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Full Video of Delaware Cop Kicking Man in the Face Shows Him Following Orders (Update)

May 9, 2015May 9, 2015 Brian Sumner 1225 Views Accountability, ACLU of Delaware, ACLU-DE Executive Director, assault, Brutality, Civil rights, cop block, copblock, copblock.org, Corruption, dashcam video, Delaware, Dishonesty, Double Standard, double-standards, Dover, Dover Police Department, excessive force, film the police, Filming police, Harassment, Kathleen MacRae, Lateef Dickerson, police, police abuse, police accountability, Police brutality, Thomas Webster, Update, video

Extended Video Shows Police Brutality Victim was Complying with Orders When Assaulted

A video recorded in August, has finally been released last week, due to a judge overturning its confidential status. Cpl. Thomas Webster of the Dover Police Department is shown on the video kicking Lateef Dickerson in the face. However, Lateef is clearly shown following Thomas’s orders to “get on the ground” and posing no danger or resisting in any way at the time he is kicked. Mr. Dickerson suffered a broken jaw, and was knocked completely unconscious as a result of the kick to the face.

Cpl. Webster was arrested and charged with 2nd degree assault on Monday, and placed on unpaid leave. Last year in March a previous grand jury refused to indict Webster after their review turned up no violation of Dickerson’s civil rights. As if you could miss the brutal assault on a peaceful individual who was complying with every order given to him by Cpl. Webster, and the other officer.

The ACLU sued the Dover PD on behalf of Dickerson:

“We believe that the video demonstrates the need for large-scale reform of the Dover Police Department, specifically improvements to their use of force and internal affairs practices, and supervision of their officers,” said Kathleen MacRae, executive director of the ACLU of Delaware.

The suit asks for monetary compensatory damages, and cover the cost of the court fees.

A primary goal of this lawsuit is to ask the court to order the Dover Police Department to vastly improve their training, supervision and internal review procedures. Individual officers cannot be permitted to abuse their authority and police departments must hold them accountable when they do so,” said Kathleen MacRae, ACLU-DE Executive Director.

Hopefully, the second time around a jury won’t be so blind to the misconduct of Cpl. Webster, and Mr. Dickerson will achieve some level of justice for the atrocity committed against him by the very people who claim to protect him. Dover cop Jeff Davis was able to “shake it off“, apparently it doesn’t come so easy to Cpl Thomas Webster.