Baltimore cop charged with felony assault after video featuring brutal beatdown goes viral

The Baltimore cop who resigned from the force after beating a man on a Baltimore city sidewalk is being charged with felony assault.

What's the background?

Video footage of a Baltimore police officer punching and restraining a man went viral over the weekend.

The video, which was filmed on Saturday, showed a police officer — identified as Arthur Williams — speaking to a man on a sidewalk while another officer spoke to two other men nearby.

What immediately led up to the scuffle is unclear in the video, but the man — identified as 26-year-old Dashawn McGrier — can be heard shouting, “For what?” and shortly after, “Don’t touch me!”

Williams can then be seen launching an attack on McGrier, punching him repeatedly.

The confrontation escalated, and Williams — after landing several blows to the McGrier’s body, as well as his head — eventually wound up pinning McGrier to the ground.

McGrier cannot be seen returning any punches in the video.

The second officer on the scene does not appear to actively make an attempt to stop Williams from attacking McGrier. According to the department, the second officer has been placed on administrative duties and off patrol.

TW: Police Violence

This is a video of the @BaltimorePolice reported to be from earlier today.

And this is why folks don’t have any faith in the police. @MayorPugh50, what’s your response to this? What is happening with the consent decree? pic.twitter.com/yABsCZDEmq

— deray (@deray) August 11, 2018

The Baltimore Sun reported that the incident occurred after the two officers stopped McGrier for an undetermined reason but let him go. The officers reportedly approached McGrier a second time to give him a citizen contact sheet.

“When he was asked for his identification, the situation escalated when he refused,” the department said in a statement. “The police officer then struck the man several times.”

What happened to the officer?

Williams resigned from his position after the video went viral.

Gary Tuggle, the Baltimore Police Department’s interim commissioner, accepted Williams' resignation on Sunday. In a statement, Tuggle said that the incident left him “deeply disturbed.”

In a Sunday tweet, the Baltimore police wrote, “The officer involved in yesterday’s incident is no longer with the BPD. Interim Commissioner Tuggle has accepted his resignation. The second officer remains on administrative duties. This remains an active criminal investigation.”

UPDATE:

The officer involved in yesterday’s incident is no longer with the BPD. Interim Commissioner Tuggle has accepted his resignation. The second officer remains on administrative duties. This remains an active criminal investigation.

— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) August 13, 2018

You can read more about the background on the incident here.

What's happening now?

On Tuesday, Marilyn Mosby — Baltimore's state attorney — announced that Williams had been charged with first-degree felony assault, second-degree misdemeanor assault, and misconduct in office.

The Baltimore Sun reported that Williams turned himself in after his resignation.

In a statement, Mosby said:

It is important that the community knows there is one standard of justice, no matter your sex, race religion, or occupation. Police Officers are sworn to protect and serve and when that oath is taken for granted and an abuse of that power is evident, we will hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law. This is an integral part to rebuilding trust in our criminal justice system.