Activist Ja'Mal Green Indicted for Striking Cop During Protest

CHICAGO, IL - Activist Ja’Mal Green was indicted on charges he battered one Chicago police officer and attempted to disarm another during a protest of police shootings at the Taste of Chicago earlier this summer.

Other activists and members of the city’s faith community joined Green in court on Wednesday as the seven-count indictment was handed down by Judge Marvin Luckman, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Green is accused of a number of offenses from the July 9 protest. Prosecutors say that after he climbed a fence and was ordered to get down, he threatened a police officer by saying he was “going to beat his ass.”

More on Patch: Ja’Mal Green Arrested During Police Brutality Protest in Chicago

A Tribune photo shows what appears to be Green striking a police commander. Police also say he went for an officer’s weapon during a confrontation between law enforcement and numerous protesters. In all, Green was charged with five felonies on July 9 including aggravated battery to a police officer.

Between posting bond and his Wednesday indictment, the 20-year-old Green continued in his role as a speaker for those who have felt victimized by Chicago police. He and Attorney Michael Oppenheimer spoke for the family of 18-year-old Paul O'Neal, the car theft suspect shot and killed by police on a city street last month, when police video was released that showed a portion of the events that led up to the fatal hit.

For his charges in relation to the July 9 Taste of Chicago protest, Green remains free on $350,000 bail. He will be arraigned on Aug. 23.

More via the Chicago Tribune