Colorado Crimes: Obamacare supporter claims car vandalization politically motivated

Yesterday, we shared a video of protests that took place at a healthcare town hall staged by Representative Ed Perlmutter at a Brighton King Soopers -- an event at which feverish, easily manipulated Obamacare haters carried signs featuring slogans such as "Seniors: Get Your Death Pills Here." In the clip,...

By Michael Roberts

August 11, 2009

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Yesterday, we shared a video of protests that took place at a healthcare town hall staged by Representative Ed Perlmutter at a Brighton King Soopers -- an event at which feverish, easily manipulated Obamacare haters carried signs featuring slogans such as "Seniors: Get Your Death Pills Here." In the clip, one man can be heard wailing, "We will ram it down your throats and shove it up your butt. And you'll like it!"

But one attendee -- a staffer for ProgressNow Colorado, a liberal advocacy organization -- didn't like something that happened to him. Specifically, his car was vandalized because, the ProgressNow crowd believes, he left a pro-reform flier in view on the backseat of his car.

Of course, ProgressNow is trying to get as much political mileage as possible out of this act -- not that the sort of folks who've been showing up at these rallies need much help to look out of control. Sample its spin via the official release on view after the jump.

ProgressNow Colorado Requests Investigation of Property Crime Committed During Right-Wing Protest

Staff member's car vandalized over pro-health care reform flyer visible on seat

DENVER -- A car owned by a ProgressNow Colorado staff member was vandalized over the weekend during a right-wing protest against health insurance reform.

ProgressNow Colorado staffer Michael Ditto was attending a public "Government at your Grocery Store" event Saturday in Brighton, Colorado, held by Rep. Ed Perlmutter of Golden, when his vehicle was seriously damaged in the parking lot. A report was filed with the Brighton Police Department. Police are reviewing surveillance tapes of the parking lot for evidence.

"We are calling for a thorough investigation of this act of vandalism at a right-wing protest," said ProgressNow Colorado Founder Michael Huttner. "There is absolutely no excuse for anyone who comes to a public gathering to be intimidated. In this case thankfully no one was hurt, but thousands of dollars in damage was done to Mike Ditto's car."

A pro-health care reform flyer was lying on the back seat of Ditto's car in plain sight, which is thought to have been the motivating factor for the crime. Both side mirrors of Ditto's Chevrolet Cavalier were broken off and left hanging by cables, and numerous dents and key-scratches can be seen in photos taken by Ditto and Brighton Police directly after the event.

ProgressNow Colorado is asking for the assistance of Adams County District Attorney Don Quick in the investigation of this crime. In addition, if any members of the public witnessed the incident, ProgressNow Colorado asks them to immediately contact the Brighton Police Department at 303-655-2333, and optionally to send an email describing what they saw to [email protected].

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

Follow:

Facebook: 111180895657427

Twitter: @mikerobertscolo