2015/10/14

In an act of blatant indifference, a police union representative called the use of excessive force on a teenager an example of exemplary officer conduct.

A video has surfaced on Twitter this week showing a young man shrieking in pain as police officers handcuff him on Capitol Hill.

On Monday, October 12 police responded to a call regarding three men who were behaving suspiciously around a Citibank ATM at 600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

According to the cops, when they reached the location they found that the African-American teen and his friends “fit the description” of the persons described in the call.

Eighteen-year-old Jason Goolsby says he was standing outside the bank merely waiting to withdraw money from the ATM.

He had just held open the foyer door of the bank for a woman with a baby stroller when he saw police cars racing towards him.

He was nearly struck by one of them.

The victims said the police were called after people in the bank “felt uncomfortable.”

“We where approached because a white couple felt uncomfortable around me and my friend in the bank, this is how the police responded …”

In the video two white police officers are seen ,what can only be called, using excessive force.

They are seen twisting Jason’s arm behind his back as he squeals in pain.

A third police officer is heard telling the bystander who was filming the incident to stop.

Both the witness and the victim were handcuffed, although no charges were pressed.

The police remarked on the incident as follows:

The initial call was for a suspicious person, three subjects may be trying to rob people at the ATM. The location for the call was 6th St and Pennsylvania Ave SE. Officers in the area responded to the assignment. One individual fled on foot from the police, was chased, and then taken down. The individual resisted, and was handcuffed while resisting after he refused to stop. The person making the video was interfering with police, and was also detained while the incident was investigated. Neither individual was arrested.

Evidently, using an ATM while black is enough to labeled “suspicious” now.

Chair of the DC Police Union Delroy Burton says there is no cause for concern.

“Those officers did exactly what they were supposed to do,” he said.

The police say Goolsby was released after questioning and even though he was asked if he needed medical attention he chose to leave right after.

Video of this disturbing encounter went viral and at least two dozen protesters marched down Pennsylvania Avenue on Wednesday.

Burton was not pleased with the demonstrators holding placards that said “Justice for Jason”.
According to him, it was much ado about nothing.

Goolsby’s former high school teacher Erika Totten was also at the protest. She says is a classic case of fear of a black boy.

“[He was] one of the sweetest kids I’ve had the honor of teaching,” she added.

The college freshman is a music student at the University of the District of Columbia and is also a model.

Speaking of the incident he said: “[The officers] threw me on the ground. They never read me my rights after they handcuffed me. . . . They never apologized”.

Watch the video below: