NAACP and Press Allowed to See Jefferson Confrontation with Police
Tuesday, August 31, 2004 at 06:59PM
TheSpook
NAACP and Reporter are Allowed to See Videotape of Kenny Jefferson's Deadly Confrontation with Seven Norfolk Police Officers . It was shot through a rain-splattered police windshield: a
videotape that captured some of the final moments of Kenny S. Jefferson
, who died Aug. 14 after struggling with police on Chesapeake Boulevard
. The video was shot from the car of a supervisor who arrived as
several officers struggled to handcuff Jefferson, who lay face down on
the wet road . Some of the action was obscured by officers grouped
around him, their backs to the camera. Officers cuffed his hands behind
his back, then cuffed his ankles together and bound his ankles to his
wrists. A short while later -- Young said it was just more than a minute
-- Jefferson was moved to his side, then his back. At some point, an
officer felt for a pulse, and appeared to monitor him for a bit.
Eventually, police attempted to revive Jefferson with chest
compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, Young said. Pishko made
the video available for viewing to a Virginian-Pilot reporter after the
newspaper requested to see it under the Freedom of Information Act.
However, Pishko said that he had grounds to withhold the videotape
under the act because it was part of a confidential administrative
investigation and said that making it available for viewing was
"discretionary." [more]
Man dies after struggle with seven Norfolk police officers [more ]
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