PITTSBURGH — Investigators who looked into a video that showed Pittsburgh police beating a man at the Renewal Halfway House last August said Monday that the level of force appeared to be justified.
However, the victim continues to argue that he was brutally beaten for no reason.
Security video (WATCH ABOVE) obtained first by Target 11 allegedly shows two city police officers approaching a Renewal Halfway House resident, pushing him up against a wall and then hitting him multiple times with a retractable baton.
“It’s an assault by these officers of the law, and it’s disgusting,” said attorney Scott Westcott, who represents the resident, Lonnie Jenkins.
Westcott said Jenkins was staying at the house in downtown Pittsburgh after being released from prison on drug charges.
According to Westcott, Jenkins didn’t fight back and did nothing to warrant such a violent response from the officers.
“(He did) nothing whatsoever, and as you can see by the video, the only time he engaged the police at all was in a total defensive posture,” said Westcott.
Police defended the officers’ actions, and the CEO of Renewal, Doug Williams, said Jenkins refused a search for drugs.
“We attempted to work with the guy. We attempted to let him cooperate and go with police and he resisted that,” said Williams.
Police said Jenkins wouldn’t listen and clenched his fists when they approached him.
“There are times when officers have to use force to take people into custody, and there are times, unfortunately, when it doesn’t look good, but it's the nature of it sometimes,” Pittsburgh police Cmdr. Eric Holmes.
Phil Dilucente, WPXI’s legal analyst, also agreed that the use of force in this case appeared to be justified.
“You can't look at a situation like this in a vacuum. Video tape does lie,” he said. “Aggressiveness comes in many forms. It comes in body stance, which if you notice, he did go up against the wall and lean out with his legs to hold him in such a position, it also comes in verbiage and words that we use.”
Dilucente also noted that the officers only targeted Jenkins’ legs and arms.
Jenkins was charged with drug possession, resisting arrest and aggravated assault. The aggravated assault charge was dismissed at a preliminary hearing.
Westcott said Jenkins plans to file a civil lawsuit against the officers.
The Citizens Police Review Board has also opened an investigation.
“Their stance, their presence, everything was hostile. It has the appearance of aggression,” said Beth Pittinger, with the Citizens Police Review Board. “This is beyond explanation as a use of force when an individual was literally just standing there.”
The police department has asked the Office of Municipal Investigations to review the arrest.
WPXI
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