Pittsburgh man writes police chief after witnessing police brutality and seeing immediate coverup

Daily Kos
Pittsburgh man writes police chief after witnessing police brutality and seeing immediate coverup
by Shaun King

Earlier this week Pittsburgh, PA resident Samm Hodges bore witness not only to an extreme case of police brutality, but the quick coverup and lies that police often spin to cover their tracks. So disturbed by what he saw, he wrote this letter to the Pittsburgh Chief of Police Cameron McLay, who became a viral hit himself after holding up a sign stating that white silence to racism needs to end.

My name is Samm Hodges. Me and my family have been living here in Pittsburgh for 8 years. Our house is on Federal St, and we really really love this city.

Today, I saw something which horrified me. I work downtown at First and Market. I was leaving with a friend of mine to get coffee when we saw and heard sirens. Suddenly, a young black man who I now know as Devon Davis ran within yards of us, being chased by police officers with guns drawn. He was almost immediately tackled by between 6 and 12 officers. A whole swarm, I didn’t count.

But then, as he lay pinned to the ground, the officers began beating him viciously with batons while yelling to ‘stop resisting.’ He wasn’t resisting, and he kept saying ‘I’m not doing anything.’ They beat him for a long time and when they were done, he was laying in a pool of his own blood with what news reports say is a broken leg. I was only 30 yards away. The had to carry him to the police van.

The official statement from the office of Public Safety is quoted in the Post Gazette and Trib Live says that "they found him severely injured in a pool of blood." http://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2015/02/25/At-least-three-sent-to-hospital-from-two-vehicle-crash-Downtown/stories/201502250241

That’s completely not true. He was tackled and then beaten severely while pinned to the ground by a whole swarm of officers. I saw him running very quickly, his leg was not broken prior to being tackled. Then he was tackled and beaten viciously in the legs. Then he had to be carried away. There was no blood on the ground where he had been running before. He had no limp before.

I know that you won’t stand for this kind of dishonesty and brutality. I’m very shaken up by what i saw, and I lost a lot of respect for the men and women I trust to keep me and my family safe. Please make this right. I am willing to testify or do whatever it takes to see justice is served.

Thank you in advance for handling this situation with justice and thoughtfulness.

Samm Hodges