Source: Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images / Getty
It’s about damn time.
Last year BOSSIP reported on the violent beating that police officers in Colorado Springs issued to a Black homeless veteran named Dalvin Gadson. Gadson was living in his vehicle when he was approached by the boys in blue for improperly displaying his license plate. When the officers claimed to have smelled marijuana, they attempted to arrest Gadson and a struggle ensued. That struggle included numerous punches to Gadson’s head and face that left him severely bruised and bloodied.
NewsOne reports that following the attack, officers were seen joking, smiling and taking photos of their civil rights violations. One officer, Mathew Anderson, was even photographed proudly displaying his bruised knuckle, presumably from the beating.
Gadson was subsequently charged with driving under the influence, obstructing a peace officer, second-degree assault, resisting arrest and driving without a license plate all of which were dropped earlier this year.
According to the Atlanta Black Star, Michael L. Alston, director of the Department of Justice Office of Civil Rights, instructed the criminal division of civil rights to investigate this case due to the “nature of the law enforcement misconduct allegation”.
Says Gadson’s attorney Harry Daniels:
“One year later, Chief Vasquez still refuses to hold his officers accountable after they beat and bloodied an unarmed man over a license tag infraction,” Daniels said in a statement. “Today, we are confident that the Department of Justice will begin to correct that injustice and do what he won’t.”
All officers involved in this brutality incident should be de-badged, have their law enforcement licenses revoked and jailed.
