Business As Usual for the Boys In Blue
I saw part of this on the news and I was glad to find the whole video. This is a video of a Memphis police officer viciously beating and spraying tear gas on someone in the holding area @ 201 Poplar. The security video, taken Feb. 12, shows one of Memphis' Finest striking Duanna Johnson, a transsexual, several times. Johnson says the attack is a hate crime because the officer
called Johnson a "he/she" and a "faggot" before the beating began.
The videotape is very disturbing because not only does it show the assault, it also shows other officers and employees standing around but no one steps in to put a stop to this vicious attack by the officer. It seems the one that does intervene grabs the victim from behind only so the other officer can get some more good punches in. If their fellow officer was "struggling to subdue" Johnson, they should have helped "restrain" him instead of standing around talking while dude is getting his ass kicked. A nurse is even seen coming into the room to tend to the officer while Johnson, the beaten victim, had to be treated later at the Regional Medical Center (the Med).
I am sure all the officers involved knew that they were being videotaped but obviously they didn't care or they knew that nothing would likely happen to them. Officer James Swain, the officer shown holding the victim, had been on probation because he was a new officer so he has been fired (although I don't know when he was) while Officer Bridges McRae, the officer seen in the video striking Johnson, has only been assigned to desk duty pending an administrative hearing.
Matter of fact, McRae even filed an assault charge against Johnson! In his report, McRae said Johnson took a swing at him and threatened to shoot the officer in the head. The officer said he was punched repeatedly in the head and neck by Johnson, whose first name is listed as Dwayne in the report.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, who is in charge of the jailhouse @ 201Poplar, only wants to know how the video got from its computer system to attorneys for the victim in the first place! The sheriff’s office has begun an internal affairs investigation to see if anyone within their department leaked the video to the victim's attorneys since they say only one copy was made and that copy was given to the Memphis Police Department as part of its investigation of the confrontation. Even though, McRae faces an administrative hearing, sheriff official wouldn't say when that hearing will happen. Probably never since it has not happened already. It's been 4 months......
I have been hearing that Johnson refused to get up until the officer called him by Duanna. If that is true, I still don't think that's enough cause for him to get beaten like that. It did seem like they were in any hurry to restrain him and since when is taking punches to the face "resisting"? All the video feeds from the jails ought to be viewable to the public. If they can't police themselves , maybe they need to be watched too. Then again, they would just find somewhere else to lay the smack down.
The videotape is very disturbing because not only does it show the assault, it also shows other officers and employees standing around but no one steps in to put a stop to this vicious attack by the officer. It seems the one that does intervene grabs the victim from behind only so the other officer can get some more good punches in. If their fellow officer was "struggling to subdue" Johnson, they should have helped "restrain" him instead of standing around talking while dude is getting his ass kicked. A nurse is even seen coming into the room to tend to the officer while Johnson, the beaten victim, had to be treated later at the Regional Medical Center (the Med).
I am sure all the officers involved knew that they were being videotaped but obviously they didn't care or they knew that nothing would likely happen to them. Officer James Swain, the officer shown holding the victim, had been on probation because he was a new officer so he has been fired (although I don't know when he was) while Officer Bridges McRae, the officer seen in the video striking Johnson, has only been assigned to desk duty pending an administrative hearing.
Matter of fact, McRae even filed an assault charge against Johnson! In his report, McRae said Johnson took a swing at him and threatened to shoot the officer in the head. The officer said he was punched repeatedly in the head and neck by Johnson, whose first name is listed as Dwayne in the report.The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, who is in charge of the jailhouse @ 201Poplar, only wants to know how the video got from its computer system to attorneys for the victim in the first place! The sheriff’s office has begun an internal affairs investigation to see if anyone within their department leaked the video to the victim's attorneys since they say only one copy was made and that copy was given to the Memphis Police Department as part of its investigation of the confrontation. Even though, McRae faces an administrative hearing, sheriff official wouldn't say when that hearing will happen. Probably never since it has not happened already. It's been 4 months......
I have been hearing that Johnson refused to get up until the officer called him by Duanna. If that is true, I still don't think that's enough cause for him to get beaten like that. It did seem like they were in any hurry to restrain him and since when is taking punches to the face "resisting"? All the video feeds from the jails ought to be viewable to the public. If they can't police themselves , maybe they need to be watched too. Then again, they would just find somewhere else to lay the smack down.
1 commented:
There are so many dirty mo-fo's representing until it's a low down dirty shame. And like all else, you have those that are seriously trying to "do the right thing".
I know a few & what they do,so trust me when I say that surface isn't all what it's about.
T,
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