Video Shows Violent Confrontation Between Baltimore Officers And Suspect
BALTIMORE (WJZ)--The Baltimore City Interim Police Commissioner is defending two officers caught on camera in a violent confrontation with a 21-year-old man. One of the officers was left punched in the face by the suspect.
WJZ's Mary Bubala has more on the incident.
On Tuesday afternoon, two city officers on foot patrol along South Broadway Street attempt to calm down 21-year-old James Young, but the situation quickly escalates when Young starts swearing at the officers and threatening them. Young is later arrested for disorderly conduct.
A bystander is recording the whole confrontation on his phone as the suspect resists arrest and then throws punches at the officers, striking one of them. As the officers struggle with the suspect on the ground other units start responding to the scene.
"I've watched the video 5 or 6 times. I think our officer showed remarkable restraint, said Interim Commissioner Kevin Davis. "I stopped counting how many times our female police officer said stop to him and gave him every opportunity to walk away, every opportunity to calm down."
The female officer is a 2 1/2 year veteran of the force and the injured officer is a police trainee from the academy, who suffered minor injuries to his chin.
The commissioner said the two had more than enough probable cause to arrest Young.
Davis also talked about the "YouTube effect" of policing where their actions are now almost always recorded and while he doesn't want them to hesitate to make an arrest. The commissioner says being recorded is not a bad thing.
"Where we find ourselves in American policing is eventually going to make us all better, do I want police officers to think about what they do before they do it absolutely," he said.
The commissioner says that video tape will be used in police training at the academy.
James Young is being charged with 2nd degree assault and disorderly conduct.
