The Southeast regional director of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers on Thursday defended the sheriff’s deputies who are under scrutiny after video of their arrest of Reginald Arrington. Vince Champion had issues with District Attorney Neal Pinkston, who has requested for the TBI to investigate those deputies and who quickly dismissed the case before it could get to court.
“We do disagree that the video has been released without any type of background,” said Mr.
Champion. “It’s just a video of officers arresting Mr. Arrington at this point, and we felt that should have waited and been part of the due process.”
Even though the video is public record, Mr. Champion believed the video should remain withheld until “due process” has been completed. He believed the DA "had ulterior motives" for releasing the video to the public.
“It’s part of an investigation, and so to put it out without any sort of context or explain what it is there for or for the reasoning, it appears to be for nothing more than for the DA to pollute the jury duty. He’s just putting it out there to make up their mind before they know what the real facts are, whatever those facts may be.”
Mr. Champion repeatedly said he wished the video had been kept from the public "until at the end of the investigation, when it runs its course. A that point, the whole file is open at this point, so look and see and make your decision at that. Then you have both sides."
The regional director went as far as to praise the conduct of the deputies during the arrest. Arrington was charged with resisting arrest, simple assault on police, criminal impersonation, pedestrian in roadway, and four counts of aggravated assault on police. Those charges were dropped.
He said, “What I really saw, in my opinion, was a lot of restraint from the officers from the time of the scuffle to finish the arrest process. Officers were called to the scene, and it was mostly cordial up until they tried to put him in the police car, and he resisted by trying to grab one our officers’ firearm.”
He objected to labeling what happened to Arrington as a “beating.” He said the video showed that the officer did not use excessive force, saying the deputies did not wind up as they struck Arrington, who was handcuffed at that time.
“Get the full video, because the strikes were very light in order to gain pain compliance,” said Champion. “That was not a beating, and (what qualifies as a beating) depends on your definition.”
“The endgame is to show that the officers used their training and abilities as a law enforcement officer to effective arrest,” said Mr. Champion. “And whether you agree with that or not, they clearly had statute to do that.”
When asked a question about the deputies possibly trying to deescalate the situation, Mr. Champion said there was no reason for de-escalation. He said at that point in the incident, the situation was under control and an arrest was being made.
He said, “There was no escalation during this. The officers talked to him, then he talked back and explained his situation. The time to deescalate is when you notice it is going out of control, such as when somebody is balling up their fist and want to fight. This was already an arrest being affected.”
He said legal action against the DA’s office has been considered.
Outside of the Sheriff’s Office/courthouse stood five protesters, who held signs such as “The time is now, or am I next?” and “protect citizens, don’t beat them.”
“Our police have to be human beings,” said protester Shelly Litchfield. “They have to know how to respect human beings, and there was no respect shown to Mr. Arrington. I’m tired of this story happening over and over again in my country and community. It just has to stop.”
Janice Walwyn was also out in front of the courthouse as well, and she had some very strong words for the sheriff’s office over what happened to Mr. Arrington.
“After watching the video, I was repulsed, I was hurt, I was in tears,” said Ms. Walwyn. “That is not the way you are supposed to be treated. It was not de-escalated at all. It indicated there were no concerns for the rights of this young man. I was appalled, and since I have the right to protest as an American citizen, that I can say that this is wrong and I want done about it.”
He said there is other videos and car camera footage that will be brought out during what he called “due process.” However, Champion maintained that the officers could not have done anything differently in order to compete the arrest.