Police, once again, are caught on video brutalizing a suspect -with it likely, that once again, no one will suffer any repercussions. An officer with the Lorain Ohio Police Department is seen slamming a black man onto the hood of his patrol car, so hard, that his face shatters the windshield. Police again claim that “he was resisting” and posed a threat to officers. Despite the video showing it was a clearly an unwarranted violent act, the officer will face no discipline.
Pele Smith, who was described as a “violent drug trafficker” by the Lorain Police Chief, was putting up little resistance at the time he was violently assaulted. The incident took place in September 2014, but the video has just recently surfaced. The video shows Smith being forcefully pushed forward before being slammed onto the hood. Smith was handcuffed at the time and surrounded by officers. He was anything but resisting during the entirety of the video. The windshield shatters and Smith is in obvious distress. Smith had to be taken to the hospital, where he was treated for injuries to his face.
Smith does have a previous history of drug convictions, but there is no reason to label him a violent drug trafficker nor was there any reason to brutalize him the way the police did.
According to police, “during the arrest and Mr Smith’s active resistance, he was placed on the hood of the police unit to gain control and conduct a search as per policy.” Police have once again utilized creative articulation in their description of occurrences, despite its break from reality. The officer slamming Smith on the hood of the car cannot be described as being “placed,” as it so eloquently states. This falsifying of facts, by creatively articulating the circumstances, is how police get away with murder.
The Police Chief announced to the media that a “full” investigation will be done even though they have been aware of the incident for over two years.
The officer has not been identified, but the Chief Cel Rivera was quite vocal in his support for his officers. Rivera told the media that the video doesn’t tell the whole story. He advised that people shouldn’t be so quick to judge the officers without knowing all of the facts. It is hard to see how anything that happened before, could have relevance on an unwarranted violent acy against a citizen. If there was a previous struggle or fight, then it would be documented in a separate use of force report, rather than the windshield incident. Once a use of force ends, any additional force that occurs is a separate incident – dependent on its own relevant circumstances. In short, a previous scuffle doesn’t justify the slamming of the subject. In short, the cop was pissed and took it out on Smith.
We should no longer be surprised when police chiefs’ rally around their officers. The thin blue line is the never ending theme of every police-involved incident over the years. Pele Smith filed a federal lawsuit last month against the Lorain Police Department, its Chief, Cel Rivera, and the officer involved in the incident.
Sources: Cop Block.
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