Last Thursday, Breitbart Texas reported that Tracey Carver-Allbritton – a woman involved with the recent McKinney pool fight incident – was placed on administrative leave from her company. Stephen Benavides, the mastermind behind the leftist Twitter campaign that abruptly dismantled Carver-Allbritton’s livelihood, is a current activist and former Occupy Dallas organizer who is no stranger when it comes to violence and ending up on the wrong side of the law.
Beginning in November of 2011, Benavides became a leader with the Occupy movement that had just reached the Dallas area. Leading anti-authority demonstrations, protests, and rallies, he further displayed his ideals by assaulting fellow Occupiers and a police officer.
On November 5 in Dallas, Benavides was arrested alongside seven other protesters. Having been the only one charged for causing injuries to a public servant and resisting arrest, it was reported that Benavides tried to swing a flagpole at a Dallas police officer.
Shortly after the arrest, a YouTube video showed Benavides being pushed off a 4-foot planter outside of the Bank of America building by a police officer, portraying him as the victim. At the time, Benavides denied any wrongdoing on his part, saying he didn’t assault anyone or resist arrest. His half-brother, Juan Benavides, called the arrest a baseless one and said the police attacked first.
As with many one-sided perspectives, the video only captured a segment of what truly happened, and a police review concluded that there was no officer misconduct with the eight arrests. More videos surfaced, and they appeared to confirm the review done by officers. Dallas City Hall spokesman Frank Librio said the following in a public statement, referencing one individual in particular – presumably Benavides:
“At approx. 1 p.m. OD protestors marched to Bank of America at 901 main. Several climbed up on the planters and were directed to get down. During the exchange one of the protestors became aggressive and assaulted officers. This individual will be charged with assault on a public servant and arresting.”
Benavides spent the weekend in jail and was released the following week on a $52,000 bond. Not long after, he again found himself on the wrong side of the law. In a police report filed on November 15, Benavides entered a Dallas meeting where Occupy organizers were planning the next steps for the now-faded movement. Taking offense to what fellow leader Glynn Wilcox said at the meeting, Benavides attacked him by punching twice and attempting to strangle Wilcox. Throughout the assault, Benavides repeatedly yelled, “I am a revolutionary!” and fled the scene before the police arrived.
Wilcox told the Dallas Morning News that local Occupy leaders wanted to maintain the nonviolence, but “Stephen’s actions are outside of that.” Wilcox also mentioned that Benavides thought Occupy Dallas was “too soft and conciliatory with the city.”
Benavides blamed his outbursts on the recent murder of his brother, who had been shot down by an illegal immigrant from Mexico in October of that year. The murderer, Santana Gaona, had previously been charged with raping his wife and was set for a deportation hearing, but was set free and placed back on the streets for reasons still unknown.
Eventually, Benavides apologized to Wilcox, calling the police report “fairly accurate.” Benavides also said the decision was a “split second” one, and, “it was based in a political argument.”
Benavides co-founded Dallas Communities Organizing For Change in 2010, and since his Occupy Dallas days, has taken to running its Twitter account. This is the same account that brought forth the accusations that caused Carver-Allbritton to lose her job and privacy.
In addition, Benavides also writes for the website Daily Kos and stays active on his personal Twitter account where he identifies as a labor organizer, father, and #antifa, an acronym that refers to left-wing militant individuals and groups opposed to fascism.
Evidently, Benavides is able to carry out the items on his agenda through various media outlets, basing his accusations on biased and unconfirmed scrutiny and without thorough investigations.
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