Earlier today, we reported that Mike Skidmore, a CopBlocker from Ohio, had been arrested in Mansfield after what had been described as a “scuffle” at a County Commision meeting. Since that time, new information has become available that indicates this was not some minor scuffle. In fact, Mike was physically assaulted by security guards, during a dispute over whether meetings are required to be public. One of those security guards pulled his gun out at some point. That gun subsequently went off inside of a crowded room at the Richland County Administration Building. The actual confrontation appears to have been caused by employees at the admin building hiding their nametags in order to conceal their identity.
According to Photography is Not a Crime (PINAC):
One county employee, the secretary who records the meetings, turned her name tag around, prompting Skidmore to stand up, hold his camera close to the tag and attempt to take a photo.
And that prompted Richland County Commissioner Marilyn John to accuse Skidmore of inappropriately touching her, which led to another woman walking out of the room to beckon the security guards.The security guards then walked in and made their way directly to Skidmore, who placed his hands around his camera to protect it.
“They attacked him,” said Connie Garber, the citizen who had asked about the name tags.
“They didn’t say, ‘you’re under arrest,’, they didn’t say, ‘give me your camera,’ they just went over there and started attacking him. They started beating on him and had pushed him into the corner. I walked to the other side of the room because I did not want to get hit.”
Once across the room, she saw Skidmore’s arms were up when the gun went off, which was when she ran out of the room.
Initial rumors were that they were going to accuse him of “reaching” for the guard’s gun, which is what led to the discharge.
But Garber said Skidmore’s arms were up in the air while they were attacking him, which was when one of the security guards pulled out his gun.
“His arms were way up high,” she said in a telephone interview with PINAC. “There was no way he could attempt to grab the gun.”
Mike has a history of filming during public meetings and other times while conducting business at government buildings and has had previous confrontations with security guards while doing so. In addition, Connie Garber, the witness quoted in the PINAC excerpt above, is the mother of an unarmed man that was killed by Mansfield police last year. Those security guards are actually retired Richland County sheriff’s deputies, which is the same department that killed Garber’s son.
During a press conference after the incident, Richland County Sheriff Steve Sheldon stated that there are two videos which show the confrontation. However, in the same press conference he stated that they would not be releasing those videos. Also, it was announced that Mike is currently facing felony charges, as a result.
Plenty of questions remain at this point. Not the least of those questions is why a guard felt the need to pull a gun out in a crowded room, especially if Mike was already holding his hands above his head. Although, we don’t know the exact number of security guards involved, it’s pretty apparent they outnumbered Mike. Also, he obviously was unarmed at the time, so there should have been no reason to endanger a room full of people in that way. The fact the gun actually did go off more than proves the point of how senseless an act that was.
Once again, we ask that you call and/or email to ask what the situation is with Mike Skidmore and to put pressure on them to release him and his camera equipment with all video intact and drop any charges against him:
Richland County Sheriff
597 Park Avenue E.
Mansfield, Ohio 44905
Phone: 419.774.5881
Richland County Courthouse
50 Park Avenue E.
Mansfield Ohio 44902
Linda H. Frary, Clerk of Courts
Phone: 419-774-5549
Fax: 419.774.5547
[email protected]
And as before, stay tuned for updates as they become available!
Kelly is a lifelong resident of Las Vegas, who’s been very active in local grassroots activism, as well as on a national level during his extensive travels. He’s also the founder/main contributor of Nevada Cop Block, served as editor/contributor at CopBlock.org and designed the Official Cop Block Press Passes.
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Sicking. Letting mentally Ill persons run loose with loaded weapons. Those guards, there bosses and the traitors illegally making a plubic meeting private should be fired and charged. Title 18 suit for them all.
Sometimes the puiblic must be kept in the dark about our real agenda…if you knew what we’re really up to…you probably wouldn’t like it.
Hence why we keep tabs on you bitches. So you don’t get to keep doing shit the public doesn’t like…
You noose awaits.
Whats so secret of public meetings? I wanna see all videos. Let the truth shine like a search light!!
Wre have to filter the information the public gets…too much transparancy is dangerous.
Please make a situation were that is true
ADOLPH HITLER said ,control the media and you control the people,feed them just enough so they will be hungry for more than you can tell them whatever you like and they will fall in line just like sheep being lead to slaughter.By the time the spin DR.s at the sheriffs office finish up the security guard will be a Ohio hero while MR.SKID-MORE will be the villain.In Tennessee poor people are banned from city hall meetings in my small community and when ask why they where banned the mayor said ,we find their hygiene isn’t acceptable and that it could lead to a health hazard and besides they are uneducated and ignorant about city business and wouldn’t have any idea of what the city council was discussing so we find no reason why they should attend and if they persist in coming than we will have to have our police involved and they don’t want me to do that.This is what the mayor of our town told a reporter from a TV station who aired it.
Easy enough to discover the name of “the secretary who records the meetings” without scaring the hell out of her by getting into her personal space. Skidmark fails again!
Surely this is just one bad apple, in no way reflective of cop blockers in general…
No, it reflects on all copblockers.
You reflect on all copsuckers.
These pigs should be hooked up to a winch and have pieces of their body pulled off slowly. Their tongue should be the first thing pull off. The only good pig is a dead pig that has been ripped apart by slow devices.
Another dumbass copblocker disrupting meetings and spouting off when told to leave. He got what he deserved.
This is what really happened: http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/story/news/local/2015/07/09/gun-fired-richland-courthouse/29906869/
All public meetings should be video taped.
You should be video taped while you lick my sack.
I see that Junior high school is on summer break. Come back when you have an education!
The entire situation could have been avoided by GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES abiding by the rules!!!
Published meeting schedule changed at the last minute, meeting to be held behind closed doors, employees hiding their name tags from photographers, false complaint to the “security guards”, being bum rushed by guards and physically assaulted by them, old guy defends himself and fights back, “Einstein” cop pulls gun and fires into a crowded room.
All these government employees need to be fired, guards have their guns and permits revoked permanently, and charges brought against them.
You need to see this video. Skidmore swings first and rambles like a maniac. He shoves his face in the clerks cleavage and defends himself by saying “you touched me first!” Crazy imbecile is better off in prison getting ass fucked by the people he challenges.
The video is public now and available.
Now that the video’s out, what do you have to say about your boy’s actions? Pretty clear he went psycho on the guards and threw a flurry of punches to their heads first. Sucks when the truth comes out, huh?
Wow…everytime I read about copblockers, it blows me away that they don’t let something like facts get in the way of their delusions. And the Mom of the kid shot (deservedly so) lying. Scum bags.