Videographer/Television Producer Mike Hanson Files Civil Rights Lawsuit Against Hollywood Video, Austin Police Chief Stan Knee, and Travis County Sheriff Margo Frasier

Travis County, Tx. - Today, Mike Hanson, cameraman and television producer for popular radio host Alex Jones, filed a civil rights lawsuit in District Court in Travis County, Texas in connection with an incident that occurred in March of 1999.The lawsuit names as Defendants Hollywood Video, Austin Police Chief Stan Knee, and Travis County Sheriff Margo Frasier as well as other inviduals connected to the incident.

The complaint states that Hanson and his daughter were exiting a Hollywood Video rental store when security alarms went off. A concerned Hanson approached the sales counter but was motioned to continue out of the store by the cashier. While enroute to his truck, he was stopped by a security officer, Jamie Castenada.

After being accused of stealing videos, Hanson demonstrated to the security officer his bags contained only the videos he had rented, as indicated by his receipt. The security officer continued to harass Hanson and attempted to badger him back into the store to be searched.

Fearing the clearly agitated security guard, Hanson and his daughter got into his truck and locked the doors. The frustrated guard then attempted to force his way inside of Hanson's truck so a frightened Hanson called 911 on his cellular telephone.

After the 911 call was made, Hanson then called radio host Alex Jones live on the air, thus allowing the audio of the rest of the incident to be recorded. Mr. Jones asked for patriotic Americans that were anywhere close by to bring video cameras and film the escalating events. Dozens came and recorded the events that followed.

Shorty thereafter, six Austin City police cars drove up and, much to Hanson's surprise, took the very aggressive action of surrounding Hanson's truck. No officers attempted to speak with Hanson. Hanson asked several times if he was under arrest and each time the officer's reply was no. This can be heard on the audio tape of the Alex Jones program.

Hanson's terrified daughter can also be heard crying on the tape. One eyewitness eventually filed a complaint against the officers charging them with "Endangering a Minor" but official charges against the officers were never filed. Later, as Hanson tried to comfort her, two officers distracted him by attempting to use a "slim jim" to bypass the locked door on the passenger side.

It was then that an officer on the drivers side smashed Hanson's window, grabbed a bewildered Hanson, and threw him to the ground. He was handcuffed and taken to Travis County Jail where Hanson states he was assaulted by jailer Ross Arnold and others. Eventually Hanson posted bail and was released. The charge against Hanson was "Disregarding the Order of a Police Officer".

Hanson further states in the complaint that the arresting officers later falsified police reports and that one of the officers who is named as a Defendant, Richard McFadin, was acting illegally since key documents provided to Hanson by the Texas Secretary of State's Office indicate the officer had not filed all of the paperwork necessary to perform his duties.

As a result of the illegal and inappropriate actions of the officers, Hanson states he was intentionally deprived of rights which are guaranteed to be protected by the Constitution. Ed Hohmann, an eyewitness to the events that night, had this to say: "An innocent man was arrested. The only criminal acts I witnessed that night were committed by the police officers themselves."

Hohman continued by adding this call to action, "The public needs to take back control of their government. What happened here was a government out of control. This is yet another example of government not being held accountable because of the inaction of it's people. It's the people's responsibility to hold these officers accountable."