Hate, Violence, and Death on Main Street USA - National Coalition ...

HATE, VIOLENCE, AND DEATH ON MAIN STREET USA2008LAPD Caught on Tape Beating a Homeless IndividualJuly 24: An unnamed homeless man sat peacefully eating sunflower seeds on Skid Row whenpolice approached <strong>and</strong> unwarrantedly assaulted him. The LAPD officer squad proceeded to “kneethe man in the mid section <strong>and</strong> strike him forcefully in the head with clenched fists”. It wasreported that people watching the incident immediately cried for the police to stop. Such eventswere later confirmed by a video tape that was rolling the entire time. After police backup hadcome, the medical staff took the homeless man immediately to the hospitalAUGUST:Panama City, FloridaHomeless Man Arrested <strong>and</strong> Beaten by Police Officers for Simply ‘Looking Homeless’August 3: A homeless man, John Paul Kimbro, 37, was falsely arrested by Panama City BeachPolice officers on the night of August 3 rd . The officers approached Kimbro because he looked like‘a transient’ <strong>and</strong> then asked him to show his ID. Kimbro was within his legal rights when he refusedto do so, yet the officers arrested him <strong>and</strong> took him back to their headquarters. Video surveillancetapes show that the officers placed Kimbro into a headlock, slammed him into a wall <strong>and</strong> punchedhim violently. When Kimbro was taken to the county jail, he was pepper-sprayed for refusing tocooperate again. Sgt. Jimmy Warr was suspended for 5 days <strong>and</strong> then resigned for his involvementin the incident. Two other officers are currently under investigation.85