Footage of police beating an innocent basketball fan unconscious as he was celebrating a win by his college team has sent shockwaves through America.





University of Maryland student John McKenna was attacked after their victory over arch rivals Duke.

CCTV pictures show him skipping down the street waving his arms in joy.
He is then approached by police on horseback who stand over him before other cops in riot gear swoop and start hitting him with their batons.

Police initially claimed Mr McKenna had attacked their officers and horses, causing them "minor injuries", as they responded to reports of trouble after the game.

But the footage clearly shows he never struck out - and even tried to back away when confronted.

The FBI is now investigating the incident which left the 21-year-old needing eight staples to repair a head wound.

He was also allegedly told by officers in Maryland not to make a fuss about his injuries because they would have to fill out more paperwork.

Mr McKenna was arrested and placed in the back of a police van before being taken to hospital.

Charges against him have since been dropped and police chief Roberto Hylton has suspended one officer.

He said: "I was outraged. I was very disappointed at the conduct that I saw on the part of my officers on the video tape."

Mr McKenna's family said in a statement: "Some of these characters ought to go to jail, some ought to be booted off the force.

"The remainder should be properly trained to discover that force is not always necessary, and brutality is always wrong."

Americans are already drawing comparisons with the beating of a black man, Rodney King, in Los Angeles in 1991.

The officers accused of that incident were acquitted by a jury, sparking riots across the city which left 53 people dead.


SKY

The widely publicized beating of an unarmed University of Maryland student by members of the Prince George's, Md. County Police Department following a Maryland-Duke basketball game likely didn't surprise anyone who's followed that particular suburban Washington police force over the years.

For the PG County police have earned a reputation for administering beatings to unarmed and innocent citizens and sometimes even shooting them to death.

The practices by the county's police department were deemed so illegal that the Bush Administration's Justice Department sued the county and won court-approved oversight of the police department. Justice Department supervision clearly didn't solve all the problems in that force.

There've been so many brutality cases against the department that John J. McKenna, the 21-year old student who the police said had attacked them as well as police horses, charges proved false by a video, had no trouble finding a lawyer with abundant experience in such cases. Attorney Terrell N. Roberts III was profiled by the Washington Post in 2003.

The modus operandi in the McKenna beating follows a common pattern. A cop or cops beat a victim, then charge him with assaulting them only to have prosecutors drop the charges when a video emerges or the evidence fails to fit the "facts" alleged by the police.

Just days after the McKenna beating, in fact, the county settled a police brutality case for $125,000 in which a man was pepper sprayed and assaulted by police for no apparent reason.


NPR

Originally Posted by Ninastar (Post 3165342) omfg do you know where about it maryland it was?

Originally Posted by Ninastar (Post 3165342) omfg do you know where about it maryland it was?

Originally Posted by Shasown (Post 3165539) It happened at the University of Maryland’s College Park campus, which is located Northeats of Washington and due east of Silver Spring and Bethseda http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&...-8&sa=N&tab=wl

Originally Posted by Ninastar (Post 3165567) OMFG! That link even has showed the area where I went to school and the neighborhood I lived in! I didnt know it was that close!

Originally Posted by GypsyGoth (Post 3165601) Wow, how long did you live in the states?

Originally Posted by Mrluvaluva (Post 3165298) Footage of police beating an innocent basketball fan unconscious as he was celebrating a win by his college team has sent shockwaves through America. Youtube video University of Maryland student John McKenna was attacked after their victory over arch rivals Duke. CCTV pictures show him skipping down the street waving his arms in joy. He is then approached by police on horseback who stand over him before other cops in riot gear swoop and start hitting him with their batons. Police initially claimed Mr McKenna had attacked their officers and horses, causing them "minor injuries", as they responded to reports of trouble after the game. But the footage clearly shows he never struck out - and even tried to back away when confronted. The FBI is now investigating the incident which left the 21-year-old needing eight staples to repair a head wound. He was also allegedly told by officers in Maryland not to make a fuss about his injuries because they would have to fill out more paperwork. Mr McKenna was arrested and placed in the back of a police van before being taken to hospital. Charges against him have since been dropped and police chief Roberto Hylton has suspended one officer. He said: "I was outraged. I was very disappointed at the conduct that I saw on the part of my officers on the video tape." Mr McKenna's family said in a statement: "Some of these characters ought to go to jail, some ought to be booted off the force. "The remainder should be properly trained to discover that force is not always necessary, and brutality is always wrong." Americans are already drawing comparisons with the beating of a black man, Rodney King, in Los Angeles in 1991. The officers accused of that incident were acquitted by a jury, sparking riots across the city which left 53 people dead. SKY

Originally Posted by Ninastar (Post 3165634) 7 years lol. I really miss it. I think i have to go back in 2 years. I dont want to leave though :'(

Originally Posted by Jack_ (Post 3165319) Jobsworth ******s abusing their power. The guy should be given the opportunity to do the same to them. Makes me sick.

Originally Posted by GypsyGoth (Post 3165693) Why do you have to leave?

Originally Posted by Ninastar (Post 3165703) My dad is at the highest point he can go in his work and he has a contract to stay for another 2 years and thats it. I was meant to be leaving this year but he managed to stay another 2 years so its all good for now.

Originally Posted by GypsyGoth (Post 3165710) Is your dad american? My dads mom was from texas, I think she originally came from mexico.

Originally Posted by arista (Post 3165648) Typical Corrupt Yank Cops tried to force the student to shut up. But the Magic of a Video gets them Sacked This was also on Fox News USA and CNN. Bloated BBC can not be bothered.