Opinion ID: 2707
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Testimony by Zellner and Reverend Davis

Text: Early on the morning of February 25, 2000, Zellner received a call at home from Haile, asking him to look at a situation on St. Andrew's Road, just off the reservation. (Trial Transcript (Tr.) at 340.) Zellner responded that he was involved in a project; he suggested that Haile instead call the other co-chair of the Anti-Bias Task Force, but that if Haile were unable to find someone else to help he should call Zellner again. Eventually Haile called Zellner back, stating we need you. (Tr. 341.) Zellner arrived at the demonstration site on St. Andrew's Road sometime after noon and was greeted by Reverend Holly Davis, a pastor at two area Presbyterian churches, who introduced him to some of the protestors. For about a half-hour, Zellner received information about the situation from some of the Shinnecock elders and from Reverend Davis, learning that the Shinnecocks had sought and been granted a temporary injunction against the construction work and that a written restraining order was on the way. Reverend Davis had been engaged in discussions with Major Weber most of the day ( see id. at 47-48, 49; see also id. at 94) (testimony of Weber: The Reverend Davis was telling me all afternoon that the paperwork was being signed, that it was coming. I wanted the injunction order to cease work to arrive so I could calm things down.). After Zellner arrived, Davis, accompanied by a few others including a 79-year-old woman who was a Shinnecock elder, introduced Zellner to Major Weber. ( See id. at 49, 344.) Zellner and Weber shook hands, and Zellner identified himself as co-chair of the Anti-Bias Task Force. Zellner described his ensuing conversation with Major Weberand the arrestas follows: I explained that I had been called and asked to come down and talk to the police andin an effort to keep things calm. Q. And, sir, did he respond to you at that point? A. He did. He said, whathe asked me what business was it of mine, and I saidI reiterated I was co-chair of the Anti-Bias Task Force and that I was asked by the community to make sure that he knew that there was a restraining order against the work going on in that area and that thethat I understood that the restraining order was on the way and would they be able to wait before they took any action until the restraining order got there. Q. At that point, sir, what was your demeanor? Can you describe that for the jury. A. My demeanor was very respectful. It was quiet because everybody there was very solemn and respectful and quiet. Q. And, sir, what next happened, please. A. Major Weber indicated that he knew that there was a restraining order and he said it's not here yet, and I said, I understand it's not here, but I just wanted to make sure that you know it's on the way, and what we're concerned about is that there's an evenhanded treatment of everyone in this situation. Q. Did he respond to you at that point? A. Well, he didn't, and I said, [c]ould you assure me that there will be evenhanded treatment? And he said, with some excitement, that we had to keep the road open, and I had observed that the road wasthe traffic was moving back and forth on the road, and I said, [i]t seems that everything is reasonable at this moment. Q. Then what happened? A. With that  while I was literally speaking to the major, just a few seconds after we had actually shaken hands, I was grabbed from behind and pushed down and pulled backwards out of in front of the major. Q. And at that time, sir, did you [have] anything in your hands? A. I hadstill had a coffee cup. I think I had put it down at some point, but I had picked it back up. I had a coffee cup in my hand, as I recall. That's the only thing I had in my hand. Q. And, sir, at the point that you were pulled, as you indicated, what next happened? A. I was very roughly pulled out and my arm was placed behind my back and my arm was twisted extremely painfully and I looked over my right shoulder and I said, You're breaking my arm. Please don't break my arm. . . . . Q. Now, sir, at that point that you said that, was there any response to your statement? A. Yes. Q. What was the response? A. The response was a much more severe twisting of my arm and the words, Resisting are you? And I said, No. You're breaking my arm, please don't break my arm. (Tr. 344-46 (emphasis added); see also id. at 380 (I was face-to-face with Major Weber and I was grabbed from behind, pulled backwards and down.).) Zellner testified that his right arm was held at the elbow while his wrist was being turned in the way that [his] arm didn't turn, and he could feel the cartilage or tendons cracking. ( Id. at 349.) He stated that he was also kicked or kneed in the jaw and that his left knee was either kicked or stepped on. ( See id. at 350.) Zellner later learned that one of the troopers who had grabbed him from behind was Summerlin. ( See id. at 346.) Zellner testified that before being grabbed, he was not asked to do anything and was not ordered to do anything. ( Id. at 453; see also id. at 381.) He was simply grabbed from behind, without any idea of why or by whom, and was not even told that [he] was under arrest. ( Id. ) Zellner testified that he didn't give any resistance except verbally asking them not to injure [his] arm further. ( Id. at 351.) Reverend Davis testified that after she introduced Zellner to Major Weber, she was never more than 10 feet from Zellner before he was taken away by the troopers. ( See Tr. 71, 79.) She testified that before Zellner was grabbed by the troopers, she did not hear any of the troopers give him an order. ( See id. at 80.) As she and Zellner and the others were all standing there ( id. at 50), they grabbed Bob[;] . . . I called it an attack in my deposition, and down on the ground he was ( id. at 51).