Collateral Damage in Free Trade Agreements

Brian Doherty | February 2, 2004

The tale of a Miami booster and trade agreement supporter shot in the face with one of them there beanbag guns by (probably) a SWAT team member during Miami's Free Trade Agreement of the Americas brouhaha in November. It's long, and has some interesting details about the cops rules of engagement (still secret, apparently) and some suggestions that perhaps people with cameras were being deliberately targeted by overzealous SWAT members. Although it caused him some ongoing problems--"two months later, the right side of his face remains partially paralyzed and his right eyelid droops. A bandage still covers part of his ear and the raw slash where 35 stitches closed a golf ball-size hole. His days on camera are over, Kesser said. ``The doctor tells me the nerve is gone and will never come back.''--Mr. Carl Kesser has not (yet) sued anyone.