Police body video shows officer beating accused jaywalker

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Updated 4:03 pm, Friday, March 2, 2018

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Six months after a white officer's beating and shocking of a black man he accused of jaywalking in Asheville, North Carolina, his body camera recording suggests why the police department is still investigating the case.

Asheville police Chief Tammy Hooper publicly apologized to 33-year-old Johnnie Jermaine Rush on Thursday after the Citizen Times reported on the video, calling Rush's treatment "unacceptable and contrary" to the progress her department has made in earning the trust of the community. She also said that Officer Chris Hickman resigned, and may face criminal prosecution.

The video shows Hickman ordering Rush to put his hands behind his back. Rush runs instead, and Hickman chases after him, shouting "mother f-----! ... black male, white tank top, thinks it's funny, you know what's funny is you're going to get f----- up hardcore!"

The video also shows the officer punching the man's head and using a stun gun while holding him to the ground on Aug. 25.



Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Police-body-video-shows-officer-beating-accused-12722368.php

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FBI raises questions amid Asheville police brutality probe
Joel Burgess, [e-mail]
Published 11:21 a.m. ET March 2, 2018 | Updated 2:36 p.m. ET March 2, 2018



ASHEVILLE - FBI agents in January questioned a man beaten by a city police officer, raising questions about the likelihood of a federal civil rights investigation.

Agents from the Charlotte office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in late January interviewed city resident Johnnie Jermaine Rush about his encounter with Asheville police officer Chris Hickman, Rush said.

In now widely viewed footage captured by his body camera, Hickman, who is white, can be seen beating, shocking with a stun gun and choking Rush, who is black, following an Aug. 24 confrontation about jaywalking and trespassing. Rush, 33, had cut through the parking lot of a business that was closed for the day.

Charges against Rush, including assaulting a government official and traffic offenses, were dropped by Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams.

Video at link:
https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2018/03/02/fbi-steps-into-asheville-police-brutality-investigation/388344002/

[Renew Deal]

1. Beatings for jaywalking?

What do they do for loitering?

[IronLionZion]

2. Are the liberal hippies in Asheville going to demand some reforms in their policing?

[Submariner]

3. Racist white trash Pigs

lock them up.

[JDC]

4. And some wonder why folks kneel for the anthem

They should all be fired, not just Hickman.

[deurbano]

6. No one stopped him.

[deurbano]

5. Good grief! There's no traffic. It's night. Street deserted. Looks basically residential.

Jaywalking?! Seriously?! And he has to submit, show deference, exhibit remorse, look his overlords in the eye (?!!) for god's sake, etc., because he "broke the law." Motherfuckers.

[okieinpain]

9. took the words out of my mouth. n/t.

[Egnever]

7. Sigh

At least they finally filed criminal charges I guess. Wonder when he gets handcuffed?

[safeinOhio]

8. Id like to think there are few good ones.

But I include any LEO that covers or gives a break to the others, is just as bad.

[GitRDun]

10. They should both be fired!

They escalated the situation. I would be pissed too if I was stopped for something as stupid as jaywalking.

I would have said exactly what that guy did, "You guys don't have anything better to do?"

They should have written him a ticket and been done with it.

Instead they stood there and argued with the guy until he blew.

Fire them both...they do not have the temperment to protect and serve.

[Judi Lynn]

11. One can't feel much admiration for a cop who says, "Don't look at me with your spitty, bloody face."

Then he takes time to complain that the man got some blood on the officer's face.

Looks to me as if these cops were simply bored, wanted some stimulation. The cop also told another cop he had to admit he beat the hell out of the man's head, which he clearly did.

Listen to his summary of the event to another cop who joins them. Might as well have been Trump telling it.

Chasing people down and going wild flailing and pounding them seems to get their blood racing, adrenaline going, almost as if it's a release to which they have become addicted.

How can any human being justify this behavior?

This is nothing but hate-driven malicious bullying done simply because they can do it without fear of repercussion. What ARE the chances any one of them could have sustained any injury, gang-tackling a "jay-walker" together? Not one chance. The conclusion was predictable from the moment they stopped that unlucky man.

[lunasun]

13. +1

[They_Live]

12. When's that "Jaywalking" case going to trial?

ridiculous.