Asheville resident Johnnie Jermaine Rush was walking home from work on Aug. 24, 2017 when he was stopped by police for jaywalking. Rush felt he was being harassed and ran away to avoid arrest. Bodycam video of the incident was leaked to the Asheville Citizen Times in February 2018, and it went viral.
A second round of footage released Monday shows that Officer Chris Hickman choked Rush, repeatedly punched him in the head, and then tasered him. Officer Hickman resigned in January before the footage was leaked, and City Manager Gary Jackson was fired in the aftermath of the initial release. Days after the release of this more damning footage, subpoenas were issued and the Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Edwards wants answers. Asheville Citizen Times City Reporter Joel Burgess has been following this story since the beginning. He joins host Frank Stasio to shed more light on the controversy that has forced Asheville into a national discussion about African-Americans and police misconduct.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsEtGUr380k