The Maryland police officer who filmed his interaction with former NBA player Delonte West has been suspended.
In the footage, the officer can be heard interacting with a thin, shirtless man bearing tattoos and sitting on the curb with his hands cuffed behind his back.
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Prince George’s County Police Chief Hank Stawinski announced Tuesday that the video was taken on a cellphone and that the officer who filmed the encounter has been suspended amid an internal investigation, according to WTOP.
“It’s irresponsible for (the video) taken by a Prince George’s County police officer to be in the public’s hands. In my view, I own that. This department owns that,” Stawinski said in a news conference Tuesday.
This is not funny ? #socialmedia I’m sure some of your family members are battling with the same demons. #DelonteWest pic.twitter.com/rulc1bYR69
— Own Your Masters (@ThaArchitect) January 21, 2020
The incident occurred when police were dispatched to Oxon Hill, Maryland, on Monday morning to break up a fight between two individuals. By the time law enforcement officials arrived, the men had already separated. One man was left bleeding from the face while police handcuffed the other individual, West, as they investigated.
The former NBA player claimed while speaking to the officer that the other man had a gun. However, police found no weapon on the scene.
After the video went viral, a number of West’s former collegiate and professional teammates and coaches expressed their concern for him. West, who played for the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Dallas Mavericks, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder more than a decade ago.
