SALT LAKE CITY — Two men were charged with assault on a police officer during a protest in downtown Salt Lake City in January.
Hayden Coccaro, 19, is charged with five counts of assault on a police officer. Ben Green, 19, is charged with one count of assault on a police officer. They both were also charged with interfering with a police officer and failing to disperse.
On January 30, more than 1,000 people participated in the "National Shutdown" protest in downtown Salt Lake City. During the demonstration, court documents allege that Coccaro "was one of the main agitators during the protest" that blocked multiple lanes of traffic on major roadways, including State Street.
Green was part of a group that allegedly refused to leave the road and continued to impede traffic near 150 South on State Street. During a physical altercation with officers, he had allegedly jabbed his metal cane into one of the officers and continued resisting before being placed on the group. Both Green and Coccaro disobeyed orders to disperse from the road, with Coccaro allegedly "attempting to kick officers multiple times with his left leg".
Court documents also allegedly threw one officer to the ground, and continued kicking two other officers.
