PITTSBURGH — New details emerged Wednesday about the now-viral video that shows a Pittsburgh police officer appearing to punch Daniel Adelman and slam his head into the ground while other officers hold another man, David Jones, on the ground.
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Two Pittsburgh officers testified in court about their attempts to arrest David Jones, once on Aug. 4 on Crosstown Boulevard and a second time on the night of Sept. 19 outside PPG Paints Arena when the video was taken.
Both times, Jones was allegedly panhandling and officers knew there was a felony arrest warrant for him out of Beaver County.
When officers tried to arrest Jones outside PPG Paints Arena, Phil DiLucente, Adelman's attorney, said his client saw the scuffle.
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"Somebody was being attacked. He did not know they were police officers,” DiLucente said.
DiLucente was in court Wednesday and told Channel 11 the officers' testimony was revealing.
"He was rendering aid to another that he thought was being attacked. And not recognizing that it was law enforcement. And it makes perfect sense now with the two plainclothes police officers that's been testified and is now in evidence,” DiLucente said.
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We learned that two officers trying to arrest Jones were working undercover and not in uniform.
In the cellphone video taken that night, you can hear Adelman say repeatedly that he's trying to help.
DiLucente told Channel 11 Adelman is still recovering from his injuries that night.