An officer has been caught on camera doing the unthinkable – spitting in a detained man’s face.
ALL THIS IS ON VIDEO
Sgt. Robert Mesner — a 34-year-veteran of the Baltimore Police Department — was filmed arresting 31-year-old Alfred Evan outside an apartment building. This incident occurred after police appeared to follow a group of people around, and according to the videographer, the police were taunting the men and trying to escalate the situation.
As the event unfolded, Evan was arrested and charged with second-degree assault of a law enforcement officer, second-degree assault, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct. He was briefly held on $25,000 bail.
Witnesses on the scene along with Kwame Rose, the man who filmed the video, allege that Sgt. Mesner spit on Evan while he was handcuffed and lying on the ground face-first. At the 1:25 mark of the video, Mesner is seen leaning over Evan and appearing to spit on him.
“I think it’s disgusting,” Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake told the Baltimore Sun. “There are very few things that you can do to another human being that are that disgusting. We take it very seriously.”
Baltimore PD issued the following statement:
The investigation continues into the incident that occurred last night (October 12, 2015) in the area of Old York Road. The incident led to an arrest of a man for disorderly conduct. During the arrest, the officer appears to have spit on the suspect while he was in handcuffs.
This is now a criminal and internal investigation. Based on additional video and witness interviews, the decision has been made to suspend the officer’s police powers.
“Our internal investigation progressed rapidly today with the review of available video and interaction with witnesses. The video appears to depict the police sergeant spitting on the arrestee. That is outrageously unacceptable and it directly contradicts the necessary community relationships we are striving to rehabilitate. The police powers of Sergeant Robert Mesner are now suspended, and a criminal investigation is underway. Our entire community deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.” Said Interim Police Commissioner Kevin Davis.