Charges may be filed after video shows cop punching suspect
Published: July 1, 2009
Updated 4 months ago
The district attorney in Prince George’s County, MD, is considering filing charges against an officer after dashcam video shows the officer punching a suspect who was hesitant to get out of his car during a traffic stop.
Prince George’s County police are reviewing the actions of an officer who arrested a motorist on charges of slugging and tackling him during a traffic stop in Hyattsville. A police video of the encounter last year shows the officer yanking the man out of his car, slugging him twice and tackling him.
“Step out of the car now, or I’ll have you out of the car,” Cpl. Steven Jackson says after the motorist does not comply with three rapid-fire demands to exit the car.
“You yelling, but you have to give me a reason to step out of the car,” Shawn M. Leake, 24, replies.
Jackson opens the driver’s side door and pulls Leake out of the car. Almost immediately, Jackson makes a fist and slugs Leake in the face, then quickly slugs him again in the face, the video shows. Leake does not hit or appear to try to punch Jackson.
Fox News’ Megyn Kelly talked with defense attorney Mark Eiglarsh and Fox News legal analyst Mercedes Colwin about the case.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article mistakenly identified Prince George’s County as being located in Virginia; it is, in fact, located in Maryland. We apologize for the error.
This video is from Fox News’ America’s Newsroom, broadcast July 1, 2009.
Download video via RawReplay.com
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this is what 8 long years of thuggery has left in its wake. police officers who are not properly screened for psychiatric problems put out on the streets to “protect and serve” or is that to “beat and taser”?
Hey you fuckers: It’s Time To Begin The Riots.
Don’t trust the fucking pigs.
In CO if you try to get out of the car, the cops will tell you to stay put. I don’t understand why they tell you to get OUT of the car. That makes it possible for you to start a fight, or assault the cop FAR easier than if you were in the car.
How much do you want to bet that this cop is telling everyone that this guy tried to hit him first? This just proves my contention that we have hundreds, if not thousands of cops out there who have NO business being cops at all. THis guy should be taken out and given the same treatment he gives to others, fired and jailed. You can bet your ass that if ANY of us were out there doing this same kind of thing to anyone else, we would be in the slammer faster than a jackrabbit. But because it’s a cop, no charges will filed. Charges “MAY” be filed… yeah, right. This guy will get a two week vacation, and then back to business as usual.
So, if a cop feels endangered he can just slug you? BS. How dare that woman defending him call herself a legal analyst (especially for that sob story at the end where she is asking if they have to wait until they are shot first - with that argument maybe we should just shoot all traffic offenders immediately - ya know, just in case).
My father and uncle were both police officers for over 30 years in some tough times and towns and they would be appalled by that cop.
Sure, the guy was a d**k, but the cop took a cheap shot while the guy was getting out and then lied about it in the police report. Fire him now!
That event occured in PG County Maryland. Which, is the same county police that wrongfully raided the Berwyn Heights Mayor’s residence…shot and killed his two dogs…and offered no apology.
And just like this ef’d event with Corporal Freaktard…the county police cited department policy and stood behind the actions of unhinged violent SOBs.
And whoever that bag of hair was siding with the cop…I’d like to see how she fairs when faced with unwarranted police brutality.
Mercedes—This cop is a pussy. What legal basis do you pretend justifies this asshole starting to slug away on the driver of this car? The driver exited the vehicle, maybe with assistance, but the beating was purely a result of what this cop deemed to be “Contempt of Cop”! He’s going to teach the “boy” that when a cop says do something, he better damn well do it or a beating will result. This fat-ass little porker cop needs to have some street corner adjustment performed on him. And Mercedes needs to pull her Bush era head out of her ass!
Of course FAUX ‘NEWS’ didn’t talk to the prosecuter because they fully support crimes against America’s laws.
WHY IS THIS LINKED TO A FAUX CLIP?
We need to starve the a-holes and not link to them, watch or patronize places that show this tripe.
There must be other (local?!) stations that Raw can link to.
This is a consequence of the Bush-Cheney Eight Years of Shame.
Thuggery as patriotism.
More bad cops need to lose their jobs and even go to prison.
1) To teach the bad cops a much-needed lesson.
2) To give their colleagues something to think about before they abuse a member of the public.
3) To restore the public’s confidence that the police are NOT above the law.
It needs to be done.
And the present state of affairs is the direct result of having a fascist sneering chimp for preznit for eight years.
America needs to turn away from its headlong march toward becoming a Republican police state.
tmac87, is right. The only time to link to Faux News is to point to their lies.
I’m from Prince Georges County MD… the land of Geronimo Pratt… if you don’t know him the google his name. PG county cops are the worst criminals in the country and only rivaled by LAPD… They are all cowards in that they protect each of their criminal wrongdoings. All cops should do double the time and double the fine because they know better and they’re supposed to set an example. Just like you get a doubled fine and points when speeding through a construction zone.
All cops are criminals AND DON’T YOU EVER FUCKING FORGET IT!!!
I witnessed a coward PG county cop kick a guy in the balls after ordering him to “spread em” so he could frisk him. I saw a coward PG county cop turn away and leave instead of breaking up a fight where a black man was being beaten nearly to death. I witnessed a PG county cop speed through College Park at about 100 with no Dome light or siren then hiy someone from behind then lie after by claiming he had his siren going. I saw a coward PG county cop laugh after he shot someone and planted a gun on him. All of this happened between 40 and 20 years ago and if you think they’ve changed their ways then ur just fucking stupid!
Americans have more to fear from violent police than they do terrorists. Every day I read about another citizen-abuse case at the hands of some punk-assed bitch with a badge and a gun. Last time I read about any similar threat from Islam, was quite some time ago.
The threat is here, as it always has been, and it is very real. Eight years of Repiglican mouthbreathing has lead us further down this shitty trail. Thanks a lot, assholes: your “patriotism” has ruined my civil liberties.
And just think, this cop went ballistic on a citizen pulled over for a simple traffic violation. I suppose now this thug will claim he was in fear for his life or some other ludricous excuse. It’s becoming quite alarming that so many of these paid with taxpayer money thugs think their badge gives them the authority to attack citizens with impunity for any reason whatsoever. Now if a citizen were to defend themself from this type of unprovoked attack by anyone else, it would be considered justified and the other person would be arrested. But if a citizen even looks like they might be thinking about trying to defend themselves from an unprovoked attack by law enforcement, the citizen/victim is immediately arrested, jailed and charged with numerous crimes including assault.
The concept that law enforcement is here “to serve and protect” is looking more and more like “to enforce unquestioning submission and obeyance of authority or be crushed.”
On a related note, there was an article on Raw last year about police chiefs from around the country going overseas last September for training . Why are our law enforcement personnel being trained by foreigners?
Oh, and I agree with other commenters–BOYCOTT faux news.
I agree with a previous comment. I think 8 years of the most despotic, genuinely evil presidency in America’s history has given the go ahead for those in positions of authority to abuse the citizenry.
Bush, the neocon warmongers, and the Republican party deserve eternal damnation for their rotten-as-hell influence has done to this country.
Aren’t cops, prior to becoming cops, have to undergo some type of psych exam? Anger management class?
If not, they SHOULD be.
Only the best wear the badge. Only the best.
Spot on madtom, spot on. Cops keep doing things like this because they are enabled by their superiors their colleagues and the large chunk of American people that are ignorant of the world they live in. If they got prosecuted and/or not protected from their abuses you would see it drop considerably. I guarantee that they are told that as long as they keep their mouths shut, they will be protected. This happened over a year ago and we are now hearing that the prosecutor MAY file charges. Believe it or not, I’m more scared of police than criminals. Ask yourself, where do they get these people that are in the police. From the military and from the communities that we lived in. We are expected to believe that once these police officers get their uniforms, whatever problems they had are magically gone.
If we have hatred and intolerance and jealousy in our community, it will be in the police force same as in the military. The problem with the police is they want individuals that aren’t to bright and are willing to be cowed by peer pressure and do whatever it takes for their group to win (meaning the cops). Why else would somebody do what he did and others like him in broadview of a camera in the patrol car. And in some ways the higher ups like this because when the crap hits the fan, they can throw those officers under the bus.
I have said this time and time again, the Federal govt. has to use the RICO act against the police. It’s the most damaging way to break the code of silence. And at the same time the FBI needs to research reports and information about problems with corrupt police in areas and run investigations to trap the bad cops. This way, police will be in fear of doing anything illegal (just like the rest of us) when doing their job. Some pundits may say that it will diminish or stop police from doing their work. I say, fire them. If by following the law and doing what they are supposed to do is to much of a burden, then they should get a job somewhere else.
The job is dangerous, I agree. But in this country and others, the one person you can’t legally fight and be in the right is a cop and thats dangerous because there is no stipulation for if the cop is wanting to KILL or MAIM you.
This is the reason why cops don’t want you to carry a gun. You’d be able to defend yourself against these pigs with a badge. It’s also a good reason why you should always keep the door locked and only roll the window down a little bit. Also keep it in “drive”. If the cop tries to reach in and grab you, step on the gas. In court, use all the past out-of-control cop stories of cops beating motorists for no reason as your defense. You were in fear for your life from a cop who didn’t care if you lived or died.
How about not stopping people for minor infractions in the first place? It’s a War on the Citizenry. Cops go for tiny infractions if they think they can find something else and get a felony bust out of it. That’s how they are evaluated - not by how much they help people but by how many they can arrest and the more serious the better.
The real reason this cop went off? He was scared of the driver. Plain and simple, and then tried to use his “authority” knowing his partner was there armed and ready to back him up.
This pudgy little cop was frightened of the big bad black man. He’s damn lucky this big guy DIDN’T want to hurt his silly, lying ass. “Oh, he hit me first…huh,what, we’re on tape?”
This Mercedes character spouting gibberish: “see how close he is to the cop…?” yeah, we do, you brainless shithead: the cop was standing in the door opening, demanding the driver get out. If he wanted to BE SAFE, he could have backed away, put his hand on his weapon, asked to see hands, and told the driver to exit the vehicle. Like any one with an IQ over 80 might do.
But he WANTED a confrontation.
That this is what passes for “legal analysts” instead of more properly termed P.R. for the Police State, is exactly what ails msm.
The good news: the A.G. is looking at the cop as the criminal here. Correctly, it should be said.
The bad news: the P.G. County coppers are protecting one of their criminal gang of blue, as usual.
farang: born at Prince George’s County Hospital, 8/2/55.
I sure wish more DA’s would get serious about police brutality, police corruption, and police perjury.
ALL OF THESE THINGS are epidemics.
And most DA’s don’t have the balls to go after a cop.
Ya, lets demonize FOX like the true censoring liberals that we are! Well maybe if ABC, the new FOX for the new Bush, would report on this mad cop gone wild then Raw would link to them. Lets not go where the real news is lets be more like crooks and liars and censor out all the conservative’s comments and views!
Believe me I am no liberal and no lover of FOX News. I am an American that believes in truth and justice and I hate censorship. This cop deserves to be put in prison and made an example of to deter other cops from trying the same thing. A week ago or so a Chicago cop beat up a female bartender on video in the barroom and received only 2 years probation while he keeps his job! This Maryland cop probably saw that video and was encouraged by it. This is the wrong message to be sending. All cops are not criminals and all cops are not bad but when the bad ones get away with crime then the good cops get put on the endangered species list. Thank you RawStory and FOX for showing this video.
Remember when the police were required to Protect & Serve?
Can anyone tell me what happened?
This is the new face of the Police in America, thanks to cameras; without
which none of us would even be aware of the issue.
And now that we are aware, so what?
Knowledge doesn’t protect us from the same thing
happening us in our the once great Republic of America.
Haven’t you all heard about the new law that was passed without our knowledge or consent? The cops can now charge YOU with what THEY
Sorry. Meant to say the cops can now charge you with what they did!!
Doesn’t appear that his partner thought this was any sort of life threatening situation. He let’s the guy just whale on him while casually pulling up his pants. If he thought his partner was in any sort of danger, why didn’t he come to his aide immediately? Why is it that his partner is acting merely as an observer?
doctim11–How about not stopping people for minor infractions in the first place?…Cops go for tiny infractions if they think they can find something else and get a felony bust out of it.
****That’s how it works. Most people wanted for major crimes are caught just because they did something, one little thing, wrong. It’s called “Probable Cause”. ****
doctim11–That’s how they are evaluated - not by how much they help people but by how many they can arrest and the more serious the better.
****That’s just a part of it. In some departments it’s how good an ass-kisser you are.****
I love these FOX nazis–”There has to be some level of submission.” Oh, does there, you fucking bitch? That guy was right in not getting out of the car–if the cop wanted to give him a speeding ticket, or a ticket for a broken tail light, or whatever, then he should have just GIVEN HIM THE TICKET and sent him on his way. Otherwise, why are you stopping him? I hate the fucking cops….
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I agree with vooter, if this was a typical traffic stop then you handle it like all traffic stops, through the window, and if the arresting officer had reason to arrest this person and believe they were dangerous it’d make sense to order the man out of his car from the rear of the vehicle or the safety of the squad car
if I had to guess though this officer wanted to bully this driver and was shocked and disappointed the driver would want to ask for an explaination from the officer regarding his orders; in the end the officer used violence to assert he was in control of the situation instead of mediating through a calm verbal exchange
I was pleasantly surprised that no one seemed to think that the cop was acting correctly. Usually when something like this happens, e.g., the cop who beat the living daylights out of the handcuffed girl in Washington, the cop who shot the guy lying face down on the metro platform in CA, there is someone who tries to excuse their behavior. Maybe the public is starting to realize that they, too, are at risk from this behavior, not just the “criminals.”