City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez was among the hundreds of people arrested during a sweep of the Occupy Wall Street encampment Tuesday.
"I went down to the park to observe the situation," he explained as he walked out of court Tuesday evening. "Unfortunately, I was assaulted by a police officer."
Rodriguez, who represents upper Manhattan, said he showed up at the park early in the morning to watch the evacuation and to make sure rights were not being violated. But he said he suddenly found his own rights getting violated just two blocks outside the park.
Councilman Jumaane Williams said he witnessed his colleague's arrest, and says he saw the councilman bleeding on his forehead before being led off by police.
Video of his arrest confirms this, but Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said that to the best of his knowledge, Rodriguez has not claimed to be injured.
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Rodriguez faces misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and obstructing government administration. He's due back in court Jan. 20.