Free Thought Project – by Matt Agorist
Columbus, OH — A video submitted to the Free Thought Project over the weekend paints a disturbing image of police in Columbus, Ohio. In the video, a cop is seen ‘curb-stomping’ a man as he lays face down on the concrete in handcuffs.
According to the Columbus Police department, the man being assaulted in the video is Demarco Anderson. He was accused by police of having fired a weapon at a nearby house. However, nothing he could’ve done justifies what happened to him once he was placed in handcuffs.
As the video begins, one officer appears to have the man under control as he puts handcuffs on the soon-to-be victim. After the cuffs go on, that’s when a second officer comes running up and stomps his face into the curb.
According to our source for the video, police were looking for Anderson for suspicion of firing a gun in the area. When they approached him, he ran.
After a brief foot chase, Anderson was tasered, fell to the ground, and then placed in handcuffs. The video begins after the tasering.
After the cop stomped on Anderson’s face, he starts looking around. At that moment, the officers realize they were just recorded committing a crime.
“Can I help you?” asks the cop, in an obvious attempt at intimidating the man filming. However, he did not back down and continued to record.
After police needlessly assaulted Anderson, he tries to explain that he was running because one of the officers pulled out a gun and he got scared. He then accused the officers of planting drugs on his person as well.
Police claim to have found crack cocaine and a pistol on Anderson.
Whether or not that is true is unknown. However, it should be noted that police have been caught plenty of times planting drugs and guns on entirely innocent people.
According to our open records request to the CPD, Anderson was charged with Improperly Discharging Firearm at or Into Habitation, Having Weapons While Under Disability, Obstructing Official Business, Resisting Arrest _ causing physical harm to law enforcement officer, Aggravated Menacing, and Possession of Drugs.
The Free Thought Project contacted the Columbus Police Department to alert them to the presence of the video and to ask for a statement. Below is a statement given to the Free Thought Project by the CPD’s Public Information Unit.
Based on what we see in the video taken on Saturday April 8, 2017, the action taken by one of our officers does not meet the standards by the Columbus Division of Police. It appears to be inconsistent with the values and training we instill in our officers.
The officer self-reported a kick to the suspect while the suspect was in custody.
We’ll learn more as the investigation continues and take appropriate actions based on the facts gathered.
The officer has been temporarily reassigned.
Whether or not Anderson is guilty of the crimes he’s been arrested for has yet to be determined. However, if he is guilty, his case is now tainted because of this officer’s choice to stomp his face into the ground.
“Having Weapons While Under Disability”…
WTF does that mean? Does it mean they have a law on the books that says you can’t have a gun if you’re disabled?
So…I went and looked it up…
“Ohio weapons under disability law forbid a person from having, trying to get, carrying or using a weapon if any of the following apply:
A) You’re a fugitive
B) You’re being indicted for a violent crime, you’ve been convicted of a violent crime or as a child you were convicted for what would be considered a violent felony if you had been an adult
C) You’re being indicted or have been convicted for a drug offense, either as an adult or a child
D) You’re a chronic alcoholic, drug dependent, or in danger of drug dependence
E) A judge has either deemed you mentally incompetent, mentally defective or mentally ill and subject to hospitalization, or you are or have been committed to a mental institution
Nearly every day in central Ohio people are charged with having weapons while under disability. Having weapons while under disability is a third degree felony punishable by up to 36 months in prison.”
If I’m reading this correctly, I couldn’t have a gun in Ohio because I got busted for having a roach clip and rolling papers in 1975 (Possession of Drug Paraphernalia)?
And what about a DUI? Does that make one an alcoholic? I know I sure got treated like I was a CHRONIC alcoholic when I got mine.
And how about “in danger of drug dependence”? You could apply that to absolutely everyone!!! Give anyone the right shit and the right circumstances and they WILL get addicted.
“The whole Good Cop / Bad Cop question can be disposed of much more decisively. We need not enumerate what proportion of cops appears to be good or listen to someone’s anecdote about his uncle Charlie, an allegedly good cop.
We need only consider the following:
(1) A cop’s job is to enforce the laws, all of them;
(2) Many of the laws are manifestly unjust, and some are even cruel and wicked;
(3) Therefore every cop has to agree to act as an enforcer for laws that are manifestly unjust or even cruel and wicked.
There are no good cops.”
— Robert Higgs