Capitol Correspondent
EAST LANSING- Jose Villigrans and Raul Perez who were both arrested during the Chris Simcox speech at MSU this April, have each been charged with felonies. The charges are assaulting a police officer as well as a misdemeanor charge of disrupting an educational event. Both appeared before East Lansing Judge David Jordan on Tuesday for pretrials, and preliminary exams have been set for July 13.
Police reports filed with the cases claim Perez shoved an officer, hit an officer with his elbow and attempted to elude officers by climbing over two rows of chairs. BTL staff present at the event, saw none of this, but did witness and take a photograph of Perez being held in a choke hold by an officer.
Reports say Villigrans pulled away from the arresting officer and balled up his fists. BTL staff witnessed Villigrans asking why he was being arrested and officers shoving him down on top of a civilian woman who was held in place by another officer.
Attorneys for both men say they are trying to get video footage shot by the MSU police during the event, in order to better prepare defenses for their clients.
