APNewsBreak: Paul volunteer apologizes for scuffle

[sabra]

Source: AP

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A volunteer with Rand Paul's Republican U.S. Senate campaign apologized Tuesday for stepping on the head of a liberal activist who tried to confront the tea party candidate with a fake award.

Paul supporter Tim Profitt said video of the scuffle made it appear worse than it was and he chided police for not stepping in. Lauren Valle, the 23-year-old activist with the group MoveOn.org, said her face was swollen and her neck and shoulder were sore after she was wrestled to the ground by Paul supporters Monday night when she tried to give the candidate an "employee of the month" award.

...

"I'm sorry that it came to that, and I apologize if it appeared overly forceful, but I was concerned about Rand's safety," Profitt told The Associated Press.

Video recorded by WDRB shows Valle's blonde wig being pulled off before she's pinned to the ground. Profitt then pushes his foot down on her head.

...

Paul's campaign dropped Profitt as campaign coordinator in Bourbon County in central Kentucky and banned him from future events.

Profitt said he was interviewed by a Lexington police detective Tuesday, but that he had not been charged.

"A friend of mine went up to three policeman before Rand got there, and told them about the girl who was standing there with that wig on and that she was getting ready to do something," Profitt said. "The policemen looked at him and said that's not our job."

Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/7264840.html

---

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/10/cops_share_more_details_on_pro.html

UPDATE, 3:36 p.m.: The Lexington police confirm it in a statement, adding that Profitt is now a suspect (I've edited the above to clarify):

The Lexington Division of Police has identified a suspect in connection to the October 25, 2010 assault of a woman at 600 Cooper Drive.

On the 25th, at approximately 7:00p.m., officers were alerted to an active assault at 600 Cooper Drive (Kentucky Educational Television Studios).

Officers responded to the scene of the assault and made contact with the victim. She identified herself as a member of MoveOn.org and stated she was assaulted while attempting to take a picture with candidate Rand Paul. Division of Police patrol officers took an assault report and forwarded the case to the Division of Police Bureau of Investigation.

Today, October 26, 2010, detectives identified the suspect, involved in the assault, as Tim Profitt. Mr. Profitt is currently being served with a criminal summons ordering him to appear before a Fayette County District Court Judge.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

1. Yeah whatever. Just give me 5 minutes with this beer gutted shit kicker. nt

[cliffordu]

32. If I had that time he'd beg to make an apology.

I have vivid fantasies concerning his capability to absorb punishment.

He is a coward and a bully, and I have no truck with such,

to quote my West Virginny grandpa.....

[jobycom]

33. Nah.

He'd like that. Put him in jail and let the government he hates punish him. Maybe he'll grow up a little.

[Gman]

35. Yup... me too... I want in on it!

[Posteritatis]

2. That's nowhere near an apology. (nt)

[beac]

20. Typical conservaturd non-apology. He might as well have said:

"I'm sorry if my foot offended anybody. That was not my intention."

[Brickbat]

3. He chided police for not stepping in? ROFLMAO. There's some personal responsibility for you.

"HOLD ME BACK! I'M GOING IN AGAIN!"

[Botany]

4. nice try asswipe

it is the girl and the cop's fault you and that other goon assaulted her?

[wordpix]

38. exactly - that is his personal republiCon creed---get those in authority to do the dirty work

for you and only if that fails, assault your opponents yourself.

[Hawkeye-X]

5. He needs to be placed under arrest

and charged for first degree assault and battery.

Have him serve maximum time.

No "apologies" until he has taken a series of punishment from the inside.

Hawkeye-X

[fifthoffive]

6. Camera Angle???

I guess the camera angle gave the victim a concussion and sprained arm.

[Kber]

10. Thank you!

[Kingofalldems]

7. K and R for the Teabag crowd

[Beetwasher]

8. Tell It To A Judge You Fascist Scumbag

n/t

[Botany]

17. this will be plead out before it gets to court although he and his fellow ...

.... thug will get a nice civil suit.

[wordpix]

39. Question to Dr. Paul tomorrow: What kind of penalty should be given to one of your supporters for

stomping on an opponent's head?

Let's see Paul answer that one.

[louis-t]

9. He "apologizes for the scuffle"?

"I'm sorry if anyone was offended by my having to stomp on someone's head."

