Charges For NC Cop Who Beat, Choked, Tasered Jaywalker

ASHEVILLE, NC — A now-former Asheville police officer caught on a body camera brutally beating, choking and tasering a man stopped last August in a case of suspected jaywalking was taken into custody Thursday evening and charged for assault.

Christopher William Hickman, who was an officer with the western North Carolina city’s police force at the time of the incident, stopped Johnnie Jermaine Rush, 32, on the evening of Aug. 24, 2017 for jaywalking, according to reports.

“All I’m trying to do it go home, man. I just got off of work,” Rush is heard telling officers after he’s stopped for jaywalking, according to Hickman’s body camera footage from the incident. “You ain’t got nothing better to do than harass somebody for f-ing walking?”

With that statement, officers moved in to arrest Rush, who took off on foot.

"(He) thinks it's funny," Hickman said as he began to chase Rush. "You know what's funny is you're gonna get f---ed up hardcore."

Footage then shows Hickman on top of Rush, choking him as Rush can be heard saying, “I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!” As Rush struggles to breathe, an officer’s fist lands at least seven punches to his head. He’s then tasered, and can be heard screaming in pain.

The next day, Rush filed a complaint against Hickman with the police department and Asheville Police Chief Tammy Hooper placed Hickman on administrative duty while the police department launched an investigation. Three weeks later, the district attorney dropped all charges against Rush, who had been charged with second-degree trespassing and resisting an officer after the incident. Hickman resigned from the force Jan. 5, the same month his department launched a criminal investigation into his actions.

“When I watched the video, I had the same reaction, probably, as you did when you watched it. It’s just a terrible, egregious case,” Asheville Police Chief Tammy Hooper told WLOS. “The whole reason behind the stop to begin with was a bad thing,” Hooper said.

The case prompted the department to review all of Hickman’ body camera footage, which revealed at least four other cases when the officer used “discourteous and rude conduct,” the station reported.

Hickman has been charged with assault by strangulation, assault inflicting serious injury and communicating threats, according to a statement made by the Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is also investigating the incident, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation told CNN March 8.

Video of the incident may be viewed here.

The community engagement line established for individuals wishing to leave a message and share comments and thoughts on the August 2017 use of force incident is still open. The number for this line is 828-259-5900. pic.twitter.com/92bbflrqu5
— Asheville Police (@AshevillePolice) March" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/AshevilleP... 9, 2018

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Photo courtesy of the Asheville Police Department