Brawl blamed on dispute over Obama

[maric]

Tuesday, November 11, 2008By John Doherty Staff writer
Oswego police are continuing their investigation of a Sunday morning melee that left a Barack Obama supporter gravely injured and a soldier who fought in Afghanistan charged with his beating.

Angel Moreno, 19, of the Bronx, was listed in critical condition Monday at University Hospital in Syracuse.

The soldier, Pvt. Kevin T. Flanagan, from Manchester, N.H., was being held in the Oswego County jail. He was charged with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor.

Investigators are interviewing witnesses to the fight, and other arrests could be pending, said Oswego police Capt. James Comerford.

According to police, officers arrived at the Pizza Pub restaurant, 141 W. Bridge St., at 3:02 a.m. Sunday and found Moreno, 19, a junior at State University College at Oswego, lying near a parked car.

Moreno was taken by ambulance to the college and was then flown by helicopter to University Hospital.

According to a witness in the restaurant, the fight began when patrons began arguing about Obama's presidential election.

About 12 people, including several soldiers, took the argument outside and the fight broke out, according to a restaurant waitress who declined to give her name.

"It was all over the new president," the waitress said.

Police said no weapons were involved in the fight.

Moreno, who is majoring in wellness management, is an Obama supporter, according to his Facebook Web site, which features an Obama poster.

Flanagan joined the Army in January 2006 and arrived at Fort Drum that May. He is a fire support specialist with the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. He was in Afghanistan from May 2006 to June 2007.

Army officials are aware of Flanagan's arrest, said Fort Drum's Julie Cupernall.

Any disciplinary action against Flanagan, such as a discharge, would not be taken until the charge he faces is resolved in civilian court, Cupernall said.

Contributing writer Dan Thalkar contributed to this story. John Doherty can be reached at jdoherty@syracuse.com and 592-7140 or 470-3235.

http://www.syracuseonline.com/news/index.ssf?/base/policeblotter-1/1226397430293291.xml&coll=1

 

[hrspwr]

Now I`ve got the warm fuzzies.

"Moreno, who is majoring in wellness management" Oh the irony.

 

[SouthernGal]

I guess those soldiers didn't visit the "52 to 48" propaganda website!

 

[maric]

I guess those soldiers didn't visit the "52 to 48" propaganda website!

I guess the soldiers don't care for O'samabama either. God bless em. And just think, this liberal rag put this out on Veterans Day.

 

[newsgirl]

*Sigh*

It just makes me sad. Now we've got a kid in the hospital and a soldier in jail. That soldier should have known better. He's a weapon, and a professional, and you just can't go around ganging up on people.

It plays right into the hands of people who criticize the military, and it supports arguments against the "fairness" of free speech.

Either you're fighting for the right to talk freely, or you're not.

That simple.

This is very sad and disapponting.

That noted, I don't know what the injured kid said or did, so I might need more info.

 

[maric]

*Sigh*
That noted, I don't know what the injured kid said or did, so I might need more info.

And Newsgirl, this rag will never print what the O'samabama SUPPORTER DID. I personally wrote 3 letters to the editor, a few of my friends did too. We all tried to voice our opinion on 'the one.' NONE got published. But EVERY single day there are letters printed praising their savior. There has to be more to this story. I'm married to a retired Army Ranger, they have self control, believe it!

 

[BL225128]

Call me cynical, but I suspect that "Angel" (probably acts more like "Devil") Moreno (obviously Spanish for "mo'ron") was the instigator, and thought himself invulnerable due to his surname, "ethinic" appearance, politics and being a college stoopid.

I also suspect that cholo kept pushing the Soldier and would not stop bothering him until he finally had to beat the little weenis to a pulp, after all this PROVES the Soldier to be a dangerous pyschotic in the minds of the progs.

 

[Dredge]

If you don't want to get your ass kicked shut up and leave.

*Sigh*

It just makes me sad. Now we've got a kid in the hospital and a soldier in jail. That soldier should have known better. He's a weapon, and a professional, and you just can't go around ganging up on people.

It plays right into the hands of people who criticize the military, and it supports arguments against the "fairness" of free speech.

Either you're fighting for the right to talk freely, or you're not.

That simple.

This is very sad and disapponting.

That noted, I don't know what the injured kid said or did, so I might need more info.

You strike me as one of those people that think you can just keep runnning off at the mouth, at some point it is put up or shut up.Your going to get someone if not your self seriously hurt

 

[Sully]

But the article didn't say the soldiers ganged up on that guy. It didn't even say how many soldiers or how many civilians.

*About 12 people, including several soldiers, took the argument outside and the fight broke out, according to a restaurant waitress who declined to give her name.*

 

[Navydad]

By Jim Kenyon
Monday, November 10, 2008 at 6:09 p.m.

