Jake Whiteside, in black, joined 200 ILWU Local 21 members and supporters to surrender at the Cowlitz County Hall of Justice in Kelso, September 16, 2011. Instead of arresting him peacefully, law enforcement officials ambushed him hours later in a church parking lot. Dawn Des Brisay photo.
Oregon Public Broadcasting yesterday reported that “Longshore Union Continues Legal Battle With Cowlitz County,” and reporter Rob Manning interviewed ILWU Local 21 Vice President Jake Whiteside for the broadcast. Whiteside recalled how, on September 16, 2011, he went with 200 other Local 21 members and supporters to the Cowlitz County Hall of Justice to surrender for any protest-related charges. The county refused to meet with the workers or accept their peaceful surrender. Instead, Whiteside was ambushed just four hours later by law enforcment officers in four vehicles, who arrested him in a church parking lot in front of his kids. Excerpts from the broadcast:
The conflict in Longview between the Longshore Union and the grain terminal operator EGT may be over. But the union’s conflict with law enforcement in Cowlitz County continues.
The ILWU has amended its federal civil rights lawsuit to add two defendants: county district attorney, Sue Baur, and sheriff’s deputy, Charlie Rosenzweig. The union was already suing the county sheriff and Longview police chief.
ILWU local vice president Jacob Whiteside says law enforcement has harassed, abused, and embarrassed him and his fellow members. Whiteside says police waited to arrest him, so they could do it in front of his kids.
“I couldn’t believe they were coming to get me right then. You know, they could’ve gotten me any time, and they decided to go ahead and do this, when my kids were there,” Whiteside said.