Attorneys For Two Men Accused Of Assaulting Baltimore Police Sergeant Say New Video Shows Different Side To The Story
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A viral video of an alleged attack on a Baltimore Police sergeant in January is coming into question.
Attorneys for the two men charged with assaulting the officer say new video tells a different story about what happened that night.
The attorneys for the accused say new video released contradicts what was written in the original police report.
They're now calling on prosecutors to drop the charges against their clients and for a public apology.
In January, video of what appears to be people kicking a Baltimore Police sergeant along Pennsylvania Avenue in west Baltimore surfaced, drawing swift criticism from Gov. Larry Hogan and Police Commissioner Michael Harrison.
Related Coverage:
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- Donnell Burgess, Charged In BPD Sergeant's Assault Caught On Camera, Previously Arrested In Violent Home Invasion As Teen
- Man, Teen Arrested In Connection With Video Showing Group Kicking BPD Sergeant
- Group Kicks Baltimore Police Officer Trying To Arrest Person Who Spat In His Face, Police Say
"It talks about the lawlessness, and it talks about the brazenness of the criminal offender who have no respect for the law, and no respect for authority," Harrison said in January.
Days later, 23-year-old Zayne Abdullah and 20-year-old Donnell Burgess were arrested, along with a 17-year-old boy.
But attorneys for the men accused say new police body camera footage and cell phone video they've obtained shows a very different side to this story.
Attorneys say that Sergeant Simpson "instigated," "provoked" and "escalated the situation."
"Spit in my face and pushed me, and I pushed him back, and the fight was on." That's how Simpson described the altercation.
But in the new video, you can hear the sergeant say "Go ahead, I've got enough for everybody." Then, it appears to show Simpson pushing Abdullah.
A bystander video then captures what happened moments later.
Simpson and Abdullah are struggling on the ground, while Abdullah cries out, "I can't breath."
During this time, Burgess' attorney says her client was trying to pull his friend away from the sergeant.
Attorneys for both Abdullah and Burgess say the State's Attorney's Office needs to dismiss the case and both men deserve an apology.
WJZ has reached out to the State's Attorney's Office, but have yet to hear back.
WJZ has also reached out to Baltimore Police. They tell us they've received this new video and that it's been handed over to its Public Integrity Bureau for further review.
