Police beat U. of Maryland student like a pinata, claim 'resisting arrest', then the video surfaces

[Liberal_in_LA]

Video at link.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/04/13/maryland.police.beating/index.html?hpt=T2

CNN) -- A Prince George's County, Maryland, police officer has been suspended, and prosecutors are investigating an incident -- caught on video -- in which officers wielding nightsticks beat a University of Maryland student, officials said Tuesday.

Authorities also are looking into documents filed by police in the case that appear to contradict the video, Prince George's County police Lt. Andy Ellis said.

The video was shot March 3 after the Maryland men's basketball team defeated Duke. In the video, students can be seen celebrating the win as officers in riot gear and on horseback are nearby. Some students are holding up their cellphones, taking pictures or video of the officers and the celebration.

The video shows a student identified as John "Jack" McKenna skipping down the street and approaching two officers on horseback. After a brief exchange, two officers on foot slam McKenna against a wall and he falls to the ground. A third officer joins the first two, and the three strike McKenna with nightsticks while he is on the ground as other students scatter.

--------------------------------------------------.

Weidenfeld discovered the video and would say only that it was shot by another University of Maryland student.

Authorities arrested Donat and McKenna on suspicion of assaulting an officer and disorderly conduct. Documents filed by police allege that the two were causing a disturbance and that they struck mounted officers and their horses, causing minor injuries, when authorities intervened.

"Arrested 1 and Arrested 2 were both kicked by the horses and sustained minor injuries," the charging documents said.

The video does not show McKenna striking the mounted officer or horse, and the horses were not nearby while the beating was taking place. The documents tell a "totally fabricated story," Weidenfeld said Tuesday.

[Echo In Light]

1. Of course

[damntexdem]

19. I used to sell a button that said: "Help the police -- beat yourself up."

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. More - Police of chief acts swiftly

The chief of police has suspended one officer and says he's trying to identify the others.

"I'm outraged and disappointed. This is not the type of conduct that I condone in this agency. That type of use of excessive force will not be tolerated," said Chief Roberto Hylton.

The charges against both students have been dropped. The civil suit will be filed soon.

"And it's clear that they manufacture the charges in an attempt to cover up their own misconduct," Griffiths said.

http://wjz.com/local/police.brutality.2.1628486.html

[HipChick]

3. Tip of the iceberg..

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. Cops must curse the invention of cell phone cameras

[HipChick]

9. PGC cops already had a bad rep before this...

[Downtown Hound]

12. Ditto. n/t

[Jim__]

5. And if there was no video, those students would be convicted of disorderly conduct and assaulting

a police officer - just like happened to so many people before there were cell phones with cameras.

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. They were around a crowd of college kids, they should have known there would

be film. After the tazing of the UCLA student a few years ago, a zillion videos popped up.

[Echo In Light]

7. I was going to add that, too. The Trivializers would've weighed in to a more noticeable extent, too

... had there not been video

[Iggo]

8. Yay Cops!

They're the best!

[donco6]

10. I saw an AK-47 in that crowd.

I swear.

[Downtown Hound]

11. You're delusional

It was clearly an anti-tank missile.

[donco6]

14. Or maybe a camera.

Fuck it . . . Light 'em up!

[gratuitous]

13. Oh come on, who are you going to believe?

Officers whose sworn duty is to uphold the law and keep us all safe, or some lying videotape? The terrorists are going to win if this keeps up. And then, boy, all you libruls will be crying out the other side of your mouths, calling for the cops to save you. And you know what should happen then? They should all laugh at you and not lift a finger to help you against the terrorists. Who are going to win. Like I said. Cuie Dee!

[rcrush]

15. Heres a ton more examples.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH9k8L3oDa4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ho9_QcTH7E&feature=fvw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On36mB9egR4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJvz6f3d97Y&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAB9uDmba48&feature=related

[Robb]

16. I can't imagine any reason to respond like that.

Amazing. K&R.

[Bullet1987]

17. I'm wondering when police brutality will be taken more seriously in this country?

How many times has this happened over the past decade? There are reports it happened a lot in the days and weeks following Hurricane Katrina. Gone are the days when all cops are seen as friendly defenders of the weak. There are too many cases that prove cops can abuse their power and authority. And this is coming from someone who's father was a correctional officer.

[Downtown Hound]

18. It went on for pretty much a week straight at the RNC in St. paul 2 years ago

Countless people rounded up, beaten, arrested and given phony charges, sometimes even felony charges, you name it. Watch "Terrorizing Dissent" on youtube to see what I mean.

Police Brutality will only be taken seriously in this country when the people rise up and demand that it stop. Like in Oakland not too long ago when the city rioted over the cop that shot that man execution style on the BART. I really hope it doesn't take riots to stop it everytime, but all I can say is after that riot, the cop was charged with murder. I seriously doubt he would have been if there had been no riot.

And let's not forget Rodney King. The first time around, the cops get acquitted. The next time, post riot, two of them get convicted. Bottom line, we want our country back, we need to take it. I just hope we can do it without more riots. But if it takes riots for the fucking pigs to realize that we're human beings with a right to dignity, then I say bring 'em on. Enough of their fucking fascist bullshit.

[Control-Z]

20. Fucking sickening!!

I am so glad it was caught on video.

What really bothers me is thinking about all the people that aren't lucky enough to have a video, or other evidence surface, that offers the truth. People suffer tremendous injustices because of brutal police, and there is absolutely nothing they can do without "proof".

Even with proof - with video documentation - the battle is seldom simple for the victim(s). The authorities will still try to find a way to deny the validity of the truth.

[Bonobo]

21. People need to first admit that this is endemic and not an isolated example.

It will not change until we stop believing that this is just some "bad apples".

It is the culture that the US has created that we are looking at.

A sea change is needed, but I don't see it happening soon.

If you think it is unrelated to drones, mercenaries and lack of demand for basic services like affordable health/dental care, you are not seeing the whole picture.