As noted before, some left wing blogs and a law professor commenter here have asserted that the union guy who punched Steven Crowder several times in the face must have been acting in some manner of self defense because a video shows the attacker getting up from the ground before he threw punches.
The video does not show how the union guy ended up on the ground, but it does show that Crowder was several feet away and not physically threatening the union guy before the attack.
Via Jim Treacher back on December 14, another video I had not seen before shows the union guy taunting and trying to confront Crowder prior to the attack:
The following video was shot before the attack on Steven Crowder in Lansing last Tuesday. If you want to “selectively edit” it yourself, you can skip to the 1:10 mark. That’s where Tony the Union Goon, the attacker whose last name is still unknown, first appears:Now, whether you think it’s worthwhile to try debating with these guys — I tend to think not — that’s all Crowder was doing. He was expressing his opinion about Right to Work, and trying to get somebody to actually engage the argument instead of deflecting and threatening and namecalling. He wasn’t inciting anyone, unless you’re so thinskinned and unsure of your own beliefs that simple disagreement is a threat.But Tony the Union Goon didn’t see it that way, as witnessed at the 3:00 mark. Crowder was posing for a picture with somebody, Tony waved his sign in front of the camera, and Crowder told him to stop. So of course, Tony the Union Goon calmly and logically retorted: “Don’t f*** with me. You’re a f***in’ idiot! You’re a rat son of a bitch!”
Jump to the 1:10 mark and 3:00 marks (screenshots below) to see how aggressive the union guy was, including pushing his sign in front of the cameraman filming Crowder:
The State Police are investigating. One of the things they will consider not only is the union guy’s aggressive behavior before the punch, but also that Crowder was not threatening and even had his back turned before the sucker punch.
As much as they now love “stand your ground,” defenders of the union guy are going to have a tough time showing his use of force was legally justified.
Update: Patterico, Debunking Tommy Christopher on the Attack on Steve Crowder, Part 1.
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