Baltimore Police Officer Suspended After Viral Video Shows Him Repeatedly Punching Man

A Baltimore police officer was suspended on Saturday after a viral video on social media showed him repeatedly punching another man, and then wrestling him to the ground.

According to USA Today, Interim Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle said police were investigating the incident from the video, and that he was “deeply disturbed” by the now viral clip. Baltimore Police Detective Jeremy Silbert confirmed to USA Today that the incident did occur on Saturday.

In a statement, Baltimore’s Mayor Catherine Pugh said, “We are working day and night to bring about a new era of community-based, Constitutional policing and will not be deterred by this or any other instance that threatens our efforts to re-establish the trust of all citizens in the Baltimore Police Department.”

CBS News reports that Warren Brown, an attorney for the man attacked in the video, identified his client as Dashawn McGrier.

Brown reportedly says that his client faces charges for allegedly assaulting the officer back in June. However, McGrier is contesting those charges in court. Brown says the officer saw his client and tried to provoke him as a result of their encounter from June.

Baltimore police spokesman T.J. Smith said that McGrier was not criminally charged and released from custody.

The officer involved was with the agency for more than a year and was immediately suspended once the video went viral. The second officer in the clip is on administrative duties pending an investigation.

Part of the investigation conducted by police will include reviewing the body camera footage.

Warning! The clip below is violent:

TW: Police Violence

This is a video of the @BaltimorePolice reported to be from earlier today.

And this is why folks don’t have any faith in the police. @MayorPugh50, what’s your response to this? What is happening with the consent decree? pic.twitter.com/yABsCZDEmq

— deray (@deray) August 11, 2018

Sources: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/08/11/baltimore-police-officer-suspended-after-video-shows-him-punching-man/968025002/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/baltimore-police-beating-video-officer-suspended-today-2018-08-11/