In a series of two videos, news helicopters captured harrowing footage of police brutality on Wednesday evening. The above clip shows the conclusion of a car chase — which lasted about an hour, beginning in Massachusetts and ending in New Hampshire — with a suspect exiting his vehicle. The man does not draw a weapon or appear to threaten law enforcement as he sinks to his knees. The swarm of approaching officers immediately pummels the suspect for several moments before cuffing and taking him into custody. As this footage gains national attention, New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan calls for an internal review of this situation, which raises “serious concerns.”
Curiously, this incident arrives as FBI Director James Comey expressed his own concerns that a “viral video effect” discourages police from confronting suspects because they fear landing on the internet. Still, these incidents continue, and regular installments of such brutality continue to surface throughout the country and even in jails, where a suspect clearly has no ability to threaten police. These officers must realize how dash cams, news cameras, and other methods of surveillance capture their actions, but this knowledge does not appear to deter the brutality.
This second video shows part of the chase footage and a closer view for anyone who doubts the finer details of the situation.
(Via WXFT Fox Boston and New York Times)