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Even when you expect it to be ridiculous, it's unbelievably ridiculous. They also claim the above video is edited. They release their versions of the footage here
http://www.wjcl.com/article/scmpd-responds-to-released-body-camera-video-of-tasing/978088
Savannah, Ga. (WJCL) — A war of words and videos has erupted between a local attorney and SCMPD regarding an incident where a man was tasered on Martha Street. The incident appears to have been captured on the body cameras of several responding officers.
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The attorney, Will Claiborne, claims the man was tasered by officers with little or no cause. SCMPD says the attorney is misrepresenting the incident entirely, but that they are looking into how it unfolded.
Watch Claiborne's YouTube video here.
This all surrounds a warrant check back on February.
The law firm's video claims Patrick Mumford was tased, after being mistaken for another man, Michael Clay. Here is their version of eventsMeanwhile, the department says the video is highly edited and a gross misrepresentation of what unfolded at the time. They say the uncooperative man moved in a way that threatened the officers and they were forced to use a taser on him. SCMPD says it is investigating the incident.
The competing videos, the edited one from the law firm, and SCMPD videos from body cameras were posted to social media about 5 hours apart. Those can be seen here:
VIDEO: SCMPD Martha St. Body Camera #1
VIDEO: SCMPD Martha St. Body Camera #2
VIDEO: SCMPD Martha St. Body Camera #3
SCMPD then released the following statement:
“Earlier today, a local defense attorney released an edited version of a SCMPD officer’s body worn camera video.
Because the edited version is misleading, is apparently intended to be inflammatory, and to continue our transparency with the community, the SCMPD is releasing all of the body camera video of the incident.
On February 1, 2016 at approximately 5:30 p.m. three officers were dispatched to a residence on the 3200 block of Martha Street to locate an individual at a specific address who according to detectives in Delano, California, had been in possession of a cell phone involved in robbery in California. While in route, the officers completed a warrant check on the named individual and learned there was an active Simple Assault warrant out of Cobb County. Upon entering the driveway a person who resembled the wanted person was observed seated in a car.
As you will see on the video, the officers spoke with the individual and requested his name. The individual was uncooperative and although he presented a first name at some point, it was unclear to the officers. As you will also see in the video after the individual was asked to get out of the car, he refused to exit the car, was uncooperative, and reached down toward the floorboard of the car in a manner which the officers perceived as a threat to their safety. After warning the individual several times, one of the officers tased the suspect and arrested him.
The video released by the defense attorney was edited and omits significant portions wherein a relative asks the individual to be cooperative. The relative on the video also suggests the arrestee is similar in appearance to the wanted person, who purportedly lived at that residence. The edited video also omits other calm interactions the officers had with relatives and the arrestee.
In order to continue our transparency with the public, the SCMPD has posted the video recordings in their entirety from all three officers who were on the scene in question.
The incident and video was brought to the attention to the Chief of Police on July 12, 2016 and we have begun an administrative investigation of this incident.
Police officers nation-wide face complex duties which require them to make decisions in an instant. They must simultaneously decide how to protect the public, the involved citizens, and protect their own safety.
We are reviewing the actions and decisions which our officers made in the current case. In doing so, we must consider all the facts and not rush to unfair judgements based on highly edited videos which are apparently intended to mislead and inflame the public against the officers involved.
SCMPD is committed to fairness, transparency and accountability. We ask that everyone involved in this incident, and similar ones involving conflicts between the police and the public, be committed to these same goals, and held to these same standards.
The SCMPD will not comment further until we complete our administrative investigation.”
Claiborne says he is not sure if his firm will officially represent Mumford, but for now he is speaking as an advocate for him.
"We let the video speak for itself," Claiborne said. "These two gentlemen don't look anything like each other. Patrick was minding his own business, sitting in a car that he owns, in a driveway of a house where he resides. Law enforcement came upon him, they were immediately aggressive, it speaks for itself."
Claiborne maintains that the officers were the ones who were aggressive during the situation.
"Patrick tells them the truth, and they never ask him for his ID. They assume he's lying and falsely arrest him...young black men who reach for their back pocket to get their wallets have bad things happen to them, so what was Patrick supposed to do?"
WJCL will keep this story updated with further developments.
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