Officers patrolling the 500 block of Maides Avenue detected the odor of burning marijuana and found a vehicle parked partially in the roadway against the flow of traffic where people had congregated.[1] Officers observed the driver of the vehicle attempting to conceal marijuana, detained him and charged him with marijuana possession.[1] An officer pushed another man, who had left a nearby vehicle and retreated into a residence despite officers’ request to stop, back from the immediate perimeter and to the ground to place him in handcuffs.[1] That man was charged with resist, delay or obstruct an officer.[1] No weapons or strikes were utilized during the encounter, the police department said.[1] The encounter was recorded by officers’ body-worn cameras as well as by bystanders, and video of it, including an officer throwing a man to the ground, circulated on social media, drawing criticism.[1]
A police department review found the officers acted lawfully and in compliance with departmental policy and training standards, with the facts presented to the district attorney’s office.[1] The review found minor policy infractions that are being addressed internally through standard departmental disciplinary and retraining procedures.[1]
The encounter happened shortly after 2:30 p.m., WECT reported.[2] An unholstered firearm equipped with an extended magazine was observed in plain view on the rear seat of the second vehicle while officers were detaining the front passenger.[2] Officers also encountered two men in a nearby vehicle, one of whom police said was a suspect in a firearm-related crime reported 10 days earlier.[3]
