ATTACK ON KENNETH GLADNEY

August 16th, 2009 by mopns · No Comments

FICTION: The YouTube video of the attack on Kenneth Gladney captures the entire assault.

FACT: The video only captures the end of the assault. The assault on Gladney began next to the button board in the foreground of the video on the right.

FICTION: Gladney’s attorney, David Brown, is the man in the YouTube video in the white shirt yelling, “You attacked him.”

FACT: This man is not Gladney’s attorney. This man is an independent witness to the assault.

FICTION: Gladney stated on August 8, 2009, at the protest of the SEIU offices, that he did not have health insurance.

FACT: Gladney never said this. Gladney has health insurance.

FICTION: Gladney and/or his attorney asked for donations to help with his medical expenses at the protest.

FACT: Gladney arrived at the protest and his attorney announced to the crowd that Gladney wanted to thank everyone for their support. Gladney thanked everyone by giving out 300 “Don’t Tread on Me” flags. The protestors responded spontaneously by giving back to Gladney. Once people began giving money for the flags, St. Louis Tea Party leader, Bill Hennessy, innocently misstated that the money was going to pay for Gladney’s medical expenses.

FICTION: Gladney used the wheelchair as a prop at the protest to exaggerate his injuries.

FACT: Gladney’s attorney told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the day before that Gladney suffered bruises and sprains. Gladney was on pain medication and could not walk without pain due to the bruising and his sprained knee. The temperature that day was a sweltering 97 degrees. Gladney never stated, nor tried to give the the impression that he was injured to a greater extent than he was. Gladney used to wheelchair due to his pain, the fact that he was under heavy medication, and as a precautionary measure to prevent him from falling down during the protest, especially considering how hot it was that day.

FICTION: Gladney was a St. Louis City police officer.

FACT: Gladney was never employed by the St. Louis Police Department.

FICTION: Gladney attacked Elston McCowan first.

FACT: Elston McCowan attacked Gladney because McCowan was upset that Gladney was selling “Don’t Tread on Me” merchandise. McCowan first told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that “Out of nowhere, the guy just assaults me.” Then a week later, McCowan states, “When I pointed at the button, Gladney slapped my hand. So I told him not to hit me and pointed at it again and repeated my question. He smacked my hand even harder, hit me several times and pushed me down. As I went down, I grabbed him by reflex to break my fall. I hit my shoulder and something popped. I lost consciousness for a moment but soon realised that Gladney continued to hit me.”

FICTION: Gladney is a “teabagger” and a “conservative activist” who is a GOP operative.

FACT: Gladney has never been to a Tea Party event. Gladney considers himself an independent. Gladney has never had an affiliation with any Republican organization.

Related:

Examiner.com: SEIU Thug Elston McGowan Changes Story About Attack on Kenneth Gladney

***Conservative African American Organization to Hold Press Conference at St. Louis NAACP HQ

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Tags: St. Louis

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  • 1 stlko // Aug 16, 2009 at 11:14 pm

    Thank you for this post!
    Btw, do you by any chance know what’s up with the Green connection-
    Elston McCowan and Maxine Johnson, both ran on the Green Party ticket this year in the City of St Louis.

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