Cops in Dekalb County, Georgia are investigating one of their own because of video showing an officer beating a homeless woman. A complaint was filed back in June, but the probe reopened because of the footage, CBS 46 reported Monday.
In the footage, this officer can be seen telling the woman to get on her stomach, and put her hands behind her back during an arrest. The situation escalated, and he can be seen beating the woman multiple times with a baton. At least two bystanders told her to “stop resisting,” while the cop ordered her to put her hands behind her back. The officer told her to drop an object or he’d shoot her.
“What did I do?” the woman asked multiple times.
The DeKalb Police Department told the outlet the officer responded to a call at a Chevron gas station on June 4. A woman was allegedly soliciting customers.
“Upon the officer’s arrival, the female, identified as Katie McCrary, attempted to push the officer out of the way,” they said. “The officer stopped her at the door and asked her to step back. Words were exchanged between the officer and McCrary with McCrary subsequently assaulting the officer. She continued to aggressively resist the officer’s commands, resulting in the deployment of the officer’s baton.”
Katie McCrary was charged with obstructing or hindering law enforcement officers. She was also warned, at the Chevron manager’s request, to stay away from the gas station. Because of this new footage, however, the department has reopened their probe to establish if the officer’s actions was “consistent with policy and the law.”
[Screengrab via DeKalb Police Department]