A white Delaware police officer has been arrested for brutally kicking a black man in the face after ordering the suspect to get down on the ground.
According to the LA Times, police responded to a call about a fight on August 24, 2013. The caller said one of the combatants had a gun.
Police cruised the neighborhood looking for a suspect, and Lateef Dickerson apparently matched the description of a black man walking.
Dashcam video shows what happened next.
Cpl. Tom Webster and his partner ordered Dickerson to get on the ground. When he complied, Webster delivered a hard kick to his face and Dickerson fell flat on the ground. Dickerson was knocked unconscious by the blow.
Delaware police officer charged with kicking suspect in face; dashcam video released http://t.co/qfJ5t6M7G8 pic.twitter.com/Oya11XmlKE
— John A. Moreno (@morenojohn) May 8, 2015
Webster of the Dover Police Department was initially cleared by a grand jury of any wrongdoing in the incident in 2013.
Additionally, the Dover DA’s office found that Dickerson’s civil rights had NOT been violated, according to the LA Times.
Webster, who had been suspended with pay during the initial investigation, returned to full duty in June 2014.
The ACLU filed a lawsuit against the city of Dover and the police department in 2014.
As a result of the ACLU’s lawsuit, an internal police investigation determined that Webster’s actions “were outside of Dover Police Department policy.”
A 2nd grand jury returned an indictment against Webster on May 4, 2015. Webster turned himself in the same day and was placed on unpaid administrative leave.
Last month a federal judge ordered the dash cam video be released to the public.
As the national media caught wind of the arrest, satellite trucks arrived in Dover, anxious to cover the growing story for TV ratings.
Dover Mayor Robin Christiansen held a press conference to warn enraged residents that “lawlessness and violence will not be tolerated.”
“As mayor of the city of Dover, we all have to remember that every public employee has the responsibility to protect our community, to serve our constituents with trust and fidelity,” Christiansen said.
Webster, who has been on the Dover force since 2005, told the News Journal, “I’m under strict instructions not to discuss my life with anyone right now, unfortunately,” Webster told the Journal. “We have to let this sort itself out in a legal venue.”
This latest incident of police brutality fuels the growing national debate over lawless police misconduct in black communities.
Six Baltimore police officers (3 0f them white) face murder charges in the death of a 25-year-old black man who died in police custody.
2 of those officers charged may be exonerated as evidence mounts that the inexperienced Baltimore state’s attorney rushed to judgment to calm rioters following 2 weeks of civil unrest and looting in Baltimore.
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