Police Beating of Maryland Student Caught on Tape

[Logan]

Looked for the generic "is this police brutality?" thread but I was surprised there wasn't one. This seems to be making the rounds today.

Authorities probe beating video of Maryland student - CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/04/13/maryland.police.beating/index.html?hpt=T1)

Here's what is likely the cops' biggest problem:

Authorities arrested Donat and McKenna on suspicion of assaulting an officer and disorderly conduct. Documents filed by police allege that the two were causing a disturbance and that they struck mounted officers and their horses, causing minor injuries, when authorities intervened.

"Arrested 1 and Arrested 2 were both kicked by the horses and sustained minor injuries," the charging documents said.

The video does not show McKenna striking the mounted officer or horse, and the horses were not nearby while the beating was taking place. The documents tell a "totally fabricated story," Weidenfeld said Tuesday

[Subby]

I wonder what triggered the beating. It happened so fast.

[Chubby]

now we know why tk has so many ankle problems...

[terpkristin]

now we know why tk has so many ankle problems...

For the record, I was not in College Park that night. ;) :D

I've said it before, and will probably say it again, our fans are nuts. However, the College Park police aren't that great, either, and it amazes me that something like this hasn't happened before/more often. When I was a student there, they had opened fire with rubber bullets on a group of students walking together from someplace on Route 1 back towards campus, for being in the wrong place at the wrong time after a win over Duke.

Alas. In one way, the students bring on a thought for a need of proactivity by the police, but the police really do need to ensure that who they're attacking/accusing really is part of the problem. I have no idea what to make of this, there's not enough on the video to know for sure.

/tk

[SirFozzie]

apparently one member of the force has already been suspended (and will be fired), and as soon as they figure out who the other two police officers are, they'll be fired as well