Officer’s Body Cam Shows Excessive Force (Video)

After officials in Greensboro, North Carolina, released body camera footage on Sept. 26 showing an officer using excessive force against a civilian who was sitting on a porch, city council members unanimously voted to permanently suspend the officer’s law enforcement certification (video below).

The videos in question were taken on June 17, when officer Travis Cole and another officer responded to a possible breaking and entering call, reports WGHP. The footage shows the suspect, Dejuan Yourse, sitting on his mother’s porch, saying that he was locked out and waiting for her to come home.

The officers wait with Yourse for some time while Cole asks questions. Eventually, Yourse takes out his phone and makes a call, saying that the police are harassing him, when Cole grabs his phone, hits him and wrestles him to the ground.

“I’m not resisting,” Yourse yells several times, while Cole continues to use force on him.

Police now describe the incident as one in which the officer used excessive force.

“I wouldn’t dare as a chief tell anyone this kind of thing never happens,” said Greensboro Police Chief Wayne Scott. “We have around 900 employees, over 680 sworn police officers on any given day getting dozens and dozens of calls and interactions. But what they can be assured of is we take this very serious.”

Cole resigned from the Greensboro Police department in August when the investigation began. But since the charges were dropped upon his resignation, he would have still been eligible to work for other police departments, if his certification was not suspended.

“Well, it’s horrible!” said Greensboro City Councilman Mike Barber. “And I say this as a white male representative.”

Though a new state law goes into effect Oct. 1 requiring a court order to release police footage, Mayor Nancy Vaughan said that the city will strive to be transparent with the public, notes WFMY.

At the meeting, Vaughan and the other council members apologized to Yourse, who was also in attendance. Yourse thanked the crowd for their support, and Councilwoman Sharon Hightower moved to expunge the assault charges from Yourse’s record.

Warning: the video below contains violence and strong language.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3enwhRfmM4

Sources: WGHP, WFMY, Glob44/YouTube / Photo credit: Glob44/YouTube