Brooke Fantelli (Photo: rawstory)
THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT — I first reported this story a year ago — a video taken by a cell phone clearly shows trans woman Brooke Fantelli being tased by a Bureau of Land Management Park Ranger, now identified as J. Peter, following a confrontation. Fantelli claimed the ranger tased her because ‘she used to be a man’ and is now suing the ranger and the federal government.
I wrote then the gist of what the video showed: ‘A trans woman standing still, outside of her vehicle, with her hands held high in the air, is tasered in the abdomen. Shortly after she fell to the ground, she was tasered again in the crotch.’
I also suggested that Fantelli didn’t appear to be an immediate threat to the two BLM rangers in the video — clearly something that did not warrant this kind of force. It appeared to be a BLM blunder and I suggested they settle the matter.
In the months that followed, there was no further news from the BLM or Fantelli on the matter, even though I searched a couple of times. And now, a year later, the lawsuit.
I have this feeling that we are missing quite a bit of other information that would give us a clue as to what exactly transpired in that incident. As a result, I no longer know what to think about this. We may have to wait for the outcome of the lawsuit.
My earlier report: http://lexiecannes.wordpress.com/2011/12/06/transgender-woman-tasered-in-crotch-by-blm-ranger
Video stills showing Fantelli just before and after being tased by BLM ranger
Newer link to the cell phone video of the tasering: Video: Brooke Fantelli Claims She was Tased by Park Ranger for Being Transgender.
UPDATE Nov. 12, 2012 — this new article has a few more details: http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/nov/12/transgender-woman-sues-blm-over-crotch-tasering/
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Filed under: Judicial, Courts, Law Enforcement, Police, Transgender, Transsexual, Trans, Violence, Hate, blm ranger, Brooke Fantelli, Bureau of Land Management, J. Peter, lawsuit, taser
Get the bastards good!!!
Don’t know. I’ll let this one go. We’re missing something here!
The reason there may be missing info over the past year could be do to legal name status, in my own cases (7 of which were Federal Hate crimes) & everything was filed under my old name because I hadn’t legally changed it yet, so info could be out there but under a different name. I’m just relating this to my own past, doesn’t mean that’s the case here. Another reason could be it just takes a long time for things to go through the court system, I was attacked in May of 2007 and just finished the very last of 11 (7 federal & 5 civil) this October. that’s just how things work in our legal system, mine were in NJ & not where this happened, every states different…
You’re right. That could very well be true.
“I have this feeling that we are missing quite a bit of other information that would give us a clue as to what exactly transpired in that incident. As a result, I no longer know what to think about this. We may have to wait for the outcome of the lawsuit.”
I’m curious. Is there anything specific that led you, the writer, to decide that there is more (possibly hidden) information that has made you to not know what to think about it? I’m not at all trying to engage in confrontation or argument. I am genuinely curious.
Good question, I’m happy to answer:
No word from the BLM following the incident is the biggie. Not even a confimation (or denial) that there was an incident. Only just today I’ve been able to confirm that the DA declined to press charges following the arrest.
Also, at the time, there was a bunch of hoopla on social media, but when you stripped it all away, there was no real collaborating evidence. Just the videotape.
After reporting on a number of these types of stories, you get a feel for gaping holes. Had this happened today, I would have written it differently — just reported the facts and curbed the speculation.
Sounds like they are keeping this hush-hush and under the table until the lawsuit is over. This usually happens when a large settlement of cash is involved.
A few more details: http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/nov/12/transgender-woman-sues-blm-over-crotch-tasering/