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Authorities charge 2 police officers with felony assault following 'brutal beating' of black male
Image source: WAKA-TV video screenshot

Authorities charge 2 police officers with felony assault following 'brutal beating' of black male

'What did I do?'

Authorities have charged two Alabama police officers in the "brutal beating" of an unnamed black male who was reportedly involved in a traffic incident with one of the officers' wives.

The alleged assault took place on April 30 after Selma police Detective Matthew Blaine Till's wife reportedly engaged the unnamed black male in Selma.

Till was fired shortly after the April incident, and Dallas County Sheriff's Deputy John Nicholas Taccone no longer works with the sheriff's office, according to reports.

What are the details?

On Wednesday, Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson announced felony assault charges against Till and Taccone.

A grand jury indicted Till and Taccone on charges of felony second-degree assault, unlawful imprisonment, and obstructing governmental operations.

According to court documents, Till's wife and the unnamed male were involved in an undisclosed traffic incident leading up to the brutal April assault.

Till's wife reportedly phoned her husband and told him that she had been involved in an incident with a "black guy in a red Charger."

Till and Taccone — who were on duty at the time — drove to the scene and demanded the man get out of his vehicle.

According to reports, Till managed to partially handcuff the male when a struggle took place and Till reportedly pulled a gun on the male.

'What did I do?'

Jackson said, "Till pulls out a gun and says he's going to kill him. They Tased him multiple times, threw him to the ground, and were punching and kicking him. It was a brutal beating."

Throughout the attack, Jackson said the victim repeatedly cried, "What did I do?"

The victim was able to flee the scene in his vehicle, but crashed a short time after.

He was picked up and transported to the Selma police station, where authorities reportedly interviewed him about weapons that were purported to be inside his vehicle.

"These officers escalated a personal matter that should have been a traffic stop at worse into a 'Rocky Horror' beating," Jackson said.

Jackson added that the two officers will surely "pay the consequences" for the "bullying situation."

"The badge is a symbol of integrity and protection," Jackson said. "The officers handled it wrong. When you go outside the law, you pay a price. You want the public to have faith in the justice system."

'The indictments are coming for us'

Last week, Till pleaded guilty to an obstruction charge for reportedly demanding Taccone not to speak to anyone about the call from his wife.

Court documents reported that Till sent Taccone a text message that read, "The indictments are coming for us. We need to get on the same page and use the same attorney. I don't care what they threaten you with. If we don't fight this together we are both going to be getting in trouble."

Till is due for sentencing in connection with the obstruction charge on Dec. 28.

Up to 20 years in prison

According to reports, neither have issued pleas at the time of this reporting in connection with Wednesday's charges.

If convicted on the felony assault charges, Till and Taccone could face up to 20 years in prison.

According to AL.com, the Alabama Attorney General's Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation all assisted in the investigation into the incident.

"The laws of this great nation are one of those things that bind us together," Jackson said. "Nobody is above the law. Unlawful and brutal attacks on citizens will not be tolerated."

You can watch a video report on the incident and the subsequent charges here.

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