stlouis police

From The Root:

18-year-old Cortez Bufford was on the ground, surrounded by St. Louis cops last April following a traffic stop when officer Kelli Swinton, reportedly told her fellow officers: “Hold up. Hold up, y’all. Hold up. Hold up, everybody, hold up. We’re red right now, so if you guys are worried about cameras, just wait.”

Swinton allegedly turned off the dash cam. Four of those St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers are now facing a lawsuit filed by Bufford who claims that the cops used excessive force including kicking and Tasering the teen, according to the Daily Mail.

Joel Schwartz, Bufford’s attorney, claims that the teen was left with abrasions on his face and back and several hospital bills.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes that officer Swinton may face disciplinary actions for reportedly turning off the dash cam. 

The dash cam video footage from the incident was not released after the April 10 incident as the city was still reeling from the killing of unarmed teen Michael Brown by a Ferguson, Mo. police officer, the Daily Mail reports.

Read the entire story at The Root 

Photo: Screenshot