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.
Shit like this still happens everywhere. This happened today in #Atlanta in #ClaytonCounty. There no reason they needed to handle this man like this at all. #Fuck12 #BLM #ChangeTheSystem pic.twitter.com/i7BarNkeI4
— Korey Epps (@HardKBBM) September 12, 2020
- 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.
