Police show off batons as beating video appears
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Police forces prodive reporters a maiden demonstration of their new batons in Istanbul as a footage showing 8 policemen beating a civilian is made to the public. DHA photo
Video footage showing at least eight uniformed policemen kicking and beating a civilian in Istanbul on the ground in front of his family emerged yesterday hours before Turkish police provided a maiden demonstration of the force’s new spring-action batons to members of the press.The beating reportedly took place at around 2:30 a.m. on June 19 after a man began quarreling with a squad of policemen over the right of way on a road. A squad car reportedly cut off the family’s vehicle, sparking a quarrel between the man and police officers that resulted in officers beginning to strike the civilian, according to the video. A number of uniformed policemen arrived at the scene shortly thereafter and knocked the man to the ground. At least eight police officers could be seen in the footage kicking the man on the ground despite his wife’s pleas for them to stop. One officer also took off his belt and beat the man with it.
Five police officers have been suspended from their duty, according to reports. Istanbul Gov. Hüseyin Avni Mutlu said the necessary penalties would be imposed on the police after the investigation. The policemen reportedly dragged the man to a dark spot on the street where they continued to beat him while other policemen told witnesses and onlookers to disperse. The man was later dragged to a squad car and beaten again before being detained. Shopkeepers in the neighborhood have confirmed the incident, reports said.
New action batons revealed
Meanwhile, police provided a demonstration of the new spring-action batons to members of the press yesterday. The new batons will help police neutralize assailants without the use of excessive force “when they are used professionally,” said the police department’s deputy in charge of public safety, Ercan Taştekin.
Three types of batons were given to the police: spring-activated batons that will unfurl with the press of a button, motion-activated batons that extend to full-length with a flick of the wrist and screw types that require the user to unscrew and extend the baton.
