Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Jesus wept

The victim was identified as Sean Bickings, 34. According to a transcript of the footage provided by the city, Bickings told Tempe police he was drowning and begged officers for help as they stood by and told him they were not "jumping in after you." This portion of the footage was not included in the edited video released to The Arizona Republic.

Since release of the footage, the Tempe Officers Association, the police union for the department, described the drowning as a "human tragedy," but stated officers do not possess water-rescue training and lack equipment to perform water rescues without putting the officer at risk.

[...]

Bickings was an unsheltered member of the Tempe community, the city said in a statement released on Friday.

[...]

The three officers who responded to the incident are currently under non-disciplinary administrative paid leave.

  MSN
This is a police department that could properly be defunded.

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