[Uncle Chip]

The student ... had wrestled the officer's baton away from him and was attacking the officer with it.

If that is so then it should be forensically verifiable and that will change things significantly.

[zeugma]

The student ... had wrestled the officer's baton away from him and was attacking the officer with it.

If that is so then it should be forensically verifiable and that will change things significantly.

---

Indeed. Checking fingerprints on the baton would be a great start.Pity about the conveniently missing camera. I wonder exactly when the camera was damaged. There should be a paper trail for that as well.

Personally, I know that if I was on a jury for this kind of thing, absent physical corraborating evidence, any statements made by the cop would have to be taken with a grain of self-serving salt.