FBI investigating incident where white cop tasers, chokes and punches an unarmed black man in the head after he was caught jaywalking and it was caught on video
https://www.citizen-times.com/story...lle-police-brutality-investigation/388344002/
https://www.theroot.com/walking-while-black-body-cam-footage-shows-brutal-beat-1823454798
FULL VIDEO
The FBI has opened a criminal investigation into a white North Carolina police officer shown on body camera footage beating a black man accused of jaywalking.
State Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Patty McQuillan said in an email Wednesday that an FBI criminal investigation was launched into the actions of Asheville police officer Christopher Hickman on Aug. 25, 2017. She said the state agency is assisting.
Hickman was shown on body camera footage subduing and punching 33-year-old Johnnie Jermaine Rush after officers accused Rush of crossing outside of a crosswalk. Hickman resigned in January.
The case became public after The Citizen-Times newspaper published footage last week. On Wednesday night, angry residents questioned the police chief at a community meeting about why the case was kept from public view for so long.
Officer Hickman resigned and may face criminal charges after he was seen tasering and punching Johnnie Jermaine Rush, 33, in the head repeatedly, in the video.
Now federal agents have joined the Asheville city police brutality probe, suggesting a federal civil rights investigation could follow.
The incident occurred on August 24 when Rush, who is black, was walking home from a 13-hour shift at CrackerBarrel in Asheville, North Carolina.
He had just cut through the parking lot of a business that was closed for the day when he was stopped by Verino Ruggiero, then an officer in training, and officer Hickman, for jaywalking.
Police body cam footage, obtained and published by the Citizen Times last week, shows Ruggiero telling Rush, who'd just visited a local store, that he'd already warned him about jaywalking.
'All I'm trying to do is go home, man. I'm tired. I just got off work,' Rush explained.
Ruggiero told him: 'I've got two options: I can either arrest you or write you a ticket.'
'It doesn't matter to me, man,' Rush replied.
'Do what you have got to do, besides keep harassing me.'
Rush then curses, to which Hickman responds by ordering him to put his hands behind his back.
The 33-year-old then tried to run.
Video shows the officers take off in pursuit and Hickman yelled after him: 'You know what's funny is you're going to get f**ked up hardcore'.
Rush appears to slow down and stops to confront the officers, who pushed him to the ground.
What followed was a brutal beating, as Hickman was seen repeatedly punching Rush in the head, while yelling at him to put his hands behind his back.
Rush was then tasered twice as he's held on the ground and is choked as he breathlessly tells the cops, 'I can't breathe'.
'All this over you getting a ticket,' Hickman, who is white, could be heard telling Rush. 'Now it's serious, bro.'
He then goes on to taunt Rush, who remained prone on the ground, surrounded by cops.
His comment can't be heard, but Hickman responds: 'Oh it's a 'Please' now is it?' Hickman says.
'After all that? It was a ticket! And you wanted to act like this? What's wrong with you? What the f**k is wrong with you?'
While putting Rush in the back of the police car, Hickman is heard complaining that he 'got blood all over me from his face.'
He boasted to an emergency responder called to the scene that he had 'beat the s**t out of his head, I'm not going to lie about that.'
The charges against Rush, which included assaulting a government official and traffic offenses, have since been dropped.
Police Chief Tammy Hooper publicly apologized to Rush on Thursday after the Citizen Times released the video, calling his treatment unacceptable.
Hooper said, after reviewing the video, that she and District Attorney Todd Williams asked the State Bureau of Investigation to initiate a criminal investigation, but they declined.
The chief said that she still felt a criminal investigation was necessary so reached out to another agency.
Hickman was suspected of simple assault, according to police records. Ruggiero is not under investigation.
Hickman resigned on January 5 and Asheville police opened a criminal investigation into his behavior on January 18.
The FBI are now investigating the incident. The agency generally only step into matters involving police officers if it involves a civil rights matter.
Agents have since interviewed Rush as part of the preliminary investigation and will decide whether to launch a full investigation.
Bodycam fotoage shows Johnnie Jermaine Rush speaksing to officer Verino Ruggiero
Hickman was seen punching Johnnie Jermaine Rush, 33, in the head repeatedly (pictured)
Rush was also tasered as he lay on the ground with his hands behind his back, surrounded by cops
Rush was left with burn marks on his legs where the taser hit, and swelling around his head, around the same location he was repeatedly punched during the arrest
Hickman (left) has resigned over allegatios he brutaly beat Rush (right) after he was stopped for jaywalking
The charges against Rush, which included assaulting a government official and traffic offenses, have since been dropped
Photos of Rush, taken after the incident, show burn marks on his legs where the taser hit, and swelling around his head, around the same location he was repeatedly punched during the arrest.
