Video of an Ohio cop brutalizing an unarmed black man appears to undercut the initial police story about what happened.
The Euclid Police Department originally released a statement claiming that Richard Hubbard III had ignored Officer Michael Amiott‘s instruction to “face away” as he stepped out of his car and then began to resist.
Dashcam video, however, appears to show Hubbard fully complying. As Amiott repeats his instruction, Hubbard is in the process of turning away–and then the officer appears to snap.
Amiott grabs Hubbard’s arms, pushes him, kicks him, and with the help of another cop, wrestles him to the ground. As the two officers hold Hubbard down, Amiott slams his head into the pavement multiple times and punches him repeatedly. The other officer retreats as Hubbard’s girlfriend jumps out of the car, screaming.
All the while, Amiott continues to go at Hubbard–who was allegedly pulled over on suspicion of driving with a suspended license. Hubbard was ultimately charged for that traffic offense–and for resisting arrest.
Those charges have proven controversial. Protests ensued. Hubbard’s attorney, Christopher McNeal, said:
“Your own two eyes and common sense can lead to only one reasonable conclusion as to the propriety of the level of force used for a basic traffic stop and whether or not my client had a chance to comply.”
In light of the uproar, the Euclid Police Department released Officer Amiott’s personnel file. Its contents are not likely to accrue to the department’s benefit. The image painted by Amiott’s file is not particularly flattering. It shows an officer with a history of allegedly losing evidence, losing his temper and losing the ability to drive police cars without crashing them.
Amiott also resigned from his prior job–moments before he was slated to be fired–at the Mentor Police Department because he conducted a traffic stop allegedly without probable cause and then lied about it. He’s been accused of using excessive force before, too.
LawNewz reached out to the Euclid Police Department and The City of Euclid Prosecutor’s Office for comment, but neither responded before the time of publication. This article will be updated if and when responses are received.
[image via screengrab]
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