Student Charged After Jewish Activist Pushed to the Ground at University of Michigan
The Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office has authorized three charges against a University of Michigan student following an attack on Jewish conservative activist Liz Benichou. The charging decision was reported on November 3.
The charges authorized against Temulun Togochog comprise one count of assaulting, resisting or obstructing a police officer and two counts of assault or assault and battery. The College Fix reported the decision from an email supplied by Alyssa Fountain of the county prosecutor's office.
The Prosecutor's Next Step
Fountain said the office had reviewed the submitted evidence and applied the governing law before authorizing the charges. She told the publication that a felony warrant would be issued and that a court date would be set after arraignment.
The accusations remain subject to the criminal process, and Togochog is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Officers Witnessed the Push
The university's Division of Public Safety and Security published its own account on November 2. Officers had responded to a noise complaint on the Diag, a central campus gathering area, at approximately 00:00 Israel time on November 2, corresponding to 17:00 in Michigan on November 1.
They found an event organized by Liberty Under Fire USA that lacked a permit. As the group was packing up, officers saw a university student push a woman to the ground, the police statement said.
The student was taken into custody, processed and released. Police forwarded the case to the county prosecutor. The woman, who was not affiliated with the university, received medical treatment and was released.
The Activist's Account
Benichou, who also uses the name Lizzy and posts as Based in Malibu, was taking part in the group's campus discussion. Ynet reported that she described the confrontation during a Fox & Friends interview and said it had included a threat to kill her.
Video coverage reviewed by The College Fix described an earlier confrontation with another participant, Joe Redden, followed by the push and resistance during the arrest. The publication reported that the student shouted that she should have killed the activist when she had the chance.
Benichou said she intended to continue attending campus events. Her representative described a lower back injury, while the university police statement confirmed medical treatment without detailing an injury.
Other Cases Involving Jewish Targets
Michigan has also been the setting for a separate federal threats prosecution involving the Jewish community. In June, the Justice Department announced an indictment against eight people over claimed conspiracies targeting university officials, law enforcement and organizations including the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. That indictment concerns different defendants and conduct.
Elsewhere this week, the NYPD's Hate Crime Task Force was investigating swastikas on Jewish school buses in Brooklyn, Jewish News reported on November 3. The four vehicles had been targeted in Williamsburg the previous day.