- Johnnie Jermaine Rush, 33, was walking home from work in Asheville, North Carolina on August 24 when he was stopped for jaywalking
- Cops went to arrest him but Rush fled from the officers and it was caught on tape
- Police bodycam footage shows Officer Chris Hickman yelling after him: 'You know what's funny is you're going to get f**ked up hardcore'
- Rush appears to slow down and stops to confront the officers, who pushed him to the ground
- Hickman was seen repeatedly punching Rush in the head, while yelling at him to put his hands behind his back
- Rush was then tasered twice as he's held on the ground and is choked as he breathlessly tells the cops, 'I can't breathe'
- While putting Rush in the back of the police car, Hickman boasted that he 'beat the s**t out of his head, I'm not going to lie about that'
- Hickman has since resigned but could face criminal charges after a police brutality probe was launched
- As of Wednesday the FBI launched an investigation into the August incident
https://www.citizen-times.com/story...lle-police-brutality-investigation/388344002/
https://www.theroot.com/walking-while-black-body-cam-footage-shows-brutal-beat-1823454798
FULL VIDEO
The FBI has opened a criminal investigation into a white North Carolina police officer shown on body camera footage beating a black man accused of jaywalking.
State Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Patty McQuillan said in an email Wednesday that an FBI criminal investigation was launched into the actions of Asheville police officer Christopher Hickman on Aug. 25, 2017. She said the state agency is assisting.
Hickman was shown on body camera footage subduing and punching 33-year-old Johnnie Jermaine Rush after officers accused Rush of crossing outside of a crosswalk. Hickman resigned in January.
The case became public after The Citizen-Times newspaper published footage last week. On Wednesday night, angry residents questioned the police chief at a community meeting about why the case was kept from public view for so long.
Officer Hickman resigned and may face criminal charges after he was seen tasering and punching Johnnie Jermaine Rush, 33, in the head repeatedly, in the video.
Now federal agents have joined the Asheville city police brutality probe, suggesting a federal civil rights investigation could follow.
The incident occurred on August 24 when Rush, who is black, was walking home from a 13-hour shift at CrackerBarrel in Asheville, North Carolina.
He had just cut through the parking lot of a business that was closed for the day when he was stopped by Verino Ruggiero, then an officer in training, and officer Hickman, for jaywalking.
Police body cam footage, obtained and published by the Citizen Times last week, shows Ruggiero telling Rush, who'd just visited a local store, that he'd already warned him about jaywalking.
'All I'm trying to do is go home, man. I'm tired. I just got off work,' Rush explained.
Ruggiero told him: 'I've got two options: I can either arrest you or write you a ticket.'
'It doesn't matter to me, man,' Rush replied.
'Do what you have got to do, besides keep harassing me.'
Rush then curses, to which Hickman responds by ordering him to put his hands behind his back.
The 33-year-old then tried to run.
Video shows the officers take off in pursuit and Hickman yelled after him: 'You know what's funny is you're going to get f**ked up hardcore'.
Rush appears to slow down and stops to confront the officers, who pushed him to the ground.
What followed was a brutal beating, as Hickman was seen repeatedly punching Rush in the head, while yelling at him to put his hands behind his back.
Rush was then tasered twice as he's held on the ground and is choked as he breathlessly tells the cops, 'I can't breathe'.
'All this over you getting a ticket,' Hickman, who is white, could be heard telling Rush. 'Now it's serious, bro.'
He then goes on to taunt Rush, who remained prone on the ground, surrounded by cops.
His comment can't be heard, but Hickman responds: 'Oh it's a 'Please' now is it?' Hickman says.
'After all that? It was a ticket! And you wanted to act like this? What's wrong with you? What the f**k is wrong with you?'
While putting Rush in the back of the police car, Hickman is heard complaining that he 'got blood all over me from his face.'
He boasted to an emergency responder called to the scene that he had 'beat the s**t out of his head, I'm not going to lie about that.'
The charges against Rush, which included assaulting a government official and traffic offenses, have since been dropped.
Police Chief Tammy Hooper publicly apologized to Rush on Thursday after the Citizen Times released the video, calling his treatment unacceptable.
Hooper said, after reviewing the video, that she and District Attorney Todd Williams asked the State Bureau of Investigation to initiate a criminal investigation, but they declined.
The chief said that she still felt a criminal investigation was necessary so reached out to another agency.
Hickman was suspected of simple assault, according to police records. Ruggiero is not under investigation.
Hickman resigned on January 5 and Asheville police opened a criminal investigation into his behavior on January 18.
The FBI are now investigating the incident. The agency generally only step into matters involving police officers if it involves a civil rights matter.
Agents have since interviewed Rush as part of the preliminary investigation and will decide whether to launch a full investigation.
Bodycam fotoage shows Johnnie Jermaine Rush speaksing to officer Verino Ruggiero
Hickman was seen punching Johnnie Jermaine Rush, 33, in the head repeatedly (pictured)
Rush was also tasered as he lay on the ground with his hands behind his back, surrounded by cops
Rush was left with burn marks on his legs where the taser hit, and swelling around his head, around the same location he was repeatedly punched during the arrest
Hickman (left) has resigned over allegatios he brutaly beat Rush (right) after he was stopped for jaywalking
The charges against Rush, which included assaulting a government official and traffic offenses, have since been dropped
Photos of Rush, taken after the incident, show burn marks on his legs where the taser hit, and swelling around his head, around the same location he was repeatedly punched during the arrest.
