Update 9/17/2020 5:00 PM EST:
Atlanta native and father of four Roderick Walker, was recently subjected to a disturbing arrest by Clayton County Sheriff’s deputies. The 26-year-old Black man that was detained and beaten on video has been granted bond on Thursday. Walker is expected to be released from the Fulton County Jail relatively soon.
What We Know:
- More information on the incident was revealed on Thursday, such as what the police had to say about what happened during Walker’s arrest. The incident report obtained by CBS46 states that the confrontation started from a normal traffic stop.
- They asked Walker, who was riding in the passenger seat, for identification due to the fact he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. Things escalated when Walker refused to identify himself, claiming he didn’t need to provide I.D since he wasn’t the one driving the vehicle.
- They later proceeded to ask Walker to step out of the car with the intent to arrest him until the officers identified him. The deputies collectively stated that when they went to handcuff Walker, he took off on foot. Following a brief chase, the failure to apprehend him a second time resulted in the use of a stun gun. Bystander video footage then revealed the beating that took place after Walker allegedly continued to resist.
- Some of the deputies involved in the incident have been named in the latest reports, such as Deputies Dekota Riddick and Brandon Myers. Another officer has been fired for being the one using excessive force. The Clayton County Sheriff’s Office has not yet released this officer’s identity.
- After being taken into custody, Walker was bonded out of Clayton County Jail and later transferred to Fulton County jail on accusations of probation violations including first-degree cruelty to children and firearm possession by a convicted felon.
- The sheriff’s office stated last Friday that it immediately launched an internal investigation that is currently ongoing. Clayton County District Attorney Tasha Mosley confirmed earlier this week that her office is investigating the incident.
- The statuses of the deputies and a third officer remain unclear and the sheriff’s office said there is no bodycam or dashcam video of the event.
According to local news affiliate 11Alive, a report earlier this week noted Walker’s attorney Torris Butterfield is now working on Walker getting released from Fulton County Jail in order to be fully examined by medical specialists on his injuries. Walker currently has an emergency bond hearing in Fulton County scheduled for next Tuesday, Sept. 22nd
Original Story published 9/14/2020 10:00 PM EST:
Clayton County, in the state of Georgia, is the next area under fire for police-related incidents. A sheriff’s deputy was fired over the weekend for his display of “excessive use of force” after detaining a Black man and repeatedly beating him. The victim’s identity was late revealed by his attorneys as Roderick Walker, an Atlanta native and father of four children.
What We Know:
- According to a statement by the sheriff’s office, “the Deputy who repeatedly struck Roderick Walker is being terminated from the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office by order of Sheriff Victor Hill for excessive use of force.”
- An investigation launched immediately after videos of the encounter on Saturday started circulating on social media. The sheriff’s office stated they were made aware of an incident involving a “Deputy using physical force on a man”. Shortly after, the deputy was placed on administrative leave on Saturday and consequently fired on Sunday.
- As of late, officials have not shared the identity of the former deputy, nor any other officer involved in the recorded event. The sheriff’s office also stated Monday that the criminal investigation of this account of police brutality will be turned over and handled by the Clayton County District Attorney’s Office moving forward.
- Videos shared on social media over the weekend show Walker being pinned to the ground by two officers while they attempt to arrest him during an incident on Friday. One of the officers is seen punching him in the face several times, causing Walker to bleed from his face. He also appears to lose consciousness at one point.
- One video acquired by TMZ showed the moment a woman, who was later said to be Walker’s girlfriend, begged the officers to stop beating her boyfriend. “Get off him,” the woman is heard shouting at the officers. “Officer, he said he can’t breathe,” the woman says repeatedly.
- Another video, that was harder to come by, allegedly showed another angle where Walker’s child is seen running around him as he was pinned down by officers. He was later heard shouting “Daddy! Daddy!” from the backseat of a vehicle.
- Local news reports stated the incident was located just in front of the Georgia Department of Public Health in Clayton County. According to Walker’s attorney Shean Williams, he is currently being held in jail and was arrested on two counts of battery and obstructing law enforcement officers each.
Gerald A. Griggs, an attorney with the Georgia NAACP, tweeted imagery such as the injuries to Walker’s face. The sheriff’s office has said that Walker has received the proper medical treatment since the incident and suffered nothing more than moderate bruising. Calls for protest outside Clayton County Jail have happened since Sunday.
