Police fired after beating black people in Georgia

New York. A police officer repeatedly hit a black man at a traffic stop in Georgia. The deputy sheriff has been fired for excessive use of violence that was taped, the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office reported Sunday. The police officer is under investigation.

The 26-year-old black Roderick Walker was arrested and beaten after officials checked the car on Friday and allegedly found a broken taillight, Walker’s attorney Shean Williams said on Sunday. In the car were Walker, his girlfriend, their five-month-old baby and Walker’s stepson, as well as a black driver who brought the family home after they had handed in a rental car. The officers asked for Walker’s ID and told him to get out after Walker questioned why he had to ID when he wasn’t driving.

Family in the car witnessed the violent arrest

The subsequent arrest was videotaped by a passerby. It shows how two officers are on the walker lying on the ground and one of them repeatedly hits him. Walker’s girlfriend screams and calls out to officers that Walker cannot breathe. A child in the car calls out “Papa”. While Walker is being handcuffed, the beating officer tells the passerby that Walker bit him. This denies this according to his lawyer. In a photo taken in prison, there is a large bump under Walker’s left eye.

According to the sheriff’s office, a request for Walker’s bail release has been denied due to a pending arrest warrant. He therefore received medical care.

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