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DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES () — The Cal State University Channel Islands professor arrested during an immigration raid at a Camarillo cannabis farm has been acquitted.
Federal prosecutors claimed Dr. John Caravello threw a tear gas canister at federal agents. He faced up to 20 years in prison if he had been convicted.
Students, educators and community members have rallied behind Caravello since he was arrested nine months ago, and on Friday, they celebrated his acquittal but stressed that his experience is not unique.
The Justice Department indicted the CSU professor, acussing him of assault on a federal officer using a deadly or dangerous weapon. The philosophy professor is among those who rushed to the scene of an immigration raid in Camarillo back in July.
Caravello stressed that he doesn’t deny throwing a tear gas canister, but said that he only threw it far away and over the heads of agents to protect community members.
On Friday, he said it was important to speak up and uplift the voices of others.
“My fellow comrades, my people who are doing this work in the streets right now and who are facing the same repression, and they don’t get the eyes on them,” said Caravello.
“The United States government locked me up for three months for simply standing up for my community. Which we all have a civil duty to do, stand up for our community,” said activist Sandra Samanea.
Samanea is part of a group calling themselves “The Baldwin Park Three.” All three were acquitted after being accused of doxing and two found guilty of stalking after following an unmarked government vehicle where the agent drove home. They are appealing.
The California Faculty Association’s president said that federal prosecutors have not won a single ‘assault on a federal officer’ case because she says the public recognizes these charges as attempts to bully and harass peaceful protestors.
7 reached out to the Justice Department regarding this verdict and have not heard back as of the time of this publishing.
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