Body Cam Footage Of Alleged Police Brutality Released: Judge

RALEIGH, NC — A court ruled on Friday that the body cam footage from the incident stemming a police brutality case will be released, according to reports. The Wake County Sheriff's Office initially wanted to withhold the footage, but the sheriff's deputy involved wanted it released.

Wake County Sheriff's Deputy Cameron Broadwell is defending his use of force on Kyron Dwain Hinton, 29, in an April 3 incident that left Hinton beaten with broken bones and other injuries, he claims. Broadwell, alongside State Highway Patrol troopers Tabitha Davis and Michael Blake, were indicted on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, according to WRAL.

Hinton claims he suffered a fractured eye socket, a broken nose and 20 dog bites during the incident, according to WUNC.

The Wake County Sheriff's Office initially wanted to withhold the police officers' body camera footage, but Broadwell said he wanted investigators and others to have all of the information they need to draw a fair conclusion about the incident that transpired, WRAL reported.

That night, on April 3, officers responded to North Raleigh Boulevard and Yonkers Road on a report of a man with a gun.

Police arrived, and eventually Hinton was brought in, but not unscathed. A Wake County Sheriff's Office K-9 bit Hinton's right arm multiple times among the other injures, according to reports.

Hinton claims that Broadwell beat and kicked him, and that Davis and Blake hit him with their flashlights.

Police did not find a gun on Hinton that night.

"Upon being approached by law enforcement, Mr. Hinton refused to comply with lawful and reasonable commands. His refusal to comply with law enforcement's lawful commands, his threatening manner, and the report that he possessed a firearm resulted in a response by law enforcement, including Deputy Broadwell, to neutralize any and all threats to the safety of the public and the responding officers," court records, say, according to WRAL.

Broadwell claims that Hinton was under the influence of drugs and alcohol and had to be sedated while in the patrol car to stop his "violent and threatening manner," WRAL reported. He also said Hinton admitted to his drunkenness, and apologized "profusely" for how he acted that night.

Broadwell also said Hinton was in a fight two nights prior to the arrest, suggesting that he may have had the broken nose and eye socket injury prior to the incident with the police.

Hinton was charged with assault on a law enforcement animal, resisting a public officer and disorderly conduct. Those charges have been dismissed, however, as state officials investigate Hinton's claims.

All three officers have been taken off the streets and are serving in administrative roles for the time being, according to WRAL.

This is not Hinton's first run-in with the law, according to the CCBI website. Since June 2009, records show, he has been arrested 16 separate times in the area on charges of trespassing, assault, disorderly conduct, drug possession, DUI and more.

Article image via Raleigh/Wake City-County Bureau of Identification