Videographer arrested in Skokie

This story originally ran on the private Methods Web site Nov. 12.

A Gurnee man has been charged with aggravated battery, criminal trespass and resisting arrest after he refused to stop filming a well-known Communist activist as she spoke to an ethical humanist gathering in Skokie.

The Skokie police arrested 31-year-old Gregory Koger on Nov. 1 at the Skokie-based Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago when he continued to film writer and activist Sunsara Taylor after being asked to stop. According to the police report, Koger shoved a police officer as he resisted arrest and was subdued using pepper spray.

Witnesses affiliated with Taylor allege police used unnecessary force against Koger.

Taylor stood up before the Ethical Humanist Society's Sunday program, "Peace Corps in the 21st Century," and denounced the society's decision to disinvite her from giving a speech that day. In a phone interview, she said she wanted to give the society a chance to reconsider. "I felt that it was an unethical decision to disinvite me," Taylor said.

The program committee originally invited her to speak on the topic of morality without Gods, said Tom Hoeppner, chairman of the membership committee and moderator of the Sunday program. He said the committee voted to disinvite her less than a month in advance once it learned her speech would focus more on Communist Party activities.

Hoeppner said the president of the Ethical Humanist Society asked Koger to stop filming and he refused. The police report states Koger was told he would be arrested for criminal trespass if he did not comply. Koger turned off his camera after a plainclothes officer told him he was on private property and would have to leave if he did not, according to police.

The society requested an officer attend the event to prevent disruptions after Taylor said she would speak despite being disinvited, Hoeppner said. She made the announcement at a workshop she gave at the society the day before.

According to the report, Koger began filming again, at which time two officers asked him to leave the assembly room. As they escorted him out, they told him he was under arrest for criminal trespass, and he began to resist.

In a statement posted on Taylor's blog, witness Martha Conrad denied Koger resisted arrest. "At no time was the videographer aggressive toward police officers," Conrad wrote. "At no time did he resist arrest."

Conrad said she observed officers "batter" Koger, including beating his head against the floor. She said his face was scratched and his eye was red and tearing when he was taken to the police car.

According to police, officers called the Skokie Fire Department because Koger had been pepper sprayed, but he refused treatment. Conrad said Koger sought treatment at Skokie Hospital after being released.

Koger declined to comment pending his trial. Witnesses affiliated with Taylor also declined to comment further.

According to Koger's personal Web site, he served 10 years in prison after being convicted of armed violence and aggravated battery with a firearm in 1996.

Police did not attempt to stop Taylor from talking, and she completed her statement before heading to the home of an Ethical Humanist Society member, where she gave her speech.

"If I had actually been doing something wrong, you would think that [the president] would want a record of it," Taylor said.

Koger is scheduled to appear Wednesday at the Cook County Courthouse.

Correction: At the end of paragraph five, I originally referred to the Communist Party as the "Community" Party; that was a typo and has been corrected.

Update: This story originally reported Koger's lawyer had approved the witness statement on Taylor's blog. That detail has been called into question and thus has been removed.