Some more on the scuffle that took place at the Allen campaign stop yesterday. The original video that I posted from NBC 29 News was actually edited footage. While you see the scuffle take place between Mike Stark and the three Allen campaign staffers, you really don't see what happens before the scuffle took place. Well, CNN is now showing the video unedited. We can now see the entire incident unfold.
The video is now through YouTube:
Here is the CNN link to both the story and the video. The CNN video is much better quality than the YouTube video.
A couple items about this video. First, Stark never touched Senator George Allen. Stark identifies himself as a constituent, and apparently wants to ask Allen some questions--either about Allen's divorce, or Allen's sealed arrest records. Now before the confrontation starts, There is a man standing by the door in a dark suit and yellow tie. Stark is apparently about to go through the door. The TV camera is behind a tall man in a white shirt. Right where Stark is, there is a hand that comes up to just about slap the man in the Dark Suit and Yellow Tie, who is standing by the door. The hand belongs to Stark. Right as Stark's hand comes up, the Dark Suit and Yellow Tie Man leans back away, and a Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat takes a hold of Stark's arm, and pushes Stark away, just as the TV camera is about to go through the door. Now I can't say if Stark actually slapped the Man in the Dark Suit and Yellow Tie, or if Stark may have been defending himself, since the TV camera's view is blocked by both a tall man in a white shirt and a woman in a red coat. The Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat is just in front of the tall guy in the white shirt. Whatever happened between Stark, and the Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat, started just before they both went through the door way. Stark's hand and arm comes up, just about hitting the Dark Suit and Yellow Tie Man standing by the door--who leans back to avoid getting hit. Dark Suit and Yellow Tie Man stays at the doorway. This whole incident has started right at the door!
As Stark goes through the door, the Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat has a strong grip on Stark's coat, just below Stark's left shoulder. As Stark moves through the door and turns around to face the Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat, I can't see if the Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat pushes Stark back, but he does release Stark. As the TV camera goes through the door, we see that Stark is again pushed away again by the Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat. Stark goes towards the Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat, and asks the man "Why did you put your hand on me?" Stark goes to confront the Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat. The Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat turns his back to Stark, and ignores him, keeping himself between Stark and Senator George Allen. Stark's confrontation with the Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat attracts the attention of the three Allen campaign staffers who will then assault Stark.
Now Stark's attention is focused on the Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat. Stark is trying to walk around to face this Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat to ask him why did he put his hand on Stark. As Stark is moving around, he is then blocked by a Bald, Heavy Man with Glasses. Bald Heavy Man with Glasses tells Stark, "You're going to need to leave NOW! Get out the door!" As Bald Heavy Man with Glasses orders Stark out of the room, his also pushing Stark. Stark asks, "Are you part of..." something? I'm guessing here is that Stark is asking if Bald Heavy Man with Glasses is a part of the hotel security. Bald Heavy Man with Glasses replies, "No I'm not. No I'm not at all!" Right as Bald Heavy Man said that, a second Allen staffer, a Brown Suitcoat Man, rushes at Stark from Stark's right, and applied a chockhold on Stark. At this point, a third Allen staffer becomes involved--a man wearing a Blue Baseball Cap. It is these three individuals--Bald Heavy Man with Glasses, Brown Suitcoat Man, and Blue Baseball Cap Man--that are involved in this assault on Stark.
So Brown Suitcoat Man jumped Stark and applies a chockhold on him. But even after Stark gets free (or Brown Suitcoat Man releases him), the three Allen staffers were moving Stark away from the Senator and out the door. They were holding Stark, pushing Stark, and moving him away. Stark tells the staffers to "Cut it out." Stark then asks the loaded question, "Did you spit on your first wife?" Right as Stark asks that question, the Bald Heavy Man with Glasses gets angry at Stark. Bald Heavy Man with Glasses says, "Oh, that's it! Now you're getting personal!" Now Bald Heavy Man with Glasses has a hold of Stark's waist, and he is just about dragging Stark away. Brown Suitcoat Man has a hold of Stark's right arm and is pulling Stark away. Blue Baseball Cap Man is holding Stark's left arm, and is between Stark and Senator Allen. They are all moving towards the door. When Bald Heavy Man with Glasses says, "Now you're getting personal," he turns and throws Stark down on the floor, nearly causing Stark's head to go through the window. Stark's left hand comes up as a defensive measure to avoid getting thrown out of the window. It is actually a miracle that Bald Heavy Man didn't toss Stark through the window, or that Starks hand didn't go through the window as well--both could have easily happen, given the proximity of this group and the window (I'd say about five or six feet away). As Bald Heavy Man with Glasses throws Stark to the ground, both Brown Suitcoat Man and Baseball Cap Man release their hold on Stark. Bald Heavy Man with Glasses then gets on top of Stark's back, again saying, "Now you're getting personal!" Stark replies, "I didn't touch anybody!" Bald Heavy Man with Glasses says, "You need to move on out of here now!" Brown Suitcoat Man gives his hand to help Stark up on his feed. Brown Suitcoat Man then escorts Stark out the door, keeping his hand on Stark's shoulder. Stark tries to turn around to talk to Bald Heavy Man with Glasses, asking "If the hotel asks me to leave, I'd leave." We then hear the Bald Heavy Man with Glasses again say, "You're getting personal."
