Another case of abusive policemen: The Justice Department declared that two former sheriff’s deputies in Arkansas have been charged with federal civil rights charges after allegedly using excessive force to arrest a man outside of a gas station last year.
Who, when, where, why and how?: Levi White and Zackary King were indicted by a federal grand jury, in connection with the arrest on August 21 in Mulberry, Arkansas, for repeatedly punching Randal Worcester, 27, from Goose Creek, South Carolina, while he was on the floor.
The evidence: A video of the arrest went viral on social media, which lead to state and federal investigations. The video showed one of the policemen slamming Worcester’s head repeatedly into the pavement, another holding him down, and a third repeatedly driving his knee into his torso.
Was it justified?: According to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department, second-degree battery, resisting arrest, terroristic threatening, and second-degree assault were among the offenses Worcester was facing at the time of his arrest.
How could we get justice?: White and King may receive a term of up to 10 years in jail if found guilty on the charges. According to the Justice Department, they also risk up to three years of supervised release as well as a fine of up to $250K.
Meanwhile, what’s going on?: The Mulberry Police Department employed the third officer who took part in the arrest. Thell Riddle, the officer, has been placed on administrative leave pending the conclusion of a state inquiry, according to Chief Shannon Gregory on Thursday.
What about Worcester?: A request for comment from an attorney for White and King was not immediately answered. The announcement of the accusations, according to Worcester’s attorney, Rachel Bussett, pleased her client and his family.
White and King thoughts: Though the use of deadly force is only permitted when there is a reasonable belief that the subject of such force poses an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury, the two former sheriff’s deputies still entered a not guilty plea in court.
Actions for the future: The police is educating its officers on appropriate use of force, and Crawford County Sheriff, Daniel Perry, stated in an email that the department has gotten dashboard and body cameras to “hopefully be more proactive in holding our officers accountable for their actions.”
Not an unusual sight: Cases of police brutality have been a huge problem in the US, and this is only one of many that have been presented in recent years. Though, hopefully, the actions that are currently taking place may prevent these events from happening again.
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