OSWEGO -- A fight over President-elect Barack Obama sends an Oswego State student to the hospital and a Fort Drum soldier to jail.
The incident happened at about 3:00 am Sunday at the Pizza Pub in Oswego. According to witness depositions obtained by Action News, a group of students allegedly argued and fought with a group of men about President Elect Obama. 23 year old Fort Drum soldier Kevin Flanagan, who served more than a year in Afghanistan, is charged with third degree assault, a misdemeanor. Flanagan is accused of hitting 19 year old Angel Moreno.
According to depositions, witness Damali Ross told police the men, including Flanagan, "began yelling about Obama and being derogatory towards him." The students replied, "he is our leader so deal with it." When one of the men started choking, Ross testified, "Someone in our group... asked if he was choking because he was talking too much Obama crap."
The injury to Angel Moreno happened quickly and unexpectedly. When the brawl spilled out onto the street, Moreno was struck once in the face. Ross says his head hit the trunk of a car and then he fell to the ground, unconscious. Moreno was airlifted to Upstate Medical Center in critical condition with an injury to his head. He has since been upgraded to "serious."
Oswego State student, Stanley Francois says Moreno is a big supporter of Barack Obama, and "likes to preach about things he believes in."
Flanigan remained in the Oswego County jail Monday afternoon in lieu of $5,000 dollars bail.


http://wstm.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=219974

Someone close by should go make his bail.

 

[Warthog]

Fools

 

[Harbinger]

Obviously those who voted against obamama can't have an opinion nor stand by their opinions...they must conform......



RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!!

 

[Brutus]

"Whip his ass, soldier."

- Naval officer to Army sergeant James Caan in Gardens of Stone when confronted by a Nehru jacket-wearing, faggoty, anti-war type.

 

[maric]

Someone close by should go make his bail.

Believe me, if I had the money I would!

 

[newsgirl]

You strike me as one of those people that think you can just keep runnning off at the mouth, at some point it is put up or shut up.Your going to get someone if not your self seriously hurt

Huh? ME????????

Not in the least.

I think you're mistaken, sir.

Please don't judge me based on a single post. My father was in the Army for many years, and before I wrote that, I tried to stop my knee-jerk reaction against O-bots and think about what he would say.

This doesn't sound like a one-on-one honor-defended fight.

This is why I said trained soldiers have to be careful not to gang up on people:
"About 12 people, including several soldiers, took the argument outside and the fight broke out, according to a restaurant waitress who declined to give her name."

But, again, I don't have all the facts. Maybe the soldiers were ganged up on. To be honest, I always take the side of a soldier first, but I also know there are some who act without thinking, as there are in any group, and one soldier who goes off half-cocked can cause a problem for the whole lot of our boys.

 

[Jumpy Frog]

Did the soldier do something wrong? Sounds like a simple disagreement between two men, or a dozen men if you believe the story. Don't people fight like this in other parts of the country? I fail to see how this is front page news...............

 

[VesperSparrow]

"Whip his ass, soldier."

- Naval officer to Army sergeant James Caan in Gardens of Stone when confronted by a Nehru jacket-wearing, faggoty, anti-war type.

What Brutus said.

 

[Fred]

I fail to see how this is front page news.

The story tangentially mentioned Obama, thus giving people reason to call him names and lay blame on his supporter instead of the guy who attacked him.

If that's not front page news on the new all-Obama-all-the-time TB2k, I don't know what is.

 

[Jumpy Frog]

The story tangentially mentioned Obama, thus giving people reason to call him names and lay blame on his supporter instead of the guy who attacked him.

If that's not front page news on the new all-Obama-all-the-time TB2k, I don't know what is.

Alrighty, Though I was in reference to the MSN story, not here. In my quite podunk area this would be hidden maybe in a police blotter section that a fight broke out at a pizza joint. One went to the hospital, and the other went to jail.

 

[Rex Jackson]

*Sigh*

It just makes me sad. Now we've got a kid in the hospital and a soldier in jail. That soldier should have known better. He's a weapon, and a professional, and you just can't go around ganging up on people.

It plays right into the hands of people who criticize the military, and it supports arguments against the "fairness" of free speech.

Either you're fighting for the right to talk freely, or you're not.

That simple.

This is very sad and disapponting.

That noted, I don't know what the injured kid said or did, so I might need more info.

Newsgirl, maybe the soldier took a bunch of crap from the Obamabot. Maybe he was defending himself. Maybe the Obamabot was the instigator. Maybe the Obamabot was a large man the soldier was a smaller man.

We don't have enough facts.

 

[Brutus]

Newsgirl, maybe the soldier took a bunch of crap from the Obamabot. Maybe he was defending himself. Maybe the Obamabot was the instigator. Maybe the Obamabot was a large man the soldier was a smaller man.

We don't have enough facts.

Exactly.

Don't you just love how the MSM leaves out key facts in stories like this?