$5 Million Suit Filed Against PG County Cop: Officer Chased & Attacked Black Teen who was outside playing football
From [HERE] and [HERE] Kyre Jenkins, 14, said he is still struggling to overcome his encounter last year with a Prince George’s County police officer, who he alleges tackled him to the ground, struck him in the head multiple times and put a gun against his face. “I was extremely scared. I thought I was going to die,” the Bowie High School freshman said.
The officer, Cpl. Ricky Adey, a 10-year veteran, has since been indicted in county district court on assault charges relating to the incident, and Jenkins’ mother, Kita Jenkins, of Bowie filed a $5 million excessive force lawsuit today against the county and officer, and is hoping to have Adey fired from the force.
According to county police, Adey responded to the 6900 block of Walker Mill Road in Capitol Heights around 11:30 p.m. Aug. 4, 2011, for the sound of shots fired when he discovered a group of youths running away and allegedly assaulted Kyre. According to the lawsuit, filed by attorney Jimmy Bell, Adey grabbed the boy while he was running, struck him in the head three times and placed a handgun against his face, saying, “Have you ever had a hammer to your head?” Adey was indicted by a grand jury July 26 for first- and second-degree assault, and misconduct in office.
Jenkins said he was doing nothing wrong and was just trying to follow his friend when the officer grabbed him from behind. Kyre said he was outside tossing a football and spending time with others in the neighborhood the day of the incident and ran because everyone else started running when police arrived.
"A lot of people were out there … and we were all around having fun, and the police came, so everybody ran," said Jenkins. "So I ran because I was only with one person and he ran. So I ran and I got caught."
Jenkins said he was trying to get over the fence when Corporal Adey grabbed him from behind.
"And he pulled me down and punched me in my face three times, and he had my hands behind my back," said Jenkins. "As he put my hands behind my back, I swiped his gun, so I guess he thought I was trying to take it. So he pulled the gun out and put it to my head and asked me had I ever had a hammer to my head."
But the teen said he had done nothing wrong and only ran because his friend ran.
Police say they were responding to the complex for the sound of gunshots.
Jenkins reported the assault, but Officer Adey continued to work.
In fact, just days before the indictment this summer, he was hailed a hero for running into a burning apartment building where he alerted residents to the danger. Some people say he saved their lives.
"What I believe is he did [what he did] because he didn't believe my client had the intelligence, the ability or the resources to fight him back and he was surely wrong," said Jenkins' attorney, Jimmy Bell.
"I just want to ask him one question: ‘Why did he do it?' That's all I wanted to know," said Jenkins.
The teen's attorney said no one called an ambulance after the assault, but an officer did step forward to say she had witnessed the incident and testified in the grand jury.
Prince George's County Police declined to comment on the lawsuit, instead referring reporters to previous comments by Chief Mark Magaw, who said he was disappointed by the allegation, the incident needed to be reviewed, and the department respects the grand jury process.
By FOX 5's count, six Prince George's County Police officers are now under indictment in four separate assaults.
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