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Video Captures Police Aggression in Hot Springs, Arkansas
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by ryan | June 26, 2007 at 01:03 pm
5673 views | 17 Recommendations | 12 comments
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UPDATE: The original copy of the video is for sale on ebay. According to Drew Irwin, one of the videographers, the tape up for auction includes all events leading up to the incident. Here's a link to the ebay page.
John Birmingham of Hot Springs, Arkansas just filed a voice report with NowPublic. In the report John describes a recent incident involved a group of teenagers in Hot Springs, Arkansas. You can listen to the voice report here. Here's a direct link to the video.
Here is an excerpt from John's voice report:
On June 21st in Hot Springs Arkansas...There was an incident between several teenagers, young teenage skaters between 12 – 13 years old, one of them might have been 14, and one police officer who due to city ordinances took it upon himself to arrest them all. But he didn’t just do that....You'll see if you watch the video it's clearly out of line. This cop grabs a 13 year old girl by the neck and swings her around. Throws some 13 year old kid to the ground who aren't even skating when he confronts them. They are just walking down the street with their skateboards in their hand. It just all happened to be caught on tape because one of them was taping themselves skateboarding. But regardless they didn't go anything to deserve the treatment that they got.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (12)
at 13:38 on June 26th, 2007
Thanks for posting this, Ryan...and thanks to John Birmingham for calling in the voice report. Even though the video has been edited, there's no doubt from watching the video that the treatment of these kids was way out of line. You can also hear the videographer trying to calm the cop down, which is pretty significant. Hopefully this gets some wide-spread attention.
Skateboards: the new sippy cup?
at 14:02 on June 26th, 2007
Good stuff -- thanks for bringing this to our attention.
at 06:12 on June 27th, 2007
I totally agree. Many comments on YouTube discuss this point as well and I believe an uncut version of the video is available; however, the kid with the camera arrives/skates up as the cop has the first skater on the ground.
That being said, the collection of other skaters are just standing there and not leaving the spot where the first skater gets cuffed/zip-tie, none of them are skating and they all seem to be addressing the officer as "sir". Than the officer tried to grab the girl and guy that have just been standing there since the beginning of the video -they try to get away- and then the officer and supporting officer arrest them as well.
While it is possible that the first skater in the video and the one that runs away might face a forceful officer, I cannot fathom why the other skaters (girl and guy) would be treated the way they were. Research into the incident, the police report and maybe some of the opinions of people that were walking by would be great to get into the spotlight.
at 19:53 on June 26th, 2007
I've been in similar situations when I was younger, but not once did I
come across a police officer like this. Most were very cool, and
politely asked us to leave the area. I was never put in a choke hold
and swung around...
at 06:18 on June 27th, 2007
The voice report is a powerful tool indeed. thanks, John Birmingham, wherever you are!
(Also, all young skaters know, as more or less a matter of fact, that they WILL get hassled by cops sooner or later; I kinda don't blame them for running)
at 18:21 on June 28th, 2007
I'm a stickler for facts, please indulge me as I correct a few errors. The kids in the video include a 13 year old (first person the officer is seen subduing), 3 16 year olds, a 19 year old and a 21 year old. Three other teens left the area when they saw the officer coming toward them. The 19 year old admits to the local paper that Officer Williams had told him not to skateboard in the area about 30 minutes before the video was taken. He met up with 9 of his friends, got his cameras ready and proceeded to urge his 9 member group of skateboarders down the sidewalk where elderly people were walking. 10 people on skateboards forcing pedestrians to flee the sidewalk for the safety of a busy city street is no laughing matter. 10 people on skateboards whipping around elderly and disabled residents of a nearby apartment complex (watch the video again and see if you can see the people in wheelchairs sitting on the sidewalk outside their apartment building) is no laughing matter. Today's article quotes Nalls and a couple of his friends saying, "Yeah, we knew it was against the law to skateboard down there." "Yeah the officer told us not to. But we wanted to celebrate Go Skate Day." "I only pulled on the old man's arm because he had her in a chokehold. It's not my fault he got hurt." The old man is 67 years old and has a heart condition. Yet he saw fit to try to help the officer. Would it be a crime for a 19 year old kid to knock an old man down while the 19 year old is fleeing arrest? Nalls says he only uploaded the video to YouTube to get feedback. He didn't know it would cause so much trouble. Sorry, Randy and John, but you should try to be accurate, when reporting on any situation especially those that fuel hostility when the hostility doesn't need to be fueled.
Have a great day everyone.
at 13:50 on July 4th, 2007
well if the kids did do this on purpose is not against the law to entrap cops. this cop was too aggressive and as i stated on the phone with the mayor of hot springs this morning. that cop is lucky all those kids didnt beat him with skateboards. in my opinion he needed to be. as a taxpayer i will not be treated like that or handled like that and neither should those kids be handled like that for skateboarding. in the city i grew up in they now have kids 8 years old with guns. i don't think those kids get handled like that. that cop has some mental issues and needs help and shouldnt be on the street. the mayor stated that that cop has had previous issues with those kids. i.e etc new hampshire where the town cop that had previous issues with this one guy pulled him over and the man got in a fight with the cop and killed the cop and was shot by a passer by. when cops have previous issues with people they need to call someone else who does not have a grudge and as we all clearly see this cop had a grudge. he snapped. he didnt know what he was doing. chasing down a skateboarder like he robbed a bank while leaving another kid hand cuffed. he should be fired and not put on adminstrative leave. touch my kid like that and see what happens cop or no cop. these cops should be more afraid of mishandling us. i was born and i'll die and i will never be judge by a corrupt cop who thinks he is putting cuffs on me.
at 01:05 on July 3rd, 2007
I think the point of this video and the reason to be alarmed isn't whether or not the children broke a law. It is very common to be told to leave from public areas when you're on a skateboard. It happens quite often. But whether or not they violated a small city ordinance (which should result in a ticket alone) the shocking thing is the amount of force the officer utilized when detaining the children. It was unnecessary and quite clearly more than was needed.
I understand quite clearly these children broke the rules and were cursing and yelling at the officer, however there was no need for the headlocks, choking, and tackling that occured.
at 04:54 on July 4th, 2007
I respectfully disagree, K. Carter. The information I'm about to refer to is a compilation of newspaper and tv interviews given by skoarders, witnesses and city/police officials. The video itself doesn't show that Officer Williams had already used the first two tools in his law enforcement tool belt. Most people who know the police are in the area try to be on their first behavior. Ever tapped your brakes or checked your speedometer when you see a police car on the street? The second tool Officer Williams used was voice command. He told at least one member of the group not to skateboard in the area 30 minutes before this incident. He had already used two of his "tools" by the time the skateboarders made a second appearance by the time the video was made. The next step is the laying on of hands. He didn't proceed past that step, although he could have and still been within the policy of his department and laws governing police conduct. He is authorized to use his asp (the collapsible night stick on his belt) as one of the following steps. He didn't. He could have.
Officer Williams was only responding to the offenders with the amount of force necessary to control the situation and the criminals. Had the skaters complied with the first two tools there wouldn't have even been citations issued.
Have a great day!
at 13:55 on July 4th, 2007
the cop was and is a tool. he wasn't in control! thats the issue i have here. he know's who the kids are and should have told their parents that the next time they will be arrested or the parents will be arrested. i.e etc long island new york. the girls in the pool scream and police were called and issue was brought to court. the judge kids can no longer scream in the pool or the parents get 15 days in jail. what this cop did is wrong in my eyes and warrants a law suit. he toldly lost it mentally and had a previous history with the youths and should have called someone else who didnt wanna bash kid skulls in.
at 10:32 on July 5th, 2007
I've decided to let you spout your ignorance without demeaning myself by trying to have a genuine discussion with you. You also don't know what you are talking about when you mention Officer Williams history. Just another rumor that makes the cops look like criminals and keeps the kids in the victim seat. Keep stirring the pot, if you like. You have shown what it was like between the officer and the kids. The only ones who will listen to you will be the people who think like you. Everyone will else will be thinking, there goes another punk. That's sad because you appear to be an intelligent person who could take a positive role between the skaters and the community. It would be refreshing to hear a skateboarder explain what the problem is, suggest possible solutions, and be willing to work with people who have the power to make the changes happen.
I wish you the best.
at 13:58 on July 4th, 2007
someone oganize a go skateday sept 11th in this town. lets get a million plus skateboarders. skate free or die!!!