A brief history of the shocking videos that cast light on the dark side of policing
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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/14/videos-police-violence-history Version 0 of 1. Since the death of Eric Garner in New York almost two years ago, a series of disturbing videos documenting police violence have emerged around the United States. Some, as in the case of Garner, were filmed by witnesses on mobile phones, others were captured by police dashboard or body cameras, and some were recorded on CCTV. In many cases the footage has gone viral on social media, leading to protests, criminal charges, and increased scrutiny of the local police departments responsible. But on other occasions the videos have made little impact. The death of 43-year-old Eric Garner, Staten Island, New York Date of incident: 17 July 2014 Video released: 17 July 2014 The cellphone video, filmed by eyewitness Ramsey Orta, captured both the buildup to Garner’s death, the altercation, in which the unarmed African American was placed in a banned chokehold and repeatedly told officers he could not breathe, and the aftermath, where minimal medical assistance was offered to Garner as he died. The incident caused widespread protest, and condemnation from New York City’s mayor, Bill de Blasio, but officer Daniel Pantaleo was not indicted by a grand jury. A federal investigation is still ongoing. Garner’s family settled a wrongful death lawsuit for $5.9m. The death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, Ferguson, Missouri Date of incident: 9 August 2014 Video released: 9 August 2014 Multiple witnesses filmed the immediate aftermath of Brown’s shooting at the hands of white officer Darren Wilson, showing the teenager’s bloodied body left out on the street for over four hours. But no footage has ever emerged showing the shooting itself. Witnesses contended that Brown had his hands up at the time Wilson fired the fatal shots, but Wilson argued Brown had charged at him, and he feared for his life before opening fire. Brown’s death led to an extended period of civil unrest in the municipality and garnered global media attention. Wilson, who resigned from the Ferguson police department, faced no charges following local and federal investigations. The death of 23-year-old John Crawford III, Beavercreek, Ohio Date of incident: 5 August 2014 Video released: 25 September 2014 Police said they believed they were responding to an “active shooter” when they shot Crawford inside a Beavercreek, Ohio, Walmart store. But CCTV footage, released after a grand jury declined to indict officer Sean Williams, showed Crawford was holding an unloaded air rifle towards the ground – an item he had picked up from the store shelves – as he moved away from officers who then opened fire. A federal investigation is ongoing. The death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, Cleveland, Ohio Date of incident: 23 November 2014 Video released: 26 November 2014 Grainy CCTV footage shows Rice playing in a park with a toy gun as two white officers arrive in their patrol car. Officer Timothy Loehmann opened fire within two seconds of arriving on the scene. Rice’s death led to nationwide protests, and outrage intensified after the footage was released. But neither officer was charged, after experts told a grand jury the video showed Rice had reached for his waistband just before Loehmann opened fire. The city settled a lawsuit with Rice’s family for $6m. The death of 59-year-old David Kassick, Hanover, Pennsylvania Date of incident: 2 February 2015 Video released: 5 November 2015 Body camera footage revealed an unarmed Kassick, who was white, was fatally shot as he lay face down in snow, having already been tasered. Officer Lisa Mearkle was charged with third-degree murder but later acquitted after telling a jury she believed Kassick was reaching for a firearm as he lay on the ground. The body camera footage was released at trial. Kassick’s death garnered little national attention. The death of 35-year-old Antonio Zambrano Montes, Pasco, Washington Date of incident: 10 February 2015 Video released: 10 February 2015 The shooting was caught on video by multiple eyewitnesses and by police dashboard camera, which was later released after a prosecutor declined to bring charges against any of the three officers who opened fire on Zambrano Montes. The officers were all interviewed by investigators months after the incident occurred. The witness videos led to days of peaceful protests in Pasco. The death of 43-year-old Charly ‘Africa’ Keunang, Los Angeles, California Date of incident: 1 March 2015 Video released: 9 April 2015 Keunang, a homeless Cameroonian immigrant, was shot six times after he scuffled with officers. The incident was captured by a bystander, who filmed from a distance that made it impossible to see whether, as police claimed, Keunang had reached for an officer’s firearm as he lay on the ground. Body camera footage, reviewed by media but not released to the public, also failed to definitively show if