Video released shows suspect surrender, cop kicks him in the head anyway
theGRIO REPORT - Video has been released of an incident that occurred almost two years ago in which a Delaware police officer can be seen kicking a suspect into unconsciousness...
Video has been released of an incident that occurred almost two years ago in which a Delaware police officer can be seen kicking a suspect into unconsciousness.
The dashboard camera footage was released following an indictment and investigation into the Aug. 24, 2013 incident, which took place prior to the events in Ferguson that touched off a national debate on race and police brutality.
In the video, officers are seen responding to a call about a fight.
Watch the disturbing video below:
The caller said that one of the men involved in the fight is wearing a yellow shirt and hat and had a gun.
When officers arrived on the scene, they spotted Lateef Dickerson, who was wearing the white shirt and yellow hat. Dickerson obeyed commands from Cpl. Thomas Webster IV and one other officer to lie facedown on the ground, but when he did so, Webster kicked him once in the head, causing his yellow baseball cap to fly into the air.
Dickerson, who was 30 at the time, was knocked unconscious and suffered a broken jaw.
“We believe that the video demonstrates the need for large-scale reform of the Dover Police Department, specifically improvements to their use of force and internal affairs practices and supervision of their officers,” said Kathleen MacRae, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware.
“What is clear is that a man who is down should not be kicked to unconsciousness,” said civil rights leader Jesse Jackson. “That is excessive force.”
There was no gun found at the scene, and a grand jury in March 2014 failed to indict the officer involved. However, Attorney General Matt Denn, who took office in January, wanted to review the file, and a second grand jury convicted Webster of second-degree assault on Monday.
“The case was brought to his attention last week,” said spokesman Carl Kanefsky. “He reviewed the evidence, and as a result of that review, asked prosecutors to re-present the case to a grand jury.”
