CHARLOTTESVILLE (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – City Councilor Michael Payne offered an apology to all subject to the May 4 police action clearing pro-Palestinian encampment at UVA. This after local attorney Jeff Fogel, who represented one of the defendants whose trespassing charge will be dropped August 20 on good behavior, asked the city to apologize. Fogel said he primarily holds Governor Glenn Youngkin and state Attorney General Jason Miyares primarily responsible for an uncalled-for police action, forcing the hand of UVA President Jim Ryan. However, he was asking for a city apology because “resources from our community, resources from our taxes, were used as part of this approach”.

Fogel during Community Matters outlined a list of contested reports from University and police accounts stating in three videos he watched from different angles, he never saw UVA Police Chief Tim Longo threatened with any umbrellas. Fogel said Longo walked away in frustration because no one at the encampment that Saturday morning would talk to him. Fogel also said it videos showed untrue the claim that protestors held up umbrellas in a threatening fashion against State Police in a threatening fashion. He said the few that held up umbrellas for self-defense had them ripped out of their hands and offered no resistance. And, of course, Fogel said the officer assault charge against Kristen Finn was dropped just a week after it was placed after Albemarle Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Hingeley found no evidence backing up a county officer’s claim he saw Finn punch a collegue in the face.

Fogel not only spares Jim Ryan a lot of the blame, but also Charlottesville Police Chief Michael Kochis was in a tough spot. He said Chief Kochis could not refuse another law enforcement agency they work with on a regular basis, “certainly not if you expect them to ever help you”.

Payne apologized after Fogel spoke to Council Monday night in Community Matters was the only Councilor who spoke on the subject.