Iraq war veteran who was allegedly injured by police at Occupy Oakland is critical of police in first interview since injury

Scott Olsen has given his first video interview since he was seriously injured during clashes between police and Occupy Oakland protesters in October.

The Iraq war veteran was left unable to talk after he was allegedly struck in the forehead by a police projectile, damaging the speech centre of his brain. Olsen, 24, has since regained his speech, but video of the interview shows him speaking slowly and struggling to enunciate some words. He is expected to make a full recovery.

Occupy Oakland protesters were evicted from their base at Frank H Ogawa plaza on 11 November but are planning to re-occupy the space on Tuesday afternoon.

Indybay.org, a not-for-profit media website, interviewed Olsen at the plaza on Sunday, posting the footage online.

In the video Olsen is critical of the police investigation into the events leading up to his injury, questioning the length of time the process is taking.

"You would think something like this wouldn't take too long to find out who is responsible, but it's been over a month," he says. "How long does it take to see who fired this at me?"

The Guardian revealed that the Oakland's Citizens' Police Review Board was investigating earlier this month. A source said at the time that the inquiry would take "several months" to complete.

In the video Olsen looks happy and healthy, although he is still wearing a neck brace. Dressed in a T-shirt, jacket and bandana, he is asked if the headwear is to hide the scar from his head injury: "I wear the bandana anyway, it takes the hair out of my face".

Olsen left hospital earlier this month. Despite his injuries, his memories of the incident on 25 October seem remarkably clear.

I took a step back and I walked across the right a little bit, and I had my phone out and I was texting or something to a friend of mine. And next thing I know I'm down and on the ground and there are people above me trying to help me and they ended up carrying me away. I didn't want them to – I wanted to get up and stay there, pick up my bag. But they carried me away, and they asked me my name several times. I couldn't answer them, I couldn't answer what ... I don't know if I couldn't recall the answer or I couldn't spit it out. But that's when I knew that 'Yeah ok, it's time to go, it's time to let them take care of me'.

Olsen said he was unsure how he had been injured. "Not initially, I didn't know how I got wounded initially. I was down and I didn't know right away how."

Of his recovery, the 24-year-old said it had been "a very frustrating process".

"Initially I couldn't form any words, I couldn't make any words."

Mentally I was there, I just couldn't spit these things out of my mouth. They worked hard with me to get me better and I am doing much better than when I looked at myself a month ago. [...] The brain is unique in how it works. I expect a full recovery but I don't know.

Olsen says he has not been interviewed as part of the investigation into how his injuries were sustained. "Right now I'm kind of waiting to see what they're gonna say about themselves in their own investigation, to see if they have the integrity required of them."

He had a final message for fellow Occupy protesters:

"Stay peaceful, because that's what this is about. It's about working together, working with one another and it's about being open with each other, and that's how we can solve our problems."

Demonstrators from Occupy Oakland intend to reoccupy their former Frank H Ogawa base at 12 noon PST, 3pm EST on Tuesday, with a "24-hour, 7 day-a-week vigil".

In a statement protesters said they plan to raise structures in the park, including a teepee, which would be "symbolic" and remind the public of "historic struggles" undertaken by homeless workers during the Great Depression, AIDs campaigners and others.

"The vigil is not the product of a bargain with Mayor Quan, nor is it negotiated with law enforcement – permission from the city is not required to exercise

these constitutionally guaranteed rights," Occupy Oakland said.

I've approached Oakland police for comment, and will update this post as/if they respond. Due to the time difference between New York and the west coast I will speak to the mayor's office and the Oakland police citizen's review board later today.