By Will Hagle, Wed, December 11, 2013
Video has surfaced in the case of a law enforcement officer charged with assault for his mistreatment of a suspect in Marion County, Fla.
Officer Charles Broaderick was working at the county jail when he apprehended James Duckworth, a man who had been accused of driving under the influence. The video shows Duckworth arguing with the officers before making a noise with his throat. Broaderick believed this to be a threat to spit on the officers, so he slammed Duckworth against the wall and yelled at him.
“Hey!” Broaderick says before forcibly pushing Duckworth into the wall. “You don’t spit at officers.”
Afterward, Duckworth’s blood can be seen strewn across the white wall as the officers discuss whether or not he had spit at them. Broaderick appears to immediately realize his mistake, lifting Duckworth and attempting to give him medical attention.
According to the Daily Mail, Broaderick was arrested for assault regarding the incident but spent just 13 minutes in a cell at the prison, after which he posted his $2,000 bail. He has been placed on unpaid leave as the investigation unfolds and the lawsuit against him continues.
Due to the increased use of security monitors as well as individual smartphones, prevalence of police brutality being caught on camera has been widespread throughout the past few years. Stories such as that of Oscar Grant (the BART rider shot by an Oakland officer and documented in the recent film “Fruitvale Station”) demonstrate that while this ability to self-monitor our officers allows justice against innocent victims to be served, even overwhelming evidence of police brutality cannot change the actions of the officers nor the victims that suffer injuries due to their actions.