Police beating: FBI to investigate

A man filmed by police being kicked and punched by Minneapolis officers says he made the recording public in order to prevent the same thing happening to others. Derryl Jenkins said: "No one deserved what happened to me that night." Police could have killed me'

What started as a routine traffic stop has sparked allegations of police brutality.

A Minneapolis officer pulled over Jenkins, 43, last February. The video shows the two talking, then struggling, and soon several other officers arrive and are seen punching and kicking Jenkins. The FBI and Minneapolis police are investigating the incident.

Jenkins' attorney says his client has not filed a lawsuit and won't until the investigations are complete. Charges against Jenkins of assault and refusing to submit to alcohol tests were later dropped. Chief Tim Dolan asked the FBI to investigate , saying some of the responding officers' actions are cause for concern.

Through his attorney, Jenkins said releasing the seven-minute video recorded by cameras attached to the police squad cars was in the public interest. "He wanted to put this out there to educate and make people aware of what happened," attorney Paul Edlund said.

The video shows the officer stopping Jenkins' PT Cruiser, then opening the car's driver's side door to talk to him. Then, after a few minutes, Jenkins gets out of the car and begins to struggle with the officer. The officer pulls Jenkins' hooded jacket over his head and throws him face-down into the snow while waiting for backup.

When five other officers arrive, several of them begin punching and kicking Jenkins as they try to apply handcuffs. A Taser is used at one point, but it is ineffective, according to police records.

Jenkins eventually was taken to North Memorial Medical Center, where he received several stitches above his eye. He was then taken to the Hennepin County Jail.

No disciplinary action has been taken against the officers involved, and Dolan said it appears that the officer who tried to make the initial arrest acted appropriately. That officer suffered a split lip and bloody nose during the incident.

Police spokesman Sgt. Jesse Garcia said the video shows how officers often have to deal with people who resist arrest, which he said can create a dangerous situation. Force "doesn't look good, but sometimes it is necessary, unfortunately. And I think people that aren't used to seeing that, it does raise concerns with them," Garcia said.

FBI spokesman E.K. Wilson said investigators would look into the case.

Original report here



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