ASHLAND, Ore. (AP) — Former Ashland city councilman Eric Navickas says police overreacted and used excessive force when they slammed him to the hood of a police car as he led a street protest against expansion of the Mount Ashland Ski Resort.
KDRV reports Navickas broke free and officers decided not to arrest him Tuesday because the group moved to the sidewalk.
The group did not have a permit for a march. Police Chief Terry Holdereness says officers were concerned about their safety and that Navickas resisted attempts to move them out of the street. The chief says the district attorney’s office will decide whether to pursue disorderly conduct charges against Navickas.
The protesters are concerned a $3.5 million expansion of the ski resort will harm the watershed that supplies the city’s water.
