Posted in Uncategorized on March 1, 2013
A Tenessee man has filed an excessive force complaint following an altercation with officers:
“We counted at least 200 blows, 200 individual blows,” says Tatum’s attorney, Robin Flores. “They were dragging him by his broken leg.”
The incident was caught on tape which the victim’s attorney has since produced for the public:
Video available here.
The police contend the victim was resisting and high on cocaine, but the attorney claims the hospital never performed a blood test that would confirm the claim.
The officers also contend the man had a knife, and that the use of force was “progressive”, which generally means that officers did not resort to higher levels of force unless the suspect ignored their commands.
The progressive use of force is consistent with prevailing law enforcement training here in Oklahoma and Tulsa, but how the officers apply that training is the source of much debate, particularly where circumstances are fluid and rapidly changing, or where the officer’s own conduct results in the need to use excessive force.
In this case, the presence of a video will certainly assisit a jury in determing which side to believe.
If you have questions about excessive force, contact the injury attorneys at Bryan and Terrill.
More here: Release of Video Prompts News Conference