Knowing OWS

Scissors-wielding OWS protester charged with felony assault on cop

By LAURA ITALIANO and DOUG AUER

A Berkley, CA-based Occupy Wall Street protester has been charged with felony assault for allegedly stabbing a cop in the hand with a pair of scissors as a crowd tried to retake Zuccotti Park on New Years Eve.

Officers had originally moved in to arrest Zachary Miller, 28, after watching him push a police barrier into a marked NYPD van, according to the criminal complaint against him.

Officer Christopher Vega was cut in the right hand by scissors as he arrested the struggling protester, causing him "substantial pain," according to the complaint. Vega also bruised both knees and suffered a back injury, according to a police source.

Miller already has Zuccotti-related disorderly conduct arrests from October and November, plus a record of narcotics, parole violation and burglary arrests in California, the source said.

For the New Years Eve arrest, Miller was additionally charged with weapons possession, obstruction of governmental administration and resisting arrest. He was released on $500 bail.