North Carolina police video shows white officer beating, choking black jaywalking suspect – The Denver Post

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Johnnie Rush was just trying to get home from a long shift at the Cracker Barrel.

Then he got stopped for jaywalking – an encounter with the Asheville Police Department that ultimately left Rush with a bloodied face after an officer punched him multiple times, Tasered him and put him in a chokehold on the ground.

On Monday, the City of Asheville, North Carolina, released nine videos from the officers’ body-worn cameras showing the encounter and ensuing assault from various angles while Rush screamed, “I can’t breathe,” and “Help!” The officer who repeatedly struck Rush in the head, Christopher Hickman, resigned from APD in January just before he was terminated for violating the use-of-force policy, according to city officials. He was charged in March with felony assault by strangulation and misdemeanor assault inflicting serious injury and communicating threats for the August 2017 incident. His lawyer says he’s going to trial and that a jury will acquit him.

“What happened in these recordings is unacceptable and does not meet the standards of the Asheville Police Department, the values of the City of Asheville, or the expectations of Asheville residents,” city officials said in a written statement posted with the videos Monday. “Christopher Hickman’s actions violated the Asheville Police Department’s vision that all people are treated with dignity and respect. These actions have damaged the progress that the Asheville Police Department has made in the last several years in improving community trust.”

According to the videos, Hickman and a police officer in training, Verino Ruggerio, first spot Rush walking through the parking lot of a business, which they later describe as trespassing. Then they see him cross the street without using a crosswalk. The officers follow him to a nearby convenience store, then wait for him to buy some beer before confronting him outside the store about the alleged jaywalking. Ruggerio gave him a warning and let him go – but moments later, he and Hickman say on video that they see Rush jaywalking “again and again,” which is not captured.

“Rush, Rush,” Ruggerio says, walking toward him, “I just told you. . . . You just committed four crimes in a row. Just because you don’t agree it’s a crime doesn’t mean it’s not a crime.”

“All I’m trying to do is go home, man,” Rush tells him, as the two go back and forth about the problem with walking in the street. “I’m tired. I just got off work.”

Ruggerio tells him he has two options: He can either arrest him or write him a ticket.

“I asked you to use the crosswalk. Why is that so hard?” Ruggerio says.

“You’re right,” Rush says. “It’s not, sir. It’s not. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. You’re right.”



Source : Denver Post