BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Just hours after the City of Buffalo released the surveillance video where a now-former cell block attendant brutally beat a suspect in handcuffs more than two years ago, city officials reacted.
"I was rather disgusted and very disappointed that anybody in a position of authority who has the ability to take away someones freedom would act in such a manner. No other words than disgusted," Council President Darius Pridgen said after watching the video for the first time just hours after it was released.
Pridgen said the Council was told, the lockup staff were immediately re-trained following the beating.
"I hope if somebody decides it's okay for them to grab somebody, to throw them on the ground, to bring blood out of their body, that they go to jail, too," he said.
7 Eyewitness News watched the video alongside former the New York State Supreme Court Justice Penny Wolfgang.
"It's amazing they had all these cameras and they still do this because they know where the cameras are, they know," Wolfgang said. She added the issue with surveillance tapes like this is no one knows what happened before or after.
As for the two officers seen in the video standing and watching--"(They are) not doing anything yes, but you can't see anything affirmative being done that would be a crime," Wolfgang commented.
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown not commenting Thursday evening on the video.
The video was released by the city to 7 Eyewitness News and The Buffalo News one day after the Buffalo Common Council voted to approve a $300,000 settlement to the inmate attacked, Shaun Porter.
The News sued the city to force release of the May 2016 tape. 7 Eyewitness News joined the lawsuitin August 2017, arguing disclosure of tapes showing misconduct in a city jail funded by taxpayers is of significant interest to the public.
To see the full video click here.
