DA Says No Excessive Force Used In Last Year's Controversial Arrest of 16-year-old at RCC
The
seven-minute YouTube clip begins with five Boston police officers,
crowding a Roxbury Community College entranceway, restraining a
face-down suspect. Before it's clear what's happening, a plainclothes
cop in jeans and work boots pins the boy's left calf, throws four
hammer punches to the back, then switches to southpaw and delivers
three uppercuts. Moving a uniformed colleague out of the way, the
same officer then assumes a runner's stance, secures his grip, and
follows up with three knees to the chest. The suspect is instructed
to put his hands behind his back, and responds in evident agony: "My
hands are behind my back . . . Who the fuck keeps stepping on me?"
-From
The Boston Phoenix (November 23, 2010)
In
unbelievable but not surprising news, Suffolk County District
Attorney Dan Conley announced today that “the arresting officers”
who [insert verb according to your interpretation of the video above]
a 16-year-old suspect last year at Roxbury Community College “did
not use any excessive force or engage in any actions that constitute
criminal conduct.” From the DA's statement:
Based
upon our objective review of the facts, the evidence, and the
circumstances in this case, including our consultation with Professor
Connor, I have determined that criminal charges are not warranted
against any of the officers who took part in the arrest at Roxbury
Community College.
In a
seemingly prudent decision, the Boston Police Department had the DA's
office investigate the October 22 incident – a move typically
reserved for when a perp dies during an arrest. It took almost a year
for their team of experts and attorneys to reach their conclusion:
that city cops and Department of Youth Services officers handled
things properly with one benevolent exception:
...the
flaws in the Oct. 22 arrest came from a lack of coordination rather
than a lack of restraint. Many of the strikes proved to be completely
ineffective, and the evidence is in the two-plus minutes it took nine
public safety officers to achieve the suspect’s compliance.
I
won't go on and on about the disparate viewpoints here, since I have a
strong feeling that opposing sides will emerge loudly in the next few
weeks. I also won't say say what a bag of bullshit this is – mostly
because it's obvious, but also because the experts and involved
parties would just claim that I don't understand the context.
What I
will say, though, is that shortly after the initial incident, I wrote
a piece for the Phoenix about how the beating emboldened RCC students
to unite. They were shocked, angry, and outraged – just like I'm
imagining they are now, beginning the school year with news like
this. Following this comparably devastating blow, I'd be surprised if
they didn't break the picket signs back out and pay their neighbors a visit. From what I hear, they won't be the only ones. To be continued...