Video: Salt Lake woman thrown to floor, handcuffed as activists attempt to meet with Utah’s senators

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 25, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — A Salt Lake City woman’s attempt to meet with Utah’s top congressional leaders came to an abrupt halt Tuesday when she was thrown to the floor and handcuffed by Homeland Security personnel at the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building in downtown Salt Lake City.

Elaine Glick, of Utah Indivisible, had gathered with 30 or 40 like-minded activists in hopes of talking with Utah’s senators Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee, who have offices in the Federal Building. Glick wanted to share concerns about actions being taken by Pres. Donald Trump’s administration.

But an apparent miscommunication about where group members could wait for a turn to visit the senators’ offices, combined with Glick’s decision to stand up to officers, left her on the floor, hands cuffed behind her back, and struggling to figure out what had gone wrong.

In images obtained by Gephardt Daily Homeland Security personnel can be seen arresting two activists inside the Wallace F Bennett Federal Building in downtown Salt Lake City Tuesday Jan 24 2017 Photo Gephardt Daily

“We were told we could all come into the lobby to wait our turn,” Glick told Gephardt Daily. “We were in there, chatting, when a security guard appeared, and he seemed to be uneasy about what was going on.”

The officer informed those in the lobby they could not protest there.

“We commented that this was not a protest, we were waiting our turn to talk to our representatives,” Glick said. “He was stern, not willing to listen. I was at the front of the line. I said ‘I don’t understand, we were told we could come in and each have our chance to voice our opinion.’ He said that was not going to happen, and he talked to his boss and he wanted us to leave.”

Homeland Security personnel handcuffing two political activists inside the Wallace F Bennett Federal Building in downtown Salt Lake City Tuesday Jan 24 2017 The women were there in an attempt to meet with Senators Mike Lee and Orrin Hatch Photo Gephardt Daily

Glick asked the officer to explain the protocol because the group intends to return each Tuesday. She admits she became emotional.

“I was really counting on having an opportunity to speak to my representative and let him know how I felt about what was going on in our country,” she said.

“I asked if we were going to have to come every time and be surprised. That’s when I persisted in the sense that I was let down, I was sad. I was frustrated. I said ‘I’m here because I feel strongly about this’ …. I felt I was speaking from the heart, not being antagonistic or mean. I was just feeling strongly about being there. I don’t think I was being confrontational, and neither do others who were there.”

The officer told Glick she needed to leave, and she insisted on an answer to her protocol question.

“He became agitated and overbearing. He was of large stature, and I felt a little intimidated by him,” said Glick, who is 5 feet 4 inches and weighs 120 pounds.

“I didn’t want to back away, but I wanted to hold my ground. He grabbed my arm and I ended up on the floor. I don’t remember all of it. I was in shock. He handcuffed me, and was very rough. Later, my arm was bruised and swollen.”

Glick said that was when another woman with the group, Mickey Roos, stepped forward, and said “‘I am not going to leave this lady on the floor by herself.” Roos did not back down, Glick said, “so another cop arrested her. Mickey said ‘Its going to be OK, not going to leave you, you’re not going to be alone.'”

In a photo obtained by Gephardt Daily Homeland Security personnel are seen arresting two activists from the group Indivisible Utah after a confrontation inside the Wallace F Bennett Federal Building in downtown Salt Lake City Tuesday Jan 24 2017 Witnesses say officers overreacted Photo Gephardt Daily

The women were taken to an office, frisked, and interviewed on opposite sides of the room, Glick said. Her arresting officer told her she would be charged either with a misdemeanor or a felony. He then took her to talk with his superior, who explained that having large crowds inside the building posed a security threat.

Glick and Roos each were cited with failure to comply with lawful directions of law enforcement officer, a misdemeanor that came with a $280 fee.

Glick said she left the building about 90 minutes after she entered. She and Roos both feel they should fight the charges, she said.

“When I got home I had all these messages,” Glick said. “I joined a Facebook group someone suggested, and was told a defense attorney may be interested in taking our case, pro bono. I probably will not be paying this (citation) whether I go alone or with representation.”

Glick said she hopes some good will come out of sharing her story.

