A video of a Barstow Police Department officer beating a Black man named Gary Christian during what looks like an arrest has gone viral, causing anger and criticism of the police department on social media
The man in the video is 43 years old and was wanted on Main Street for a felony warrant related to a probation violation. Here is more you need to know about it.
Police officer uses baton during arrest of Gary Christian: Video of incident goes viral
The event happened on Friday, and TMZ was the first website to post the tape. In the video, a police officer gives Gary Christian an order before using a baton to hit him. After the cop has taken four swings, his coworkers stop him. The man is then handcuffed and taken to the EMTs for a checkup before being put in a police car and driven away.
In a statement, the Barstow Police Department said that the officer tried to arrest Gary Christian, but Christian struck the officer twice. The department also said that before using the stick, the officer tried to taser Christian but failed. The man was then taken to a hospital for minor injuries to his leg. After that, he was put into the High Desert Detention Centre by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
Twitter users criticize police handling of Gary Christian’s arrest
People are angry about what happened on Twitter, and many of them are upset with how the cops handled the situation. Some users have said that the cops target people based on their race and use too much force, like in this case of Gary Christian.
“Look like his hands are in the air, don’t that give you a sign of submission,” one Twitter user commented. “Today’s April 29th too. Anniversary of the King verdict and riots. That plainclothed cop pulled up between the camera and the incident. That was no coincidence,” another user added.
“Until black people realise that most white people use us as cheap labor or a way of releasing hidden urges to belittle us, we will continue to suffer,” a third user tweeted.
Controversial arrest of Gary Christian sparks calls for police reform
The event has also made people wonder about how police officers use force, especially against people of colour. Many people have called for police change because of how police departments all over the country have dealt with situations involving Black people.
The Barstow Police Department hasn’t said anything else about the event yet, and it’s not clear if the officer involved will be punished in any way.
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