A cellphone video shows D’Paris Charles Williams, also known as “DJ” Williams, being arrested by San Francisco Police in the Mission District on November 15, 2013. (CBS)
Posted on 11/19/2013 9:58:55 AM PST by null and void
A cellphone video shows D’Paris Charles Williams, also known as “DJ” Williams, being arrested by San Francisco Police in the Mission District on November 15, 2013. (CBS)
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) – San Francisco police are being accused of brutality in a case that involved a bicyclist at the Valencia Gardens public housing complex in the city’s Mission Dolores neighborhood on Friday afternoon.
D’Paris Charles “DJ” Williams, 20, was arrested after apparently riding his bicycle on the sidewalk around 3:40 p.m. Friday at the complex near Rosa Parks Lane and Maxwell Court.
The home video begins with DJ Williams face down on the sidewalk as officers and a crowd of onlookers circles. Williams can be heard crying out in pain.
[Video at source]
When word spread in the neighboring apartment complex, residents rushed out to help Williams. That’s when things went from bad to worse. The arrest spurred an altercation between other people at the complex and prompted three more arrests, police said.
However, a friend of Williams, local photographer Travis Jensen, talked to people at the complex and said their stories, as well as a cellphone video taken at the scene and posted on YouTube, show that the incident was a case of police brutality.
“Clearly something not right is happening here,” Jensen said.
He said Williams was simply riding his bike on the sidewalk up to his residence in the complex when he was approached by undercover officers who said something about riding on the sidewalk, then grabbed him from behind and beat him for no apparent reason.
Jensen said witnesses at the scene said Williams suffered a broken jaw and other injuries when he was attacked by police.
He said when others joined in, it was out of concern for Williams.
“People don’t get that upset for no reason. They were upset because they were seeing DJ getting beaten,” Jensen said.
Police spokesman Officer Gordon Shyy said the incident started when Williams tried to flee into a residence after plainclothes officers tried to stop him for a vehicle code violation.
He then allegedly resisted the officers, who used “reasonable force” and arrested him, Shyy said.
“They attempted to detain him. However he became combative and resisted arrest,” said officer Shyy.
A hostile crowd then gathered around the officers, two of whom suffered injuries in the scrum. One person tried to hit an officer with a cane while another bit an officer, according to Shyy.
A total of four people, including Williams, were arrested, Shyy said.
Williams was booked into custody on suspicion of assault and battery on an officer, felony resisting arrest, a traffic code violation and an outstanding local warrant, Shyy said.
The video showed the 21-year-old handcuffed and sent to jail with his earbuds still hanging from his neck, his face a bloody mess.
It was not clear if Williams ever heard demands from police.
Williams is expected to be released from jail late Monday night. His family told KPIX 5 they plan to file a complaint against the department and hold a rally in the Mission District around 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
Well, yeah...goes without sayin'.
But what about your scrum?
Doing it by bicycle LOOKS European and in that part of the country, LOOKS usually beats out common-sense.
The police nationally are being trained to go over the top and we are being desensitized so when the real problems start there will be little reaction.
You’re feeding the troll.
I might even know the undercover pair who started this —they’re hoped up on steroids BIG TIME, this pair, and usually they’re cruising around in a ble four-door thin cover vehicle and they pack huuuuuge attitude. They are rolling with such a high profile that its a little ludicrous that they’re going to “undercover” anything. Its just pure intimidation with these guys, if its the pair I’m talking about.
The pair that robbed me there were in uniform with a vanilla squad, though...
I used to 100% support the cops.
No way in heck would I voluntarily hand a cop my wallet. I keep my ID in a special pocket so as to be able to produce it very rapidly without fumbling about in my wallet.
The one guy asked for my wallet and guy 2 got real up in my face spewing numerous needless questions. Meanwhile guy 1 rifled through my wallet, which bothered me but I submitted as the Mission District does have a good number of drug dealers and sometime a wallet can serve as a hiding place.
I am clean cut and generally trusted cops and I did not want to make a hostile show of instantly checking over my wallet contents after getting it back.
So I waited until right after my detention ended in 5,min and thatis when I saw I had no cash.
I was thunderstruck and now I consider SF gummint as TOTALLY CORRUPT.
Especially that PD.
Make a formal complaint, in person, to the Office of Citizen Complaints (OCC). Follow it up with a letter to the District Attorney's office, complaining of theft by officers under color of authority. Wouldn't hurt to send copies of the letters to the supervisor elected for your district. And follow it up weekly with more complaints. If after a couple months there is no response in your favor, contact the local news media.
Qu’on concoit bien, on dit bien, ne c’est pas?
Mai j’ai toute confiance que M. Mesnil n’avais connait pas de l’affaire.
I thought he was given a personal invitation to go to heck from a mod-type person...
So vulgar, profane petty, inane, petulant, childish and totally uncalled for attacks on a longtime FR member for having a different opinion is acceptable? How does that square with this?
NO profanity, NO personal attacks, NO racism or violence in posts.
The police union is going to sue the dept. to get scrum protectors for the officers.
Your vulgar, profane posts have no place on a supposed Conservative, Christian forum. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Maybe the cop was playing “The Knockout Game”.
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