A Lancaster city police officer pushed a photojournalist to the ground Sunday afternoon, causing her to hit her head on the street during a protest of former President Donald Trump's town hall event at Lancaster County Convention Center.
Susan Stava, a New York City-based freelance photographer, came to Lancaster city to capture the mood as Trump campaigned in town. Local Democrats were protesting in Penn Square at Queen and King streets outside the convention center, and hundreds of Kamala Harris supporters had congregated where Stava stationed herself to shoot photos.
A physical altercation around 6 p.m. between a Trump supporter and a Harris supporter resulted in police detaining a woman, and Stava ran to photograph the moment. A video obtained by LNP | LancasterOnline, along with a video circulating on TikTok, show a city police officer firmly pushing Stava, causing her to fall backward onto the road and hit her head on the pavement.
Before that, the officer put up his arms to stop a small group of people from following the woman whom police had detained.
"I've never had this happen," said Stava, a veteran journalist of 35 years who covered the Jan. 6 riots in Washington, D.C. "I was very surprised I was treated that way."
Stava said she wasn't able to stand up on her own after she fell. Videos from a distance show a bystander and a state police officer helping Stava to her feet as she grabs the back of her head. The officer who pushed her stood at a distance before approaching Stava once she had stood up. Stava said he told her he just "tapped" her.
"To me, it was an assault," she said.
Stava later checked into Lancaster General Hospital, where she received a CT scan and an X-ray for the arm she fell on. Reports showed no breakage, hemorrhage or concussion, she said. Stava left for New York City later that night, though she still had some pain Monday.
It was actually her day off, Stava said, and she decided to come to Lancaster to check out the scene given how crucial Pennsylvania will be to the outcome of the presidential election. When she hit the ground, she didn't know what had happened. Stava said she landed on her camera bag, and a lens was broken.
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Police reaction
Stava filed a police report before she left Lancaster.
Stacia Korman, a city police spokesperson, said the police are aware of the incident but are unable to comment. A city spokesperson reiterated that city staff and Mayor Danene Sorace could not comment on the situation, citing an ongoing investigation.
"The reports are going through our standard review process," Korman said.
Alicia Ferrari, a Democratic borough council member in Wrightsville, attended the protest and was the bystander who helped Stava up after she fell. Ferrari described the moment as the officer "strong-arming" Stava as she tried to get a photo.
"I'm like 'Oh, my God. We're in the middle of (Penn Square), and this reporter just got assaulted by a police officer,' " Ferrari said.
While the protest was mostly peaceful, the mood shifted around 5:30 p.m., when supporters of both candidates began to mingle. Ferrari said city police should have done a better job deescalating things before the physical altercation around 6 p.m. that led to Stava being pushed to the ground.
Mary Haverstick, a local documentary filmmaker, also was covering Sunday's protest and said she was disappointed police didn't take more preventative action before Stava was hurt.
"I felt that under no circumstances that photographer should've been slammed by a police officer much bigger than her," Haverstick said. "All of us who cover stuff want to feel very safe."
It's easy for a photographer to be caught in the moment when working, Stava said, emphasizing the need for journalists to feel safe in the field. Reporters and police officers should be able to work together, she said.
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{{byline}} Dec 31, 1969