Posted by Nick Valencia, CNN
Arrest warrants were issued on Monday for five Georgia police officers charged with the 2019 murder of a 24-year-old man. Fernando Rodriguez died of suffocation after being handcuffed and held down in allegedly violating state law.
The indictment accuses Henry County Police Officers Robert Butera and Quinton Phillips and ex-Hampton Police Officers Mason Lewis, Marcus Stroud and Gregory Bowlden killed Rodriguez on September 20, 2019 after contacting them before a concert at Atlanta Motor Speedway the police had.
The indictment, handed down by a Henry County grand jury on Friday night, charges all five officers of premeditation, two-count murder, aggravated assault and breach of the oath of office.
A Henry County prosecutor’s spokeswoman said arrest warrants were issued against the five officers Monday morning. Each officer is being held on bail of $ 100,000 and must report themselves by 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, the spokeswoman said.
The five-page indictment states that Rodriguez suffocated. Body cam footage shows him walking down a street completely naked, away from the officers when they monitored him more than a dozen times.
The indictment alleges that officers contributed to Rodriguez’s death by “stretching him prone on the floor, handcuffed and shackled, holding him and putting pressure on his body,” contrary to the state Laws.
“Rodriguez, who lived in the Atlanta area, was walking out of the Imagine Music Festival at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton when he was met by officials,” a prosecutor said in a press release. “The officers not only held his naked body on the floor, but hit Rodriguez more than a dozen times with their tasers.”
In an interview with CNN on Monday, the Rodriguez family lawyer called the video of the incident “gross”.
“This is a clear violation of civil rights, and apparently the prosecutor agrees,” said family attorney Page Pate.
The city of Hampton has already settled a multi-million dollar civil lawsuit, according to Godfather. The city did not respond to requests for comment.
“They paid the family $ 3 million as soon as they saw the complaint,” Pate said, adding that he expected Henry County to resolve a similar lawsuit.
Two lawyers representing the officers in their civil suits did not respond to CNN’s request for comment. The defense lawyers of the five officers were initially unable to comment.
“The family is very satisfied [with the indictment]“Page told CNN. “You have patiently waited for justice. We know this is a long process, but it’s a good start. “
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has conducted the investigation into Rodriguez’s death, according to the DA office press release.
The CNN Wire
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