Crossing the street in a manner deemed "illegal" by the state can and will get you beaten, shot, kidnapped, caged, and even killed. Body Camera footage was released earlier illustrating this dangerous reality. The video shows one police officer restraining a man down while another officer repeatedly punches him in the head after they confronted him for the "crime" of jaywalking. Last month,
the citizens of Asheville shelled out $650,000 because of the actions of these officers and now, police are being trained to prevent similar scenarios from playing out in the future.
According to the settlement and release agreement, Asheville will pay a total of $650,000 to Rush and his attorneys. The victim, Johnnie Rush will receive $342,500, which will be paid out in periodic payments. Ferguson Chambers & Sumter, P.A. is set to receive $307,500, according to WLOS.
This week, the Asheville City Council announced that they will be training police officers to stop incidents in which their fellow officers lose control. However, some say it doesn't go far enough.
"APD has updated and revised its Early Intervention System policy. This policy establishes guidelines for a Personnel Early Intervention System (EIS), a pro-active, non-disciplinary system that seeks to identify and positively influence conduct or
performance related problems exhibited by individual employees," Interim City Manager Cathy Ball said.
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