Oh, and "she's gunna DO something"? Preemptive teabagger in action. Let's go kick shit out of the rest of the world, cuz eventually they're going to "do something".

[brooklynite]

11. I'm sure the Jury will be suitibly impressed with his apology...

...after he's arrested and hauled into Court.

[sinkingfeeling]

12. I just got to say this. What the hell is wrong when grown men in this country are terrified

by a woman with a wig and cardboard sign?

I'm a 62 year-old woman and have never been than scared of anybody on an 'opposing side'.

[avaistheone1]

13. This was no "scuffle". This was an assault.

Definition of SCUFFLE
1
a : to struggle at close quarters with disorder and confusion
b : to struggle (as by working odd jobs) to get by

2
a : to move with a quick shuffling gait : scurry
b : shuffle
— scuffle noun

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scuffle

AP and Fixed News is making this sound like this was a game of touch football, rather than the mindless unprovoked assault that it was on this young nonviolent woman.

[Frank Booth]

24. Not to mention that he "pushes his foot down on her head."

Did the AP allow Mr. Proffitt to write this story himself?? He fucking stomped on her head, he didn't just "push it down."

This guy better be serving some jail time, and the hack who wrote the story should be fired.

[kestrel91316]

27. He stomped on her shoulder and neck. That's even worse.

The skull is really hard. He could have easily broken her neck or done permanent nerve damage with a stunt like that. Asswipe.

[avaistheone1]

28. You said it better than I

I think I am have been in a state of shock since this story broke, and the fog of my own disbelief of the cruelness and stupidity of this Rand Paul thug still hasn't fully taken hold on me.

[EnviroBat]

14. Glad we know your name fucker.

Seems to me you're getting off too easy...

[NC_Nurse]

15. When will he be arrested? It better be soon. This is absolutely unacceptable and

criminal behavior. Period.

[Arrowhead2k1]

16. Wow, what a non-apology apology! Just let the police deal with this scum.

The video speaks for itself!

[Ian David]

18. Let's List the violent attacks by the Right Wingers

Let's List the violent attacks by the Right Wingers
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9389907

[beac]

19. The assault is ON TAPE and still this f-er is walking around free???

No wonder Paul is ahead in KY if this is what passes for justice there. :mad:

[AsahinaKimi]

21. He should be arrested

and charged. I hope this happens.

[alfredo]

22. That name is familiar. I used to deliver mail in Paris Ky and

the surrounding county (Bourbon). I'm sure I've delivered mail to him.

[prolesunited]

23. I think the police need to step in now

and ARREST the dirtbag. You can't just fake apologize away an assault,

[kestrel91316]

25. Prediction: the police will decline to prosecute. This IS KY, right, a

RW stronghold? IIRC they don't take kindly to rabblerousers there.

But she can still sue his sorry ass, and should.

[snooper2]

63. Well that one won't come true, since police don't have the power to prosecute

FYI

[KT2000]

26. Scuffle his head too!

If that is what he wants to call it.

[K8-EEE]

29. Was she supposed to be arrested for "standing there with a wig on?"

Cripes....what an idiot!

[wordpix]

37. but, but, she was "ready to do something" and you know protest isn't allowed by brownshirts

[K8-EEE]

62. Preemptive ack-shun!!! Just like Generalissimo Boosh when he

stopped Saddam from murdering us all in our beds with his non-existent WMD but he WOULD have had it if he COULD have....

[Permanut]

30. Okay, so he "apologized"

I guess that resolves the issue, and we can just move on, right? If that was an apology, I'm the Queen of England.

[NICO9000]

31. Just arrest this asshole now

What gets me about this whole episode - not just the brutality of it and the violence against women part - is that it appears that nobody stepped in to stop this. What kind of "men" are these guys who have to attack a woman anyway and where were they in trying to stop it? This is brownshirt shit and scary as hell.

I was taught that you never, ever hit a woman no matter what the situation and to just walk away from it.

[ixion]

34. "made it appear worse than it was"

yeah, right. Ask the woman with the concussion if that is the case. :grr:

[wordpix]

36. "the girl was ready to do something"---that "something" was exercise her right of free speech

Mr. Profitt has his "somethings" mixed up. Free speech is a guaranteed right, whereas his brownshirt tactics of stomping on opponents' heads are not.

[Gman]

40. Stomping suspect says his actions were misunderstood; now faces charges

Source: WKYT 27

In the video, it appears to some that 23-year-old Lauren Valle is wrestled down to the ground by Rand Paul Supporters and then stomped on.

But to Tim Profitt, the the situation is much different. He says what the video doesn't show is Valle's aggressive behavior. Profitt says she rushed Paul's car three different times; each time refusing to stop.
He says at the time, he didn't know what she was trying to do.

"We thought she was a danger; we didn't know what she was doing."

Profitt explained that he used his foot to try and keep her down because he can't bend over because of back problems. He also says police were alerted to watch her before Paul arrived because people in the crown recognized her as someone who may try and pull a stunt.

Read more: http://www.wkyt.com/mobi?storyid=105818718

---

He used his foot because he can't bend over because of back problems! GIMME A FRIGGIN' BREAK, YOU FRIGGIN' COWARD!!!!!!!

[Angry Dragon]

41. So is he saying he does not work and is on disability??

or work comp??

[meow mix]

42. so he admits the police checked her out and gave her a zero threat rating.

and that he was aware they already checked her out.

he just blew his defense fucking idiot

[K8-EEE]

51. RIGHT???

And these are the same people who think the teabaggers are so adorable when they shut down these town hall meetings and act so aggressively, or wear their little costumes, but any other protestor, it's not OK!

[Warpy]

43. Using a foot means putting it down and leaving it down

He stomped and withdrew his foot immediately.

He's so full of shit it must squirt out his ears when he turns his head.

I can acknowledge there might have been a reason to detain her physically. There is no excuse for what Proffit or the other stompers did.

I just hope the cops take as dim a view of it. It's called "assault," boys.

[nc4bo]

46. Exactly. He's full of shit indeed. nt

[marmar]

44. Not the sharpest tool in the shed.

[nc4bo]

45. Well ok - giving him the benefit of the doubt (trust me, I don't)

and he used his foot to hold her down, WTF was the shoulder bruising, concussion inducing STOMP action all about? I have a horrible back problem and that stomp action would have caused me pain if I were to mimic that same action.

Sorry TP, I'm calling you out on your B.S.

[MadMaddie]

47. He was able to lift his leg and stomp on her head

if he had bad problems he probably wouldn't be able to do the stomping.

Epic Fail!

Why are they such cowards and why aren't they called out more!

[county worker]

48. We forget, the right does no wrong. I hope he helps Paul lose!

[Kolesar]

49. Proffit's going to have "back problems" at federal PMITA prison...eom

[happygoluckytoyou]

50. SPINELESS.... and supporting a YELLOW STREAK.... guess he spoke to his attorney....

[glitch]

56. Typical GOP lack of spine euphemistically described as "back problems"

They all have it.

[Hepburn]

52. Sooooooo....if this is true....

...then why didn't he stick around after his rescue of Ron Puke?

GMAFB.....!

[wordpix]

53. "All I was trying to do was hold her until police could get her." --stomping her head is "holding

her?" Yeah, riiiiight...:crazy:

[madmax]

54. Unbelievable! Next it will be

the devil made him do it. The dog ate his homework, he was sleep walking...

Lot's of luck, pal. You're going to need a DAMN GOOD LAWYER and you're still going down.

[CBHagman]

55. I'd say he has a brain problem...

...as in failing to use it to think.

[sam sarrha]

57. he could have easily broken her neck.. when will they finally start wearing their arm bands outside

their shirts..

[struggle4progress]

58. "Ya cain't hardly stomp nobody nomore widdout bein misunderstooded! I wanna my country back!"

[woo me with science]

59. He was trying to HELP her.

She had a mosquito on her face, and he was trying to help her get it off with his boot.

[brentspeak]

60. "I'm sorry that her head visciously attacked my boot."

[Trajan]

61. I'm just a soul who's intentions are goood ...

Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood ...

[leftynyc]

64. Now HE wants an apology

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/10/kentucky-stomper-wants-an-apology-from-woman-he-assaulted.php?ref=fpa

My hope is this ugly incident sinks Paul.