Seattle police said they are investigating a video of a cop rolling his bicycle over a protester’s head during a chaotic night of demonstrations Wednesday, which resulted in at least 13 arrests and “multiple officers” injured, including one who was hit with a baseball bat.
The shocking video shows officers moving toward a crowd of protesters when one of them appears to slowly roll his bike over the head of a man who had fallen on the ground. It was unclear if the protester was injured because he was wearing a helmet and the cop was pushing the bike by its handlebars, not riding it.
Independent journalist CJ Halliburton, who live-streamed the scene on CJTV Media’s Facebook page, sounded stunned as he watched the incident unfold.
“He just ran over his head. He ran over his head. Oh my god,” he said, in disbelief. “That officer ran over that person’s head with their bicycle. Jesus Christ.”The Seattle Police Department said in a brief statement early Thursday that it was “aware” of the video.
“This matter will be referred to the Office of Police Accountability for further investigation,” the statement reads.
Wednesday’s protests in Seattle and other cities across the country came hours after a Kentucky grand jury decided not to indict any officers with the killing of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman who was fatally shot when police burst into her home in the middle of the night on March 13.
One of three cops who fired their weapons, former Louisville officer Brett Hankison, was indicted on three counts of wanton endangerment — for “blindly” shooting his weapon into Taylor’s building and putting the lives of her neighbors in jeopardy.One of the officers was struck in the head with a baseball bat and his helmet was cracked, police said. The assailant fled the scene and has not been identified.
At least 13 others were arrested for charges ranging from property destruction and resisting arrest to assaulting an officer.