Bill Hennessey of the St. Louis Tea Party Coalition reports per Steve Gilbert of Sweetness & Light that the man who beat up Mr Gladney is an SEIU official who is a candidate for Mayor:

Tea Party researchers have discovered some interesting news on one of the
people arrested for beating Ken Gladney.

Elston K. McCowan is a former organizer - now the Public Service Director of SEIU Local 2000 - and board member of the Walbridge Community Education Center, and is a Baptist minister, has been a community organizer for more than 23 years, and now, he is running for Mayor of the City of St. Louis under the Green Party.

McCowan accused the Mayor of setting fire to his van . . . because that's
what big city mayors do in their spare time, I guess.  He also called [St
Louis Mayor Francis] Slay a racist.  And, on election night, McCowan thanked the family who voted for him.  It was quite touching, actually.

McCowan is not a rank-and-file, card-carrying union guy.  He is a director
with SEIU. He IS the union.  He ISSUES the cards. Andy Stern himself might
as well have kicked Gladney.