Mayor: chokeholds not tolerated, wants more information on knee on neck arrest photo
Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin is calling for the public to hand over any photos or videos of an arrest in which a Columbia Police Department officer put his knee on the neck of a person being arrested after Saturday’s protests.
Benjamin called a photo of the arrest concerning and said he “wanted answers.” The photo was taken by a photographer with The State.
“I immediately spoke with Chief (Skip) Holbrