Doctors struggling to save water protector’s arm

Cannon Ball, N.D. — The following statement from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s Chairman, Dave Archambault II, can be quoted in part or in full.

“Our deepest gratitude, thoughts and prayers are with water protector Sophia Wilansky and her family right now. She sustained severe injuries to her arm when a concussion grenade blew part of her arm away. Doctors are working to save her arm.

An estimated 300 water protectors were treated for injuries from Sunday’s nighttime attacks. These injuries were the direct result of excessive force by police over the course of 10 hours. At least 26 seriously injured people were evacuated by ambulance to three area hospitals, our medical teams on the ground verified.

Once again, we call on President Obama to stop this pipeline and the violence resulting from it, and to deny the easement.

The reckless escalation of violence by the Morton County Sheriff’s Department is unconscionable and preventable. It must stop now.

There was no reason to launch an attack against water protectors at the camp in the middle of the night unless you wanted to try and prevent the media from seeing what you were doing. None. Blasting these innocent people with concussion grenades, rubber bullets the size of baseballs and a water cannon in freezing weather was a deliberate act of terror sanctioned by the Sheriff.”

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