http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/02/27/1367284/-Pittsburgh-man-writes-police-chief-after-witnessing-police-brutality-sees-immediate-coverup?detail=email
The blood of Devon Davis, covering the snow on the Pittsburgh streets after being brutally beaten by Pittsburgh police
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."
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.
first this guy was very brave or so incensed we was thinking clearly, if rogue like cops are beating a citizen like a gang assault then to give his name and address i can only pray for his family's safety. there is never an excuse for horrendous beatings of non combative's especially by double digit assailants that is the way the the KKK did it in gangs.
some will say we don't know what happened before they caught him, i say to violently beat someone in plain sight of other citizens is a disregard for human life and a rearing of that proverbial maniac cop beat down squad. i hope they follow up with the proceedings and decisions. the chief held this sign up, guess he was the one to go to but we have seen police when called out on their overkill and brutality they turned their backs on their boss the mayor. so we don't know how much pull he has and can exert to corral his officers.
