The Washington County Police Division in North Carolina fired a sheriff’s deputy after mobile phone video footage caught the deputy inserting his knee on the neck of a Black man, WITN reviews.
Deputy Aaron Edwards arrested Gary Thomas for marijuana possession. The video, captured by Thomas’ girlfriend, exhibits the scenario swiftly escalated right into a violent altercation when Edwards put his knee on Thomas’ neck earlier than dragging the person’s limp physique inside a courthouse, in accordance to The Huffington Submit.
The police division terminated Edwards on Tuesday, mentioned Washington County Supervisor Curtis Potter to WITN.
An inside investigation and a evaluation of the deputy’s physique digital camera, safety footage, and eye witness accounts led to Edwards firing, mentioned Sheriff Johnny Barnes.
Sheriff Johnny Barnes’ Fb publish learn, “On March 2 2022, this workplace acquired a criticism in opposition to one of many Sheriff’s Workplace Deputies for extreme drive in opposition to an arrestee. This workplace takes these complaints significantly, and we investigated the incident to the fullest extent doable. Because of this , and together with the District Attorneys Workplace, The SBI has been known as in to deal with any felony involvement and people findings will probably be forwarded to the District Legal professional’s Workplace for his willpower. On account of the Sheriff’s Workplace Inner Investigation, and after reviewing all physique digital camera and safety footage together with interviews of these concerned. The Sheriff’s Workplace has terminated the Deputy concerned.”
The publish additionally disclosed that District Legal professional Seth Edwards and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation would decide if they’d carry up felony prices in opposition to the deputy, in response to WITN.
