Arrest of man in wheelchair raises concerns
VIDEO - Some say the man was thrown to the ground causing a gash over his eye that bled onto the sidewalk...
From NBC Washington
By Michelle Tetu
Thousands of people have already viewed the video on YouTube (Warning: graphic language/images). It was taken by a passer-by on Thursday afternoon. It has people questioning whether Metro Transit Police were justified in subduing the man who was in a wheelchair.
The incident happened at around 3 p.m. outside the U Street-Cardozo Metro Station.
Metro Transit Police were on routine patrol at the station when they spotted the man in a wheelchair drinking an alcoholic beverage, according to Metro Spokesperson Steven Taubenkibel.
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
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The officers asked him to leave the area but he refused, police say. The officers attempted to give him a citation.
When he refused to cooperate, they told him he would be arrested, according to a statement issued by Metro.
The statement goes on to say “the patron resisted arrest which resulted in him falling out of his wheelchair.”
Some say the man was thrown to the ground causing a gash over his eye that bled onto the sidewalk.
In the video, you can hear witnesses challenging the way police handled the incident.
The man was taken to the hospital. His injuries were minor, police say. He was arrested for assault on a police officer and drinking in public.
Metro says they are following up on this incident.
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