Power is a funny thing. According to The Baltimore Sun, Dashawn McGrier was the victim of one police officer's power trip, which led to McGrier being taken to the hospital. A video of 26-year-old McGrier being attacked by Officer Arthur Williams went viral, causing the latter to be suspended with pay by the Baltimore Police Department.
In the video, McGrier can be seen being pushed up against a wall by Williams while his partner watches. Williams and McGrier are in a heated argument and the officer places his hand on McGrier's chest. He immediately pushes the officer's hand off of him, at which point Williams begins to punch McGrier into submission. McGrier very smartly refuses to fight back, and Williams punches him several times before tackling him to the ground.
Attorney Warren Brown, who is representing McGrier, stated that witnesses saw Williams drive past his client. The officer then circled back and exited his vehicle, choosing to confront McGrier for no specific reason. The officers let McGrier go at first, but then came back to press him for identification. After refusing to hand over his ID, citing a violation of rights since he wasn't be arrested or charged with anything. That's when the situation escalated.
The two were involved in another altercation earlier this year, which led to McGrier being charged with assaulting the officer, disorderly conduct, obstructing and hindering, and resisting arrest. Brown claims Williams targeted his client then, just like he did when he assaulted him in the viral video. “It seems like this officer had just decided that Dashawn was going to be his punching bag,” Brown stated. “And this was a brutal attack that was degrading and demeaning to my client, to that community, and to the police department.” An investigation has been opened, and Interim Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle has stated that he is “deeply disturbed” by the video. “While I have an expectation that officers are out of their cars, on foot, and engaging citizens, I expect that it will be done professionally and constitutionally,” he stated. “I have zero tolerance for behavior like I witnessed on the video today. Officers have a responsibility and duty to control their emotions in the most stressful of situations.”