A sheriff’s deputy in Clayton County, Georgia, was fired after he was filmed repeatedly striking a man.
Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill announced on Sunday that the deputy seen in the video was removed from his position for excessive use of force.
“The Deputy who repeatedly struck Roderick Walker is being terminated from the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office by order of Sheriff Victor Hill for excessive use of force. This is the administrative action. The criminal investigation of this matter will be turned over to the Clayton County District Attorney’s Office,” the department announced.
The deputy, who has not been named by the department, was placed on unpaid administrative leave on Friday after he was filmed punching Walker, a 26-year-old black man, during an arrest. The officer may face criminal prosecution in addition to his termination.
The department noted Walker received medical attention, including X-rays, while in custody after the brutal arrest and said no fractures were found. Hill also said he requested that Walker be released from the jail on bond, but the jail could not release him because of outstanding warrants for cruelty to children, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and a failure to appear before a judge in another county.
Video of Walker’s arrest has been viewed thousands of times and shared by prominent figures, including Ben Crump, the attorney for the families of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Jacob Blake. The videos, which were captured by bystanders, show two officers wrestling with Walker as they try to handcuff him. One of the officers repeatedly punched Walker during the arrest.
Correction: This happened in Clayton County, Georgia (not the city of Clayton, GA)
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) September 12, 2020
Police encountered Walker as a passenger in a vehicle that had been pulled over for a missing taillight, according to Walker’s attorney, Shean Williams. The officers asked Walker for his identification even though he was not driving. Walker was with at least two children and his wife when the arrest took place. Walker was left with a swollen, bruised eye, according to photographs of him from the jail.
Walker was arrested for two counts of battery and two counts of obstructing or hindering law enforcement officers. It is unclear what took place from the time the vehicle was pulled over until Walker was being arrested.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to remove the statement that Roderick Walker was a passenger in a Lyft ride at the time of his arrest. The company says it has confirmed this did not happen during a Lyft ride.
