The Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office in Ann Arbor, Mich., authorized charges against Temulun Togochog, a University of Michigan student who appeared to be captured on film assaulting a Jewish woman during a free speech event on campus on Sunday.
Alyssa Fountain, administrative assistant at the prosecutor’s office, told JNS that the case was submitted to the office on Monday. “We thoroughly reviewed the evidence that was submitted to us,” she said.
Fountain told JNS that Togochog will be charged with a count of assaulting, resisting or obstructing an officer and two counts of assault or assault and battery. (JNS sought comment from the University of Michigan.)
“There is no court date at this time, but a felony warrant for these charges will be issued by the court and a court date set once she has been arraigned on the charges,” she said.
On Sunday, Liz Benichou, who is Jewish, took part in an event at the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor alongside fellow conservative commentators Cam Higby and Joe Redden.
The trio talked to students about Iran and about Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Michigan whom the Republican Jewish Coalition has called “the most antisemitic U.S. Senate candidate in America.”
In video footage that circulated online, someone alleged to be Togochog approaches a table, at which Redden and Higby are seated, and debates Redden about Islam. The person uses her phone to slap Redden in the face.
The person quickly denies slapping Redden and calls the commentators “anti-Muslim.”
In the video, the person then appears to approach Benichou, who says that if she “walked around like this in Iran, what would happen to her?” The person appears to push Benichou to the ground and jump on her. Another student pulls the assailant off.
When University of Michigan campus police arrived, the person appeared to resist arrest and, after being handcuffed, shouts “I should have f***ing killed you when I f***ing had the chance” and “I’ve already been to a mental hospital, and I’ll go again if it means killing her.”
The police department at the public school told JNS on Sunday that Togochog was processed and released. It is unclear if she remains on campus.
The university contacted Reawaken USA, the faith-based group that organized the campus event, to ask for the video to be removed from social media to protect Togochog from “negative blowback,” Higby stated.
“Our events are intended to create a space for peaceful conversations surrounding faith, ideas and differing belief systems,” Reawaken USA stated. “We firmly believe that disagreement is a fundamental part of free expression, but it never justifies violence.”
“Political violence has no place on our college campuses or anywhere in America,” it said.
The university stated on Monday that “physical violence has no place on our campus.”
“The university is firmly committed to protecting freedom of speech and expression, and actions that threaten the safety of others or interfere with their right to express their views will not be tolerated,” the public school said. “Due to federal privacy laws, the university cannot comment on specific student conduct matters.”