Keunang had reached for an officer’s weapon, although an officer can be heard repeatedly stating “he has my gun”. Although one officer was found to have violated department policy, no charges were brought. The eyewitness video has been viewed millions of times on YouTube. The death of 50-year-old Walter Scott, North Charleston, South Carolina Date of incident: 4 April 2015 Video released: 7 April 2015 Within hours of the release of the eyewitness video, which shows an unarmed Scott running away as white officer Michael Slager opens fire, the officer was charged with murder. Slager has since been indicted on federal charges as well. The video, and eyewitness Feidin Santana, are expected to play a key part at Slager’s upcoming murder trial. The death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, Baltimore, Maryland Date of incident: 12 April 2015 Video released: 12 April 2015 Cellphone video of Gray’s arrest showed two officers dragging him towards a police van. It led to speculation that Gray had broken his leg during the arrest. Gray died from a spinal injury sustained in the van, after officers placed him headfirst into the vehicle without a seatbelt on. Prosecutors, who charged six officers over the incident, have argued Gray was subjected to a so-called rough ride. Cellphone footage, along with CCTV video, has been used by prosecutors during the trials but has not been central to prosecutors’ case. Two officers have so far been acquitted of all charges related to Gray’s death. All six remain suspended. Gray’s death led to days of civil unrest in the city. The death of 44-year-old Eric Harris, Tulsa, Oklahoma Date of incident: 2 April 2015 Video released: 12 April 2015 Body camera footage showed white reserve deputy Robert Bates shot Harris, an African American, after accidently opening fire with his firearm rather than a taser. Bates, 73, can be heard remarking: “Oh I shot him, I’m sorry,” as Harris, who had fled after allegedly selling an undercover officer a firearm, complains he’s losing his breath. “Fuck your breath,” one officer says to him. Bates was later convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to four years in prison. The death of 19-year-old Tony Robinson, Madison, Wisconsin Date of incident: 6 March 2015 Video released: 12 May 2015 White officer Matt Kenny responded to calls that Robinson, an unarmed African American, had been acting erratically and violently. Dashcam footage from Kenny’s patrol showed the officer entering Robinson’s apartment and, within 18 seconds, opening fire. The video, which was released as prosecutors announced Kenny would not face criminal charges, does not show the shooting itself as the officer opened fire inside the apartment. But it does show Kenny stumbled backwards out of the apartment after, he claimed, Robinson had punched him at the top of the stairs. The death of 31-year-old Rubén García Villalpando, Euless, Texas Date of incident: 20 February 2015 Video released: 18 May 2015 Villalpando was pulled over after leading Officer Robert Clark on a chase. Dashcam video, released after the shooting was ruled justified, shows the officer ordering Villalpando to remain stationary, as he slowly shuffles towards Clark’s police cruiser with his hands on his head. Villalpando is shot dead just after he walks past the camera’s view. Villalpando’s death led to small, family-led protests in the city. The McKinney pool party, Texas Date of incident: 5 June 2015 Video released: 5 June 2015 White officer Eric Casebolt was filmed physically restraining an unarmed 15-year-old African American girl and drawing his firearm on another group of teens, following a disturbance at a pool party. The incident was captured on video by 15-year-old Brandon Brooks and led to Casebolt’s resignation after the video went viral. Despite the McKinney police chief describing Casebolt’s actions as “indefensible”, a grand jury later declined to indict the former officer. The arrest of 28-year-old Sandra Bland, Waller County, Texas Date of incident: 10 July 2015 Video released: 21 July 2015 Bland, an African American, was pulled over for an alleged minor traffic infraction, by trooper Brian Encinia. Dashboard camera footage, released after Bland’s death in custody, which was ruled a suicide, revealed Encinia drastically escalated the stop and threatened to “light” Bland up with his Taser if she did not comply with instructions. A grand jury declined to indict any individuals or institutions in relation to Bland’s death, but indicted Encinia for perjury. The trooper was later sacked. The footage is likely to be key evidence during Encinia’s trial. The death of 43-year-old Samuel DuBose, Cincinnati, Ohio Date of incident: 19 July 2015 Video released: 29 July 2015 DuBose, an African American, was shot dead by white officer Ray Tensing. Tensing claimed DuBose had driven away from a traffic stop and “dragged” him along. But prosecutors said that Tensing’s body camera video revealed the officer had “purposely killed” DuBose and that Tensing “should never have been a police officer”. The footage was released as prosecutors announced the murder charge and is expected to be pivotal evidence at trial. The death of 19-year-old Christian Taylor, Arlington, Texas Date of incident: 7 August 2015 Video released: 10 August 2015 Taylor, an unarmed African American, was shot dead by white officer Brad Miller. CCTV footage shows the buildup to the shooting, depicting Taylor acting erratically at a car dealership, and driving a vehicle into a building. The video does not show the shooting and Miller, who was later sacked, was not indicted by a grand jury. The manhandling of a high school student, Richland County, South Carolina Date of incident: 26 October 2015 Video released: 26 October 2015 White deputy Ben Fields can be seen slamming a black female student to the ground after she refuses to leave a classroom. After reviewing the footage, and other cellphone video, the Richland County sheriff’s office sacked Fields having concluded the control maneuvers were “not acceptable”. The death of 19-year-old Zachary Hammond, Seneca, South Carolina Date of incident: 26 July 2015 Video released: 27 October 2015 Unarmed Hammond, who was white, was shot dead while driving away from the scene of a drugs sting operation. Police said he had driven his vehicle towards officers before one opened fire, but dashboard camera footage, released as investigators declined to bring charges against officers, showed Hammond was shot from the side. The case attracted little national attention. The death of 37-year-old Natasha McKenna, Alexandria, Virginia Date of incident: 8 February 2015 Video released: 10 September 2015 McKenna died in custody after five deputies entered into a prolonged struggle with her, tasing her four times, during a cell transfer. The incident was recorded on handheld camera by an officer. The footage was released after prosecutors announced no charges would be filed in the case. A medical examiner controversially ruled McKenna’s death an accident. A federal investigation is ongoing. The death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, Chicago, Illinois Date of incident: 20 October 2014 Video released: 24 November 2015 Dashboard camera video showing McDonald, an African American, shot dead by white officer Jason Van Dyke, was released over a year after the incident occurred following a freedom of information lawsuit. Van Dyke was charged with murder almost simultaneously. McDonald’s death had not received sustained national attention until the footage was released, which prompted sustained criticism of the city leadership and led to the sacking of Chicago’s police superintendent, Garry McCarthy. McDonald’s family settled a civil lawsuit against the city for $5m. Release of the footage resulted in numerous protests in the city. The death of 28-year-old Loren Simpson, Huntley, Montana Date of incident: 8 January 2015 Video released: 4 February 2016 Simpson, who was white, was shot dead by two deputies who opened fire after they set up an effective roadblock and Simpson attempted to steer away from them. Simpson was a burglary suspect and unarmed at the time he was shot. Dashboard camera video, released over a year after the incident, and only played once to jurors at an inquest into Simpson’s death, showed the two officers opened fire with an AR-15 rifle and a shotgun. Jurors declined to file charges against either officer, who had both already resigned. Simpson’s death and the subsequent footage attracted almost no national attention. The death of 37-year-old Alton Sterling, Baton Rouge, Louisiana Date of incident: 5 July 2016 Video released: 5 July 2016 Two eyewitness cellphone videos show Sterling being shot during an altercation with two white officers. Seconds before opening fire, one officer can be seen holding a firearm close to point blank over Sterling’s chest. The second video appears to show Sterling’s hands were empty at the time he was killed, and officers remove an object eyewitnesses have described as a handgun, from his pocket shortly after. Within hours of the first video being published, Sterling’s name was trending on Twitter and authorities handed the investigation over to the US Department of Justice. Sterling was accused of selling CDs and pulling a firearm on a passerby. His death led to nationwide protests. The death of 32-year-old Philando Castile, Falcon Heights, Minnesota Date of incident: 6 July 2016 Video released: 6 July 2016 The immediate aftermath of the fatal shooting was livestreamed on Facebook and showed Castile dying in the driver’s seat of car, which had reportedly been pulled over during a routine traffic stop. Officer Jeronimo Yanez opened fire on Castile as he reportedly reached into his pocket to produce identification documents having warned the officer he was carrying a licensed firearm. The video, filmed by Castile’s girlfriend Diamond Reynolds, led to calls from city officials for a Department of Justice investigation and prompted Minnesota’s governor, Mark Dayton, to say that Castile would not have been shot had he been white. Castile’s death led to nationwide protests. |