Ohio police beat man
during a traffic stop
By Trévon Austin
19 August 2017
19 August 2017
On
August 12, 25-year-old Richard Hubbard III was pulled over in the Cleveland
suburb of Euclid, Ohio, for allegedly running through an intersection. A search
of the vehicle Hubbard was driving showed the owner to have a suspended
license.
The
encounter was supposed to be a routine traffic stop, but escalated to violence
when an officer threw Hubbard to the ground and punched him repeatedly before
arresting him on charges of driving with a suspended license and resisting
arrest.
A bystander captured a video of the incident, which has had over
seven million views on Facebook. A child can be heard asking his mother, “What
are they doing?”
The
Euclid police have said little of the incident. In a local statement, they
claimed that a “violent struggle” ensued after Hubbard refused orders to face
away from the arresting officer.
The dash-cam footage released shows an entirely
different story. It opens with a squad car pulling over Hubbard and a female
passenger. After a brief conversation about the car and Hubbard’s license, the
officer tells Hubbard to step out and “face away from me.”
Seconds
later, without clear provocation, the officer shoves Hubbard against the car
and grabs him by the arms. The two tumble into the center of the street,
falling onto the pavement. A second officer is seen rushing to help his
partner. The passenger gets out and asks Hubbard to “let them do what they do.”
After
slamming Hubbard to the ground, the arresting officer can be seen punching him
several times. In contrast to the police statement about Hubbard resisting
arrest, the footage shows Hubbard only lying on the ground attempting to block
the officer’s blows with his arms.
The
video continues with Hubbard telling officers he didn’t have a gun on him when
one comments about him “reaching down.” As Hubbard lies on the ground in
handcuffs, one officer presses Hubbard’s face against the asphalt while the
arresting officer punches him in the back of the head. Moments later, more
police officers arrive and handcuff the passenger. “What am I under arrest for?”
she asks. The video ends with the two being taken away.
Police
officials have not identified the officer, but said he has been placed on paid
administrative leave pending an investigation.
Maplewood, New Jersey police seen “herding”
teenagers
A
New Jersey teenager has filed a lawsuit after claiming he became the victim of
police brutality even while following officers’ orders.
Jason
McDougal, a recent high school graduate, said he was following orders when
Maplewood police slammed him to the ground, sprayed him with mace, and punched
and kicked him, all while using racial slurs.
The incident occurred early in the morning on
July 5, 2016, after McDougal and his friends had been out watching a firework
show. A video of the incident was only released
this year, after the community went to court to demand it be made public.
The
video shows dozens of officers surrounding a group of teens, forcing the group
to move in a particular direction. An officer can then be seen violently
shoving McDougal, 16-years-old at the time, to the ground, while other officers
are seen rushing to help apprehend him.
The
group of teens complained that officers were attempting to force them into the
neighboring community of Irvington.
Police
reports from the night of the incident include charges of disturbing the peace
and resisting arrest, but those reports came after the confrontation.
McDougal’s representatives say there is nothing to suggest the cops had to be
called to the scene, because the teens were walking home and not causing
trouble.
McDougal
and his family are filing a federal civil rights complaint, claiming that their
past efforts to get justice have been unsuccessful.
The
Essex County Prosecutor’s Office looked into the case, and decided not to
pursue charges against the officers after an eight-month investigation.
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