Here’s what your new friends think about your “Love.” @kanyewest Atlanta GA. Former NFL player Desmond Marrow. pic.twitter.com/l930u6FcAb
— 🌹 Ferrari Elite Sheppard (@stopbeingfamous) April 27, 2018
A viral video making its way across social media shows former NFL player Desmond Marrow forcibly arrested and brutalized by police officers in a strip mall parking lot in Atlanta, Georgia.
In the video, two cops appear to have the hand-cuffed Marrow constrained. As they press him forward, Marrow pleads, “I’m not even doing nothing. I’m not even fighting back. I’m not even fighting back!”
At this point, the officers slam Marrow into the tailgate of a white pick-up truck. He continues to shout, “I’m not even fighting back! I’m not even doing nothing, man!” Here, the cops use the leverage of the pick-up to force their hands around Marrow’s neck and right leg. Then they grab him and tumble-throw him face-down onto the pavement. Marrow screams out in pain.
Onlookers can be heard murmuring and apparently questioning the use of force off-camera. Next, the police appear to contort Marrow’s body–pressings his shoulders and legs in various directions. As a third cop arrives, Marrow audibly cries out, repeating that he hadn’t done anything wrong. The man filming the scene says, “It’s unbelievable, man. It’s unbelievable. It’s unbelievable.”
As Marrow’s body briefly flails, the third cop joins in to constrain him while another cop chokes the former Tampa Bay Buccaneer and Houston Texan. Through constrained vocal chords, Marrow screams, “I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!” His eyes are wide with terror and the third cop advises him to “settle down.”
The officers then tell Marrow to “sit up” as they grab him by the shirt and shoulders and the video ends. The arresting officer’s report is available here.
The incident occurred on December 2, 2017. The arrest was conducted by Henry County Police officers. Marrow posted the video of the incident on his own Instagram account on Friday. In his post, he wrote:
They threw me into isolation and labeled me a gang member because of my tattoos. I was fully cooperating with the officers with ZERO resistance. I thought I was going to die. I was sure I was passing out or dying when Officer #D.Rose was choking me as my breath kept slipping away. Henry county police dept was trying to keep me quiet, but once they found out I was a former #NFLplayer & there was a video of the incident did they then try to drop my charges. They were basically trying to get me to sell my soul in exchange for the video not being posted and they would drop all the felonies and clear my record. They said I was resisting arrest, being out of control, spitting and assaulting the Officers by head butting them. But GOD recorded it and I have PROOF! You know the truth take a lil longer to make it around lies travel faster 💯.
Marrow also noted, “During the arrest the police knocked my teeth out, slammed me on my head and choked me out until I was unconscious. In addition I suffered a shoulder strain and a concussion.”
According to court documents obtained by Heavy, Marrow was arrested on charges of making terroristic threats, reckless driving, aggressive driving and obstruction. Some of those charges were later dropped.
After the video’s release, one of the officers involved has been placed on administrative leave, though that officer has yet to be identified, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Law&Crime reached out to the Henry County Police department for comment on this story, but no response was forthcoming at the time of publication.
[image via screeengrab]
Follow Colin Kalmbacher on Twitter: @colinkalmbacher
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