A former North Carolina police officer has been arraigned on charges after body camera footage showed him beating a man suspected of jaywalking.
According to CBS affiliate WSPA, ex-Asheville Police Department officer Christopher William Hickman was charged late Thursday with assault by strangulation, assault inflicting serious injury, and communication threats following body camera footage that was leaked to the Asheville Citizens-Times newspaper.
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The body camera footage allegedly shows Hickman stopping 33-year-old Johnnie Jermaine Rush for jaywalking on Aug. 24, 2017. Hickman first told a trainee to write Rush a ticket, but then he proceeded to put Rush’s hands behind his back. When Rush attempted to run after complaining that Hickman had nothing better to do than “harass somebody” for walking, Hickman tackled Rush to the ground and repeatedly punched him. He also struck him and shocked him with a stun gun and put him in a chokehold, CBS News reports.
The incident reportedly left Rush with abrasions and swelling to his head. He lost consciousness when Hickman put him in a chokehold. He was charged with impeding traffic and resisting arrest, but the charges were dropped.
The Asheville Police chief immediately put Hickman on desk duty following the beating after the police department received a use of force complaint, and Hickman resigned in January after an internal investigation determined that he should be fired. Hickman was not arrested until the video leaked and sparked outrage in the community.
The DA’s office says it chose not to file charges in September so the investigation could continue. In December, police returned with three new videos related to officer Hickman’s use of force.
The city of Asheville has since filed a petition with the court to release the body camera footage to the public. The city has also voted in a specially called meeting to release the personnel file of Officer Hickman.
Hickman is next set to appear in court on April 2.
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