Stark then goes through the door with Brown Suitcoat Man. Stark continues to ask the question, "Did he? What do you know?" This question is again about whether Senator Allen spat upon his wife. I don't know who Stark is asking this question of--either the Bald Heavy Man, or the Brown Suitcoat Man. Brown Suitcoat man says, "I know he's the man." Stark replies, "No, you're a punk." Stark is then sent out of the hotel.
That is the best I can give for a worded description of the video. There are a couple of things that interest me of this video. The first is exactly what happened in the doorway leading into the lobby of the hotel? Something incident caused Mike Stark's arm to come up, nearly hitting Dark Suit and Yellow Tie Man. And right at that instant, Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat comes into the frame, holding Stark's arm, and grabbing Stark just below Stark's left shoulder. This is where it all starts, because once the TV camera goes into the lobby, Stark is already questioning the Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat, while the three Allen campaign staffers are moving in towards Stark.
So let's look at what could have happened in that doorway? Could Stark have started this all by trying to hit Dark Suit and Yellow Tie Man? Of course, this question brings up another question of why would Stark even want to hit Dark Suit and Yellow Tie Man? Dark Suit and Yellow Tie Man is standing at the door, perhaps providing usher services for the Allen campaign. His hands remain down at his side. At this point, there is no logical reason for Stark to even hit this man. Now what happened before the TV camera was turned on, we can only speculate. Perhaps Dark Suit and Yellow Tie Man insulted Stark just before the door opened, and Stark was returning a "cheap shot" at Dark Suit and Yellow Tie Man, just as Stark was going out the door? If that was the case and Stark is angered enough to start a fight, then why didn't Stark even try to fight against the three Allen campaign staffers? Why didn't Stark defend himself against the three Allen staffers? Second, if Dark Suit and Yellow Tie Man insulted Stark just at the doorway to cause Stark to reach out and hit him, then Stark never focused his attention on the Dark Suit and Yellow Tie Man--Stark's attention is focused on the Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat in the hotel lobby. Finally, we never hear the Dark Suit and Yellow Tie Man say a word as the TV camera moves through the doorway. So even if there was a reason to cause Stark to hit Dark Suit and Yellow Tie Man, it has yet to be revealed. Because Stark never focuses his attention on Dark Suit and Yellow Tie Man.
If Stark didn't hit the Dark Suit and Yellow Tie Man, then what happened just at that doorway? Right as Mike Stark's arm comes up, we see the Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat behind Stark, taking his arm. Stark's arm and the Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat come in just about the same time. Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat is somewhat behind Stark, and to the left of Stark. Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat is in front of both the tall man in a white shirt, and the lady in the red coat. Did the Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat push Stark, causing Stark's arm to come out in order to regain his balance? Right after Starks arm is extended; Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat takes both Stark's arm and possibly his coat below the left shoulder, and perhaps pushes Stark out the door. Just as Stark and the Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat go through the door, you can clearly see Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat's hand grabbing Stark's jacket, just below the left shoulder. If this is the case, then the entire incident was actually started by the Allen campaign staff through the actions of the Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat, just as Stark was walking through the door.
The next thing I would have to comment on is really about Mike Stark himself. In the CNN video, you can see Mike Stark wearing what appears to be a round blue sticker or button on the front of his jacket. There is some writing on this sticker or button, but I cannot make out the words. One thing is for sure, I doubt that the button or sticker is from the Allen campaign. We can probably assume that the button or sticker is from Allen's opponent, Democratic Senator Jim Webb. Now I don't want to get into a debate as to whether Stark has any right to wear a Jim Webb button or sticker to an Allen campaign event. What I will say is that Stark either would have known, or should have known, that wearing such a Webb sticker or button would have certainly attracted the attention of the Allen campaign staffers--perhaps even to the point of violence, as we can see through this CNN video. Had Stark came to the Allen event without wearing the Webb sticker or button, Stark may have been able to ask Allen the questions regarding Allen's sealed divorce and arrest records. Then again, if Stark had asked those questions, he may have also been forced out by the Allen campaign staffers--though I'm not sure if it would have been violent. I'm not going to say that Stark was right or wrong in wearing what possibly was a Jim Webb campaign sticker or button to an Allen campaign event. I'm simply observing and commenting on this detail.
Now the assault. A couple things come to mind about this assault on Stark by the Allen campaign staffers. The first is how quickly the incident escalated into violence by that Allen campaign staffers. They didn't just want to escort Stark out--they were just about ready to throw him out. It really starts with Bald Heavy Man with Glasses ordering Stark out, "You're going to need to leave NOW! Get out the door!" Right as Bald Heavy Man says that, Brown Suitcoat Man leaps at Stark to apply a chockhold on Stark. The Bald Heavy Man never gave any professional courtesy or respect towards Stark--in fact, the Bald Heavy Man actually increased the confrontational situation through his harsh order. For right after Stark started asking the Bald Heavy Man if he was hotel security or staff, not only was the Bald Heavy Man pushing Stark away, but then Stark was jumped by the Brown Suitcoat Man, who applied the chockhold. These men used violence first to remove Stark, rather than use courtesy and ask Stark to leave.
A second aspect of this assault is that no one on Allen's campaign staff even bothered to call hotel security, or even the police to help remove Stark away from the event. The Allen campaign staff decided to take it upon themselves to remove Stark. This is a mistake for two reasons. First, the entire incident has been recorded by the press--especially the TV news. And as you know, it has already been making the rounds through both the press and the blogs--this incident has now become a campaign issue against Allen. The second mistake is that the video of this scuffle can possibly be used in both criminal and civil suits against the Allen campaign by Mike Stark. I'm certain the police are looking at this video very carefully, to determine what criminal charges can be filed against these Allen staffers.
Now throughout this post, I've been saying that these three individuals who have assaulted Mike Stark are a part of Allen's campaign staff. The reason I say this is because of how quickly they have resorted towards violent measures in protecting Allen--especially as Stark started asking questions regarding Allen spitting on his wife. Could these individuals have been hotel employees? The Brown Suited Man actually is wearing an Allen campaign sticker on the right shoulder of his jacket. You can clearly see the sticker just as Stark breaks free from the chockhold. As for Blue Baseball Cap Man, I can't see if he has an Allen sticker on his jacket. However, the blue baseball cap does have some type of writing on the front--although I can't tell if the letters spell out Allen. I would doubt that hotel security or staff would wear any Allen campaign buttons, stickers or hats at this event. Finally, Bald Heavy Man gets really angry after Stark asks if Allen spat on his wife--throwing Stark down to the floor, and almost through a window. Hotel security would certainly not behave in this manner, since this could open the hotel up to civil lawsuits.
This comes to the final observation regarding this assault--the smackdown near the window. The smackdown was especially personal by the Allen campaign staff. The three Allen staff members had control of Mike Stark and were in the process of removing Stark from the hotel. Once Stark asked his question of whether Allen spat upon his wife, then Bald Heavy Man went angry, and threw Stark down--almost sending Stark through the window. That was pure anger on the part of Bald Heavy Guy, who obviously wanted to take that anger out against Stark for asking such a question. Stark was contained. He was being removed from the hotel by the three staffers. Stark was not fighting against the three staffers--there was no hitting, kicking, or any punching by Stark against the staffers. And yet, right after Stark asked that question, Bald Heavy Man went personal himself. He didn't need to throw Stark down--the three could have escorted Stark out the door. Instead, Bald Heavy Man threw Stark down. There was no need for that type of violence. No matter what Stark could have said, he was contained and being removed from the hotel--It was uncalled for.
Some Final comments here. This incident should have never happened. The fact that this incident did occur, points to a couple of items. The first item is the aggressive irresponsibility of the Allen campaign staff who assaulted Mike Stark. These staff members were not trained security. They were not trained in the techniques of reducing confrontation and conflict through negotiation, or of using violence as a last resort. Instead, the Allen campaign staffers took a confrontational stance first. The three Allen campaign staffers used violence to subdue and remove Stark. And even as they had Stark contained, they still used violence as a form of revenge when Bald Heavy Man threw Stark towards the window after Stark asked the question of Allen spitting on his wife. This incident certainly does not show a sense of security on Allen's staff, but rather a sense of thuggery.
The second issue I see is about Mike Stark himself. It is about Stark wearing what is possibly a Jim Webb campaign button or sticker on his jacket. By wearing this sticker, Stark certainly attracts attention to himself by the Allen campaign staff. This does not mean that Stark had what is coming to him--what the Allen campaign staffers did was illegal. There was no excuse for the Allen campaign staff to attack Stark. Stark either should have known, or already knew, that wearing Webb campaign stickers or buttons to an Allen campaign event would cause a controversy. That is my criticism against Stark.
Finally, everything leads back to the original incident at the doorway to the hotel lobby. What happened during those first few seconds in the doorway? Because it is the incident in the doorway that causes Stark to question the Short Man in a Dark Suitcoat. Stark's questioning brings in the Bald Heavy Man, who orders Stark out of the hotel, when then concludes with the assault on Stark by the three Allen campaign staffers. I can't tell what happens in the doorway--the TV camera is blocked by the two people in front. The camera starts rolling just as the incident takes place--not a few seconds beforehand to allow us to see where the players are positioned. That is the real big question I would have to ask here. And the answer can explain not just what happened, but also why did this incident happen?
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