Many say Raleigh man's beating, arrest could have been handled better

While law enforcement officials defend the actions of officers shown in video punching, kicking and siccing a dog on a Raleigh man last month, religious leaders say they are tired of police brutality against minorities and a community-police relations expert says the incident never should have occurred.

Officers were responding to reports of a man with a gun yelling at passing cars near the intersection of North Raleigh Boulevard and Yonkers Road on April 3 when they confronted 29-year-old Kyron Dwain Hinton.

Hinton said he suffered a broken eye socket, broken nose, multiple cuts on his head, "probably 20 bite marks" and memory loss after several officers pushed him up against a patrol car and beat him up while a Wake County Sheriff's Office K-9 bit him on his right arm, side and head.

Deputy Cameron Broadwell and State Highway Patrol troopers Michael Blake and Tabithia Davis have been indicted on charges of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and willfully failing to discharge duties. Broadwell also faces a charge of assault inflicting serious bodily injury.

All three officers are on administrative duty.

Video from dashboard and body-work cameras from officers that night show State Highway Patrol troopers and Raleigh police officers initially surrounding an intoxicated Hinton in the middle of the street.

"It looks like they saw it for what it was – a guy who needed help. They were allowing it to play out," said Tru Pettigrew, specializes in helping law enforcement better connect with their communities. "I don't think they knew what was about to happen. I think it all happened so fast."

When Broadwell arrives with his K-9, Loki, he immediately puts the dog in the middle of the confrontation.

"Get on the ground or you're gonna get bit," Broadwell yells to Hinton three times before ordering Loki, "Get him, get him, get him."

Dashcam videos show Broadwell hitting Hinton as Loki takes him to the ground.

"What I don't understand is the need for the dog," Pettigrew said. "That's the most concerning thing for me is that the dog was just unleashed on this gentleman, to attack this gentleman in a situation that, to me, looked like was well under control with the officers on the scene."

If the officers already had it under control, they should have communicated that to Broadwell, Pettigrew said.

"If you see something escalating, going out of control, and you know there's no need for it as a fellow officer, yes, you have a responsibility to put a stop to that," he said.

During the ensuing scrum with several officers, one officer is seen kicking Hinton, while another can be seen punching him as he refuses to give in to law enforcement. No gun was found on or near him.

In the audio for several dashcam videos, including Broadwell's and Blake's, someone repeatedly issues an order to hit Hinton in the head.

"Start hitting that head. We can't stop him," comes the initial order.

As the struggle to subdue and handcuff Hinton continues, the order comes a dozen more times – rapidly and filled with expletives.

"Hit that (expletive) noggin now. (Expletive) hit his noggin now with the (expletive) flashlight."

The indictments allege Broadwell and Blake beat and kicked Hinton and that Davis hit him with her flashlight.

"Someone has to be held accountable for that," Pettigrew said. "That should not have escalated to that point."

Members of the law enforcement community, including Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison, insist the officers acted appropriately, believing that Hinton had a gun and that they had to take quick action to prevent him from harming someone.

Pettigrew said he believes the Hinton incident will be used to train officers for years to come.

"We all want people who are in those positions because they are the right people called to be in those positions, that will understand how to handle these situations appropriately," he said.

Religious leaders decry police actions

More than two dozen religious leaders said Thursday that Hinton's situation was the complete opposite of understanding and proper handling.

"Seeing the video left me angry and feeling hurt," said Rev. Robert Jemonde Taylor, rector of St. Ambrose Episcopal Church in Raleigh. "When they used a canine to bring Hinton to the ground, that made me cringe. When they yelled to hit him in the head, that left me speechless."

The clergy gathered at Shaw University to call for peaceful unity in the fight for justice.

"What happened to Mr. Hinton is not an isolated experience. Our collective voice as a clergy group has been silenced for too long. We are no longer silent," said Rev. Nancy Petty, pastor of Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh. "For all of the Mr. Hintons in our nation, we must stand up and speak up for people of color. ... We need to be involved, bring our best selves into action now. Not because it is what it is expected, but because it is the only way to disrupt the violence. We need clear voices demanding justice."

Rabbi Lucy Dinner of Temple Beth Or in Raleigh said she and other clergy would lead community protests if the officers aren't held accountable for their actions.

"We cannot wait for the light at the end of the tunnel. We have to be the courageous residents of this city and this state to be the light in the tunnel right here right now," Dinner said. "I invite Raleigh to take part in reforming a corrupt system. We want a broader discussion on how will we reform injustices and also reform a community, a nation that treats its people this way."

"We are calling on those in charge of law enforcement officers – get a handle on your troopers. We are sick and tired of this," said Rev. Portia Rochelle, vice president of the Raleigh Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance and president of the Raleigh-Apex NAACP chapter. "Whether we are in a suit or a bikini, we deserve respect – no matter what we look like."