The Department of Justice revealed a federal indictment against three individuals accused of assaulting Turning Point USA reporter Savanah Hernandez during an anti-ICE protest in Minnesota.
Video footage of the April 11 incident appeared to show Paige Ostroushko, a Minnesota resident, blowing a whistle just inches from Hernandez's ear before pushing her to the ground.
'This incident isn't just about me, but about every single journalist who has been attacked while doing their job.'
After Hernandez returned to her feet, Deyanna Ostroushko, Paige's mother, confronted the reporter, claiming that Hernandez had instigated the physical altercation.
"Did you f**king hit my daughter?" Deyanna yelled in Hernandez's face, video showed.
Hernandez pushed Deyanna away and seemed to walk off to distance herself from the mob of anti-ICE protesters, according to the video.
"Stop touching me!" Hernandez shouted.
Savanah Hernandez. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Chris Ostroushko, Paige's father, stepped into the chaos, approaching Hernandez and pushing her, causing her to fall onto the pavement, video showed.
Paige then appeared to go after Hernandez again, and the two got into a brief scuffle.
On Wednesday, a four-count federal indictment was unsealed by the U.S. District Court of Minnesota, charging each member of the Ostroushko family. The indictment did not name the victim.
Chris and Paige Ostroushko "did by force or by threat of force willfully injure, intimidate, and interfere with, and attempt to injure, intimidate, and interfere with the rights of another," the indictment read.
All three family members were accused of aiding and abetting the assault of the victim.
Hernandez sought medical treatment following the altercation and was told that she suffered a concussion and multiple sprains.
"I'm incredibly grateful to the FBI and DOJ for their swift response to the attack I experienced," Hernandez told Blaze News. "This incident isn't just about me, but about every single journalist who has been attacked while doing their job. Today's indictment sets an extremely important precedent for every American and is a strong message to the radical left wing that they are not allowed to violently attack people with impunity any more."
“Today, Christopher, Deyanna, and Paige Ostrouchko [sic] were indicted by a grand jury for allegedly assaulting journalist and Turning Point USA contributor Savannah [sic] Hernandez, while she was lawfully reporting on anti-ICE protests outside a federal building in St. Paul,” stated acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
“Hernandez was allegedly surrounded, physically assaulted, and shoved to the ground — simply because she was identified by the defendants as a conservative journalist,” Blanche continued. “That is NOT ‘peaceful protest.’ These deplorable actions as charged in the indictment will not be tolerated in America, and this Department of Justice will always punish unhinged acts of political violence.”
Savanah Hernandez. James Devaney/GC Images
In a recent interview with One America News Network, Chris Ostroushko, a 6', 51-year-old man who weighs 240 lbs., according to online court records, seemed shocked by the backlash he and his family have received.
"It's a little overwhelming and makes me second-guess even living in this country, to be honest with you, with all that's going on," Ostroushko told the news outlet.
He has described Hernandez as the aggressor and claimed that he was protecting his wife and daughter.
The Ostroushko family claimed that after the video went viral, they were doxxed and lost their jobs.
Paige Ostroushko started a GoFundMe requesting $12,000, claiming that she witnessed a "deeply triggering" verbal exchange with "an individual present" who was interviewing attendees about ICE. This "led to emotional distress and a confrontation between the individual and me," she said, claiming self-defense. She also stated that she suffered "head, neck and knee injuries." As of Wednesday afternoon, she had raised $900.
An additional GoFundMe page was started to support the family, requesting $8,000. It has so far raised $310.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment