VIDEO: Accused bridge bomb plot suspect caught on camera talking violence in 'Occupy' documentary

RAW VIDEO: Bridge bomb suspect at Occupy Cleveland


Photographer: WEWS

Ohio bridge bomb plot suspects

Top row, from left, are Douglas Wright, Brandon Baxter and Anthony Hayne. Bottom row, from left, are Joshua Stafford and Connor Stevens

Brecksville bridge bomb plot, view from above_20120501120536_JPG

A street view of the Brecksville-Northfield High Level Bridge on Rt. 82, the target of a terror plot by 5 Cleveland men. FBI agents foiled the plot and said the public was never in danger. (Photo courtesy: Tracy Carloss)

Rt. 82 bridge 1, attempted bombing site_20120501111256_JPG

The FBI says 5 Clevelanders planned to bomb the Brecksville-Northfield High Level Bridge on Route 82. FBI agents foiled their plan. (Photo courtesy: Dava Hatala/WEWS)

FBI bomb plot map

The FBI displayed this map at their 10 a.m. news conference announcing the arrests of 5 men who tried to blow up the Brecksville-Northfield High Level Bridge on Route 82.
Photographer: Bob Seeley/WEWS

RAW VIDEO: Bridge bomb suspect at Occupy Cleveland


Photographer: WEWS

Cleveland anarchist video


Photographer: WEWS

Connor Stevens

Connor Stevens, 20, has been charged with conspiracy and attempted use of explosive material to damage physical property affecting interstate commerce. (Photo courtesy: Paul Kiska/WEWS)

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Posted: 05/08/2012

CLEVELAND - We are getting our first look inside the Occupy Cleveland movement. Our Scripps station in Cleveland exclusively obtained video of the recording by an independent documentary producer. One of the central characters in the video is Connor Stevens. He identifies himself in the video as an Occupy Cleveland participant.

In the video, Stevens is recorded as saying, "It's been really good, there's been a lot of stress and frustration but all around it's been a really good experience. Within the first day there was so much information that my mind was boggled. My favorite part is meeting people walking down the street, average people, talking to them, hearing about how they're affected by the economy, by the justice system, things like that..."

But now, the justice system has caught up with Stevens. He's at the center of what the FBI called a national security threat. He's one of the five people charged with attempting to blow up local the Route 82 bridge in last week over the Cuyahoga Valley National Park between Brecksville and Sagamore Hills.

Prosecutors said the group bought their fake explosives from undercover FBI agents who were working with an undercover informant in the group.

Brelin Stevens said that informant pressured her brother, Connor, who isn't violent. Brelin also said Monday her brother felt very threatened.

But in the interview recorded last fall, Stevens is heard describing a past conversation with a friend. Stevens suggested he's changed his view about using violence to achieve the goals of the group.

"We were saying two years before that we would have been kicking out windows and stuff like that. Back in like 2008, I was at that state of mind and now I'm understanding that we're in it for the long haul and those kind of tactics just don't cut it. And it's actually harder to be non-violent than it is to do stuff like that," Stevens said.

A detention hearing was postponed Monday for Stevens and the other four men. They will remain held without bond.

Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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