Judge narrows Occupy Wall Street protesters' claim vs NY police

[Joe Shlabotnik]

A federal judge allowed claims of excessive force filed by two Occupy Wall Street protesters against New York police officers to move forward on Wednesday, but threw out their claims of false arrest.

U.S. District Judge Denise Cote also dismissed all claims against New York City, finding that Heather Carpenter and her fiancé, Julio Jose Jimenez-Artunduaga, failed to show that the alleged excessive force reflected an "official policy" of the police department.

The lawsuit stems from an October 15, 2011, incident at a Citibank branch in downtown Manhattan at the height of the Occupy movement, which arose to protest economic inequality.

"Closing a bank account is, of course, lawful activity," Cote wrote. However, she said officers could reasonably conclude that by closing her account, she was engaging in protest activity in defiance of the bank's employees.

More at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/27/us-usa-occupy-lawsuit-idUSBRE9AQ14B20131127?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews

[snot]

1. WTF indeed. Closing your account is grounds for arrest if the bank didn't want you to do it???