Activist in court over tussle with officer

Assault alleged at regents meeting on Ward Churchill

Felix Doligosa Jr., Rocky Mountain News

Published January 30, 2007 at midnight

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BRIGHTON - Activist Shareef Aleem was back in court Monday to fight for what he says is his freedom of speech.

Shareef Aleem, 38, appeared in Adams County District Court on a charge of second-degree assault for allegedly tussling with an officer at a Feb. 3, 2005, University of Colorado regents meeting on Ward Churchill.

The meeting was held a month after the professor's paper, comparing Sept. 11 victims to Nazis, ignited a media firestorm.

Aleem, a Churchill supporter, yelled at the event and expressed concern that students were not being allowed to speak, his attorney, Mark Burton, told jurors Monday.

The event originally was open to public comment but was changed on the morning of the meeting, Burton said.

"The Board of Regents (was)not going to have public comments," said Senior Deputy District Attorney Jim Colgan. "Everybody understood the rules, but (Aleem) wanted to talk."

Colgan said officer Greg Barthlome repeatedly told Aleem to quiet down. Aleem then attempted to grab the officer's badge and pushed the officer's arm away, according to the prosecution. The officer fell and suffered several injuries, Colgan said.

"(Barthlome) was simply doing what the regents wanted him to do, and he got assaulted," Colgan said.

The defense said the officer was the one who kept harassing Aleem. Barthlome allegedly kept touching Aleem's stomach and pulled up the defendant's sweater.

Barthlome fell after he tripped, Burton said.

"All he wanted to do is speak," Burton said. "He was very passionate of the rights of the students to speak."

The trial is expected to last four days. The case originally went to trial last year but ended in a hung jury.

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