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Watch how Arkansas officers became the target of state and federal investigations [1]

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Date: 2022-08-23

The incident reportedly began with a call to the Arkansas 911 saying a man (allegedly Worcester) was “making threats.” The video reportedly begins after the initial interaction between Worcester and police officers on the scene escalated. Damante told reporters that Worcester had a “weapon” on him that he gave to the officers at “some point,” but what the weapon was, whether there was a weapon, and when or if the officers received that weapon remains unknown.

In the video, which you can watch here, someone says something to the officers off camera. CNN reports that it was a woman—possibly with Worcester—telling officers: “Don't beat him! He needs his medicine!” Worcester can be seen being beaten on his head and body. He was then taken to a local hospital to be checked before being booked at the Crawford County Jail.

According to Damante, none of the officers were wearing body cameras and besides the citizen’s video, there may only be a dash camera recording of what transpired before Worcester is seen on the floor. He told USA Today that Worcester had assaulted an officer and allegedly given him a concussion before the other officers began beating Worcester.

After being booked on multiple charges including criminal mischief, resisting arrest, criminal trespass and others, Worcester was released Tuesday on $15,000 bail and left with his bicycle and his attorney Carrie Jernigan, who told reporters the fact that police officers realized they were being filmed probably made a big difference in the outcome for Worcester. “The fight was escalating with those officers, and you hear that woman on that video yelling and whoever that is, I think she could have saved his life.”

Police have said the incident began with White finding Worcester and trying to make sure he was the person the 911 complaint was about. According to White, Worcester became irate and then attacked him before the other two officers were able to help. At this point White—who says he was concussed and continues to experience concussion-like symptoms—“re-engaged and used all force necessary to get the violent suspect under control and detained.”

Worcester’s attorney told reporters that she had already lodged an excessive force complaint against one of the officers in July—on another case. "To date, I had not heard anything back. But the description of what happened to my client in July versus that video seemed almost identical. And so we're just of the position it didn't have to even take place yesterday."

One of the defenses being offered up on the side of the police officers is that they both need more training, but also that they followed their training. According to Hutchinson, all of these officers were required to have 24 hours of new training in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. CNN spoke with former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, who said the beating in the video was incongruous with any training because it lacks logic. "Certainly the blows to the head at the same time you're trying to get a person to put their hands behind their back -- think about it. It doesn't make sense. If you're getting hit in the face, you're going to lift your hands to try to protect your face."

We will see where this investigation goes and what changes are made. It is very hard to see how, even if the story being told by the police officers is 100% true, their actions as seen on video were warranted and not an abuse of power and a violation of a citizen’s rights.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/8/23/2118251/--Don-t-beat-him-Witness-pleads-as-Arkansas-officers-are-caught-on-camera-beating-suspect

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