ST. LOUIS COUNTY — A Missouri State Representative released new video this weekend of a violent 2014 protest.
This body-cam video was recorded in Berkeley, Missouri, on Christmas Eve in 2014. People there were protesting the police shooting death of teenager Antonio Martin.
State Representative Bruce Franks says authorities just recently gave him this video. The edited footage shows officers making several forceful arrests as well as macing and kicking Franks while he's on the ground.
At one point, an officer says quote "I got in a couple good licks." Another smiles as he asks a fellow officer if he "got in any good stick time."
Franks added subtitles and officers' names to the video. Those officers have been named in a lawsuit, that's still pending.
Watch the video below, or click here.
Representative Franks released a statement which reads:
On Dec 24th, 2014, the death of Antonio Martin sparked public outrage and protest. During the protest, there were peacekeepers on hand including myself, whose role was to mediate interactions between law enforcement and civilians. Since our goal was to facilitate conversations and manage tensions, we should have been able to partner with law enforcement officials present, but unfortunately that was not the case. Instead, officers reacted with excessive force, even against peacekeepers, who raised concerns about their colleagues conduct, which is far too common.
As I continue to see police brutality locally and nationally, I wanted to share the unfiltered reality of these interactions, so I am releasing footage from the 2014 protest. My release of the Antonio Martin protest footage, is not to fuel tension between law enforcement and civilians, but to give insight into the experiences of communities who are disproportionately subjected to police brutality. Moreover, I hope this level of transparency will highlight, the need for reform.
A suit has been filed, the Arch City Defenders are representing Rep Franks. It was first filed on the 2 year Anniversary of the incident.
No matter my capacity, I will continue to advocate for transparency and accountability within policing, as this video shares an all too common reality. As Rev. Dr. Martin Luther Jr. said, “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right”, and that is what I am willing to do for my community.
A spokesman from the St. Louis County Police Department provided the following statement:
We can confirm that some of our police officers were involved in the protest shown in the video from 4 years ago in December of 2014. The protest turned violent, and subjects were taken into custody. Any use of force that occurred was documented and internal investigations were conducted as part of that review. We can not further comment on the actions taken by officers that night due to pending litigation.
