A video taken over the weekend at Shamrock The Block in Shockoe Bottom is getting a lot of hits online and starting a discussion about whether or not Richmond police used excessive force in quelling the violence. Check out the video in question below:
The eight-minute video begins with police attempting to arrest an out-of-control male reveller clad only in a pair of green boxer shorts. While this man offers some resistance, things don't really get crazy until another man, evidently a friend of the man in boxer shorts, begins arguing with one of the police arresting him (2:23). When the police officer pushes the second man away, he fights back, taking a swing at the officer as he's being held against a wall (2:48, as seen below).
Multiple police officers then bring the man down to the ground--and this is where it gets really crazy. Somehow, during the struggle on the ground, the man manages to flip the police officer over onto his back, and begins holding the officer down and punching him (3:!5, as seen below).
The man gets back to his feet and continues fighting with officers for nearly another minute before he is eventually subdued. After being brought to the ground and handcuffed, officers begin to let the man get back up (5:58), only to have him start to fight back again, at which point they have to subdue him once more. While this is going on, he repeatedly yells "Police brutality," alternated with swearing and abuse directed at the officers. But he seems to be OK, as you can see below:
In a post on the Richmond Police Department's facebook wall, Police Operations Area 1 Manager Scott Booth stated: "Though I cannot comment on the specifics of this incident, the public should rest assured that our officers are well-trained and that all use of force incidents are reviewed by Department supervisors to ensure the officers acted appropriately." A department spokesperson also explained that five arrests had been made at Shamrock The Block on Saturday, four in connection with the incident on the video. "Of those four arrests, three were for drunk and disorderly and one was for obstruction of justice," the RPD explained.
So what do you think? Was this excessive force on the department's fault? We at RVA Magazine have watched the video, and on the whole, we don't think so. Police can require members of the public to remain at a reasonable distance from them while they are carrying out arrests, and the entire altercation started because the man objecting to his companion's arrest did not do that. Everything that happened afterward was the result of his decision to fight back against the officer trying to restrain him, and he did not appear to have been seriously injured by the police during his arrest. However, we recognize that opinions may be varied on the subject. So what do you think? Let us know in the comments.