3 Disturbing Questions Concerning This Video of an Officer Drop-Kicking a Black Man In the Face
May 08, 2015 | 11:31AM ETNews & Politics
Everything about this video is wrong, awful, illegal, and disgusting. That's Lateef Dickerson on his hands and knees in front of Dover, Delaware, police officers.
Suddenly, Officer Thomas Webster, like an NFL punter, unloads a kick on Lateef's face, knocks him out cold, and breaks his jaw. The video is disturbing. Below it, though, I'll raise three questions that show just how broken the system truly is that allowed this assault to happen.
1. This video was filmed almost two years ago. The police refused to release it. It was only released after the ACLU filed multiple lawsuits and a federal judge forced them to release it.
What sincere justification exists for concealing this video for two years?
2. In March of 2014 a grand jury declined to indict Officer Webster for any crime whatsoever.
Did this grand jury see the video that we see now? If not, why? If so, how in the world could they not have indicted Webster for assault?
3. Even with the video, Officer Webster almost escaped justice for this crime. Nonetheless, it's clear that the video is the only reason new charges were filed and Webster was arrested.
What national standards need to be in place concerning law enforcement videos such that departments are not able to conceal them for years at a time? Had this video been released immediately, the officer would've likely been arrested immediately.
