Capitol Altercation Makes News

Media reports are coming in from Frankfort this evening focusing on an altercation in the capitol and there are a lot of confusing and conflicting stories.  We're taking a moment to tell what happened as best as we can to get that information out to you.

KFTC, Occupy Lexington, and a number of others held a rally on the capitol steps today against the unjust House and Senate redistricting plans that affect many voters throughout the state.

After that, many of us went to the Senate and House chambers to watch the legislative business of the day.

In the Senate, Senator Kathy Stein took the floor to call out the Senate leadership for moving her district across the state, effectively disenfranchising her constituents for 2 years.

In the gallery, KFTC members and others clapped from time to time, leading Senator David Williams to threaten to have the gallery cleared of all spectators.

After a quick Senate debate, they adjourned for the day, and senators and spectators alike began to leave the chambers.

In a small side hallway, citizens including KFTC members were leaving the area when Senate President David Williams cut through the hallway.

A man named Stephen Trask approached the Sen. Williams and verbally confronted him, saying something like, "You were attacking Kathy Stein but you were really attacking all of us."

In response, security restrained Trask, and there was a chaotic scuffle in the small, crowded hallway.

Two citizens were asked to leave the building in the aftermath of the struggle, but they weren't charged and they claim that the officers improperly shoved them against the wall in the scuffle.

Trask himself was charged with "menacing" and was arrested.

Trask isn't a KFTC member, wasn't part of the planning for the event, and we certainly didn't even know that he intended to verbally confront Williams.

We will continue to try to understand what happened in full and will report more, if appropriate.