Another police officer has been charged with assault after bodycam footage showed him using a taser numerous times on a man who pleaded ‘I can’t breathe.
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The video showing Virginia officer Tyler Timberlake using ‘unacceptable’ force on the victim was released by the Fairfax County Police Department. The incident is one of the many recent allegations of police brutality after George Floyd’s death.
“As an officer attempted to deescalate the situation that was underway, PFC Timberlake arrived shortly after and used force that is unacceptable,” the Fairfax County Police Department said in a statement.
Bodycam footage starts with the police officer interacting with a disoriented man along a street. EMTs and ambulances were parked nearby and they asked if the man needs oxygen.
One EMT said: “I’m here to help you, just tell me what you need,” adding that authorities are also there to assist.
The disoriented man continued to pace when officer Timberlake arrived and approached him. Without any warning, he used a stun gun, leaving the man screaming out in pain.
The officer pressed his knee into the man’s back, telling him to relax but appeared to strike him with the gun. For a short moment, the camera footage was covered but the sound of the stun gun being used can be heard.
At least four police officers grappled the man onto the ground as he screamed ‘I can’t breathe’ when they towered over him.
The video ended with the victim lying handcuffed on the ground as emergency services prepare to carry him in the ambulance.
Fairfax County Chief Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr said in a news conference that the video showed Timberlake violating the policies with ‘horrible use of force,’ adding that the officer committed ‘criminal acts’ that both ‘ignore the sanctity of human life’ and ‘violate our oath of office.’
Officer Timberlake was arrested and faces up to 36 months in jail if convicted. Other officers involved in the incident have been ‘relieved of duty’ while administrative and criminal investigations are still in progress.
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Replaced!