View Single Post
Old 01-27-2017, 08:07 PM   #334
Andrea
Senior Member

How Do You Identify?:
Mature Femme
Preferred Pronoun?:
Her/She
Relationship Status:
I heart Rene
 
Andrea's Avatar
 

Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: California
Posts: 3,755
Thanks: 15,427
Thanked 15,248 Times in 3,064 Posts
Rep Power: 21474852
Andrea Has the BEST ReputationAndrea Has the BEST ReputationAndrea Has the BEST ReputationAndrea Has the BEST ReputationAndrea Has the BEST ReputationAndrea Has the BEST ReputationAndrea Has the BEST ReputationAndrea Has the BEST ReputationAndrea Has the BEST ReputationAndrea Has the BEST ReputationAndrea Has the BEST Reputation
Default

Phoenix police release body-camera footage of man's death in custody; sister calls for justice

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2017/01/26/phoenix-police-release-body-cam-footage-mans-death-custody-sister-calls-justice-muhammad-abdul-muhaymin/97111164/?hootPostID=6ae2012e930da0ddf61697d99d1c7fce

Phoenix police on Thursday released body-camera footage that captured the moments before the in-custody death of a transient man earlier this month.

The release came as the sister of Muhammad Abdul Muhaymin and a handful of activists gathered at Phoenix police headquarters to call for justice in his death.

Muhaymin, 43, was pronounced dead at the hospital on Jan. 4, just after he had gone into “medical distress” after being restrained by officers at a west Phoenix community center.

The footage is raw; laced with profanity, shaky, and emotionally jarring to watch. But the video and other body-camera recordings are increasingly offering the public a window into critical police encounters only witnessed by bystanders in previous generations.

Phoenix police body-camera footage from Jan. 4, 2017, of the situation involving Muhammad Muhaymin at the Maryvale Community Center. azcentral.com

Police initially were called to Maryvale Community Center on a report that Muhaymin had been acting erratically. A caller to police said that Muhaymin had pushed an employee at the center, but later information revealed that the employee had blocked Muhaymin's way into the restroom and the two bumped into each other.

Officers are heard telling Muhaymin there was a warrant for his arrest, and ordering him to put down his small dog, which was in his arms. This appears to upset Muhaymin, and visuals become more difficult to follow as officers appear to wrestle him to the ground.

“Now you’re going to be going for a felony now, dumb---,” one officer remarks.

Muhaymin can be heard wailing and appears to be struggling as the officers attempt to restrain him.

“I cannot believe this,” Muhaymin says after he appears to have been carried out to a police car. It is at this point that more police arrive for backup.

On the day of Muhaymin's death, a police spokesman said officers were forced to use two sets of handcuffs to bind his arms behind his back. Still, he managed to bring his hands over his head so his arms were in front.

In the video, police continue to struggle with Muhaymin outside of the car until it becomes apparent that he is unresponsive. The officers then attempt to resuscitate him and call for an ambulance.

Video released as police investigation continues

In a written statement, Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams explained the decision to release the video.

“In keeping with the spirit of transparency and positive communication with our community and our employees, we are releasing the body worn camera footage obtained during our contact with Mr. Muhammad Muhaymin from January 4th.

“This investigation remains active. We have a duty to protect the integrity of the investigation, however, in this particular case, we do not believe the release of the body worn camera video will jeopardize our ability to complete a thorough and accurate investigation.

"As with any critical incident, we will always review and learn from what has transpired.”

As with other law-enforcement documents, the release of body-cam footage is often a tightrope walk between police transparency and protecting privacy and ongoing investigations.

Police spokesman Sgt. Jonathan Howard said Phoenix police largely follow the guidance of written public-records policies, like redacting personal information such as an individual’s phone or Social Security number.

In the video, several of the witnesses’ faces are blurred, and personal information is muted.

Policy also allows a more subjective public-records exception for “information that by its very nature is so gross, demeaning, biased, or sensitive that it would do irreparable harm to innocent persons or their character if released.”

Police appear to have tapped into this portion of policy and redacted certain portions of footage when Muhaymin had vomited, shortly before his death.

'He was a good person, and this should never have happened'

Mussallina Muhaymin, Muhaymin’s sister and legal guardian, spoke to reporters about her brother Thursday morning outside of police headquarters in downtown Phoenix.

Mussallina Muhaymin, flanked by her attorney and civil-rights activists from Black Lives Matter Phoenix, called for justice for her brother.

“He was a person,” she said, stressing the word “person.” “A person that was well loved, and well established in the community of Maryvale. He was a good person, and this should never have happened.”

Mussallina Muhaymin’s attorney, David Chami, said the family is still seeking answers in the case and still considering legal options.

A Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office representative said the official cause and manner of death in Muhaymin’s case is still pending.

Chami said Muhaymin’s arrest warrant was for failure to appear in a Mesa case involving possession of drug paraphernalia.

10 officers involved in the confrontation

Phoenix police on Thursday released the names of the officers involved in the incident, in order of their moment of contact: Oswald Grenier, 17 years experience; Jason Hobel, 17 years experience; Ronaldo Canilao, 15 years experience; David Head, 21 years experience; Susan Heimbigner, 20 years experience; Kevin McGowan, 19 years experience; James Clark, 23 years experience; Dennis Leroux, 14 years experience; Ryan Nielsen, 12 years experience; Steven Wong, 16 years experience.

Criminal and internal investigations for all of the involved officers are ongoing, Howard said. All were placed on administrative leave and now are back on duty.

At least one of the officers has been accused of excessive force before.

McGowan was fired by then-Phoenix Police Chief Joe Yahner after an incident in which surveillance footage showed him stomping on a teenage suspect who had already surrendered. The incident knocked out three of the suspect’s teeth.

But in August 2015, four months after he was fired, McGowan was reinstated by the city’s Civil Service Board. He was reassigned to the patrol division the next day.
__________________
I am very spoiled!

What we think about and thank about, we bring about!

Today I will treat my body with love and respect.
Andrea is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Andrea For This Useful Post: