Was the Brutal Police Takedown Of This Protester Justified?

Impact

Protesters have held "Solidarity Sing" protests for a variety of vaguely connected 'progressive' issues in Wisconsin's state capitol building in Madison since 2012. The protests turned unusually violent on Monday after police became entangled with a protester for unknown reasons, wrestling a man identified as Damon Terrell to the floor. 

Police have made arrests and issued more than 300 citations at the capitol since July 24, mostly for gathering without a permit. But it is unclear remains as to why terrell was tackled.

The footage shows Capitol Police officers talking very briefly to the protester before they aggressively take him down. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has reported that events preceding the arrest may not have been captured on tape to appropriately reflect the altercation. 

Local newspaper reports indicate that this activity is unusual, as typically active participants in these regular protests are "handcuffed, processed, photographed and given a $200.50 ticket." 

"When officers began to arrest Damon Terrell, he began to walk away and actively resisted arrest," Wisconsin Department of Administration spokeswoman Stephanie Marquis said. She added, "Throughout the arrest, officers continued to verbally tell him to stop resisting and comply with police officers."