“I don’t want this to be about me or Mickey,” she said. “I want this to serve as a wake-up call. It feels very, very empowering to be able to do this kind of work and not be intimidated by law enforcement. I don’t think we should cower. I am more committed to work in solidarity with other groups, to promote this cause in as positive way as we can. Its’s not anti-Trump. It’s about voicing our concerns.”

Jason Lindsey and his wife, Alisa, were inside the federal building attempting to schedule a meeting with Senator Mike Lee when the incident took place. They told Gephardt Daily they were shocked and sickened at the intensity of security officer’s response.

“I was just about six paces away and I was rattled by what I saw,” Jason Lindsey told Gephardt Daily. “The woman he took down was not bullying, or brandishing threats or weapons. Even the other guards seemed surprised.”

“Things may have gotten a little boisterous, but as Americans it’s our duty to ask our leaders questions.” he said. “It’s been hours now and what I saw Tuesday has shaken me to my foundations.”

A public information office for the Dept. of Homeland Defense in Washington, D.C. told Gephardt Daily they were aware of the incident in Salt Lake City and a statement was forthcoming.

13 COMMENTS

  1. You always comply to officers no matter the situation, if they tell you to leave you leave, it it for your own safety, as demonstrated by this scenario. Everyone is so busy trying to demonize the police that they forget most police officers want public safety and that very, very few actually need to be imprisoned or fired. This man was doing his job and already uneasy at the possible outbreak of rioting was egged on by someone, so yeah I definitely would have cuffed her right then and there and taken her down to were they should be(or at least thinks that they should be). If you play with fire you WILL get burned. Now that’s not to say that his actions were probably not the best either, I mean throwing someone down is not the best way of getting compliance in this situation however he isn’t some Superman with unlimited amounts of patients, in fact none of us are. This shouldn’t even be an article or a video, not because I want to ‘silence’ but because it gives the police and people of importance a bad wrap when in fact it couldn’t be further from the truth.

    • Nope, no, nope…the land of a thousand nopes. So many things wrong with your statement I don’t have the energy to correct them like I have for so many sheeple comments I see like this

    • Yes, if once officers tell you leave, you must leave. Everybody know about that. They didn’t leave so they arrested. So what is problem? Officers are working for public safety. Most of us don’t want to see screaming protesters because they makes public fear. I don’t see anywhere woman thrown to floor by officer. It doesn’t matter 120 lb woman or not, if you don’t listen what they said, you get arrest. I get so sick of tired of seeing cop haters. These people are ever appreciate that they are doing. Each of officers taking their own risk and protecting us citizens. What is moral???

  2. These two brave women were exercising their constitutional rights. Democracy is disappearing, replaced by this brutal force. Let’s see what their representatives do to correct this injustice.

    • I do agree they were expressing their constitutional rights, but doing so on private property can cause issues. Just like in the article you can get arrested for doing so on private property. I’m not sure what was exactly said but their presence was not wanted within the building if they were getting arrested. The victim even said the officer took the time to call his boss, which i would assume he is asking how to handle this situation. I do not doubt they were brave for doing what they were, but i also understand why they were arrested. Considering you can get arrested at walmart for making noise I’m pretty sure you can in a federal building.

      Now the whole point of her getting thrown down onto the floor is a different business entirely. But from what i know she only retained bruises on her wrists by the handcuffs so i am glad she is okay. She said she doesnt know how she ended up on the floor (in this article at least), but from what i heard from the bystander she was apparently thrown pretty hard. So i am glad she didnt retain injuries from that. It makes me wonder what are the protocols that can be taken like this, i only say that because in a lot of cop shows throwing down a resisting person is seen as the norm.

      • I know truth. She didn’t thrown pretty hard by cop. She did fall by herself. It was fake. Tried act like she was harassed by cops. Do you think other people weren’t watching? Cops and other people doesn’t know if she is terrorist or not. If she refused leave, she get arrested BECAUSE PUBLIC SAFETY REASON. If she was terrorist, then what? Every officers are facing so many crimes and facing that our fear include their family, children.. I think we should more respect officers and shouldn’t judge just one side story.

  3. she did fell it herself. She acted like cops did. What a lie. Trying blame all cops. She screamed never leave building even officers told her. Officers just doing their jobs for public safety. And now protesters blaming cops? Enough is enough cops haters!!!

  4. This was not “private property” at all. This was a federal building. Federal buildings are the property of the federal government and therefore the property of the citizens of the United States.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here