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Bluelight Crew
A man died while in police custody after a struggle with officers during a traffic stop Thursday night in Northeast Baltimore, officials said.
Deputy Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez said officers had pulled over a car for a traffic violation and suspected there were drugs inside. The man resisted police and was brought under control but went into “medical distress,” Rodriguez said. He died at a local hospital.
The department's professional standards unit, which oversees police conduct, continued to investigate Friday, and police encouraged witnesses to come forward with statements and video. The information will be shared with the Baltimore state's attorney's office, according to Rodriguez.
“Like you, like the community, we have more questions than answers. ... We will get the answers,” Rodriguez said. He declined to comment further.
The incident occurred about 8 p.m. in the area of the 1300 block of Kitmore Road in the New Northwood neighborhood.
Shawanda Wilson, who lives nearby, said she saw the man put his hands up outside the car when two officers sprayed him with what appeared to be Mace or pepper spray and struck him. The man, who appeared to be in his 30s, ran a short distance to an alley, where officers caught up with him and started beating him with batons in his head and back, Wilson said.
The man ended up on the other side of the street, Wilson said, and numerous other officers, some from Morgan State University, arrived and began to beat the man.
At some point, the officers backed away and a policeman could be seen performing CPR on the man, Wilson said. She said he was bleeding from his mouth, and she called the beating “excessive.”
Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/ma...timore-20130718,0,5091162.story#ixzz2ZVpT0XM4
Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/ma...timore-20130718,0,5091162.story#ixzz2ZVozsZ1T
Deputy Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez said officers had pulled over a car for a traffic violation and suspected there were drugs inside. The man resisted police and was brought under control but went into “medical distress,” Rodriguez said. He died at a local hospital.
The department's professional standards unit, which oversees police conduct, continued to investigate Friday, and police encouraged witnesses to come forward with statements and video. The information will be shared with the Baltimore state's attorney's office, according to Rodriguez.
“Like you, like the community, we have more questions than answers. ... We will get the answers,” Rodriguez said. He declined to comment further.
The incident occurred about 8 p.m. in the area of the 1300 block of Kitmore Road in the New Northwood neighborhood.
Shawanda Wilson, who lives nearby, said she saw the man put his hands up outside the car when two officers sprayed him with what appeared to be Mace or pepper spray and struck him. The man, who appeared to be in his 30s, ran a short distance to an alley, where officers caught up with him and started beating him with batons in his head and back, Wilson said.
The man ended up on the other side of the street, Wilson said, and numerous other officers, some from Morgan State University, arrived and began to beat the man.
At some point, the officers backed away and a policeman could be seen performing CPR on the man, Wilson said. She said he was bleeding from his mouth, and she called the beating “excessive.”
Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/ma...timore-20130718,0,5091162.story#ixzz2ZVpT0XM4
Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/ma...timore-20130718,0,5091162.story#ixzz2ZVozsZ1T
