excessive-force

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Florida Police Officer Suspended After Kneeling On Black Man’s Neck During Arrest

A Florida police officer has been put on leave after a video surfaced showing him kneeling on the back of a black man's neck circulated online.

A Sarasota, Florida police officer has been put on leave by his superiors after a video surfaced showing him exercising excessive force on a citizen. Last week, 46-year-old George Floyd was killed as former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on the back of his neck. Floyd pleaded for his life, cried out for his mother, and repeatedly said he couldn't breathe. Witnesses begged Chauvin to move his knee over while three other officers held Floyd's body down or were complicit and didn't say anything as Floyd suffocated for nearly nine minutes.

Florida Police Officer Suspended After Kneeling On Black Man's Neck During Arrest
Joe Raedle / Staff / Getty Images

On Monday, a white officer who wasn't identified was shown in a recently released video arresting a 27-year-old black man named Patrick Carroll. The Sarasota Police Department shared details of the arrest, stating the Carroll was being detained after allegedly violently assaulting a woman. According to USA Today, Carroll "was later charged with felony possession of ammunition by a convicted felon."

After Sarasota Police Chief Bernadette DiPino was shown the clip of the arrest and the officer kneeling on the back of Carroll's neck, the unidentified officer was reportedly put on leave. “Chief DiPino was disturbed to see an officer kneeling on the head and neck of an individual in the video,” SPD said in a statement. “While it appears the officer eventually moves his leg to the individual’s back, this tactic is not taught, used or advocated by our agency.”

The person filming told the arresting officers, “You got your knee on my man’s neck, man, on his neck, bro.” At the time of his arrest, police reportedly stated Carroll didn't complain of any injuries and didn't require medical attention. However, in a recent interview, Carroll stated that he was pushed to the ground while asking why he was being detained and suffers from asthma and scoliosis. Watch below.

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Six Atlanta Officers Charged For Tasering Black Students


22-year-old Messiah Young and 20-year-old Taniyah Pilgrim were confronted in their car by police during the Atlanta protest, who tasered them and used excessive force.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced that two of the officers involved in the extremely disturbing video of a couple of college students being tased in their car during the protests have been terminated immediately and charged with aggravated assault. In addition, a total of six officers are facing charges from the incident.

The video was recorded on Saturday, showing Atlanta police violently pulling two black college students from their vehicle and tasering them. Taniyah Pilgrim, the owner of the car, was with Messiah Young, the driver, as they flagged a classmate over. A police officer tackled the student to the ground and told Young to keep driving or “go to jail.” 

Young spent the night in jail. District Attorney Paul Howard says that he was released after his investigation determined that “they were so innocent almost to the point of being naive.”

Officers Ivory Streeter and Mark Gardner have been fired from the police force and charged with aggravated assault. Streeter faced an additional charge for pointing his gun at Messiah Young. 

Officer Lonnie Hood was also charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one count of simple battery. Officer Willie Sauls was charged with aggravated assault and criminal damage to property. Officer E. Armond Jones was charged with aggravated battery and pointing a gun. Officer F. Ronald Claud has been charged with criminal damage to property.

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T.I. Responds To Viral Video Of Cop Brutally Punching 14-Year-Old

A Rancho Cordova cop was caught on camera using brutally excessive force against a 14-year-old boy on the ground.

Rancho Cordova police department and sheriff's office to investigate the conduct of one of their deputy's following extreme backlash, including from major stars like T.I. and Lauren Jauregui, over a viral video that shows the officer brutally punching a 14-year-old boy. A 15-second clip that surfaced on social media shows a deputy repeatedly punching a 14-year-old child.

Police have since responded to the video with claims that the 14-year-old boy was being "uncooperative" after a cop "saw what he believed to be a hand-to-hand exchange between an adult and juvenile," Rancho Cordova Police Department and the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office. said in a statement.

The cop had reportedly lost the adult that was in the area and tried to detain the juvenile to investigate the matter. The 14-year-old is lying on the ground in the clip as he gets pummelled but the police argued that the teen was being "physically resistive" and caused the officer to lose control of his hand-cuffs. "The deputy attempted to maintain control of the juvenile without his handcuffs and while alone waiting for his partners to arrive and assist him," the statement reads.

The video that surfaced was shared on Twitter came from the teen's sister. "My baby brother who is 14 years old. All of this over a swisher there's more footage but I wasn't able to upload it all," she wrote. "And to add on: my brother has a serious heart condition that could be triggered very easily by being hit in his chest/back! He's a kid and has never been in any kind of trouble with the law! He was very scared and in so much pain!!!"

The police said claimed they later recovered tobacco products on the teenager which they believe was the reason why he resisted. "This type of situation is hard on everyone--the young man, who resisted arrest, and the officer, who would much rather have him cooperate," the statement added.

Though there was much backlash across social media, T.I. made a concerted effort to blast the police department. "This shit unacceptable!!!
No excuse to do nobody child this way!!!" Tip said on an IG Post.

Meanwhile, Lauren Jauregui quoted the official statement with a series of tweets blasting the department for even trying to defend the cop. "This officer very obviously used excessive force on a child. Not a “juvenile”; a child. He is 14 years old and clearly being assaulted by a full grown man. Punched, choked, dragged through gravel, had his head held down, and had the full weight of a grown man on top of him," she wrote. 

Check out T.I. and Lauren Jauregui's response below.