A police officer who was caught choking ex-NFL player Desmond Marrow on camera during an arrest in December has been fired, CNN reports. Officer David Rose was seen in a video choking Marrow, pressing his head into the ground in a Georgia parking lot as he yelled out that he was unable to breathe. "He started screaming in joy over the phone," said Marrow's attorney Chris Stewart, who has defended other cases of police brutality including the deaths of Alton Sterling and Walter Scott, in response to the news.
Henry County Police Chief Mark Amerman confirmed Rose was terminated after an internal investigation, not only for using excessive force but saying he planned to omit certain details from his police report about the incident. "Officer Rose was recorded stating that he choked Mr. Marrow," Amerman said in an official statement. "He was also recorded stating that he was not going to write that information in his report."
After two white drivers yelled racial slurs and threw a cup of coffee onto Marrow's windshield, he sped after the other car to get the license plate and speak to the men before ending up in the parking lot. A group of officers, including Rose, were captured on video slamming Marrow's head on the back of a truck and choking him during the arrest. The police report states a man from the other car told police Marrow tailed them closely and even damaged the vehicle. Marrow also claims police searched his car for a gun, but no weapon was found. The authorities were provided with footage of the arrest, recorded by an anonymous bystander, that very same day. It wasn't until Marrow himself posted the footage to social media that the police department opened an investigation into the incident.
While some charges against Marrow stemming from the arrest including felony obstruction of an officer and making terroristic threats are set to be dropped, others including reckless and aggressive driving are still under review, according to District Attorney Darius Pattillo. "We have reviewed the police reports, witness statements, 911 calls, audio and videos, as well as interviewed witnesses, and determined there is insufficient evidence to present any felony charges to a grand jury," Patillo said in his own statement.
According to Stewart, Marrow has been suffering from severe headaches since the arrest and is trying to determine whether or not he suffered neurological damage. They are also planning to file a lawsuit in the event the county refuses to settle out of court. "This should be a blueprint for excessive force situations across the county," Stewart said. "You don't get justice like this all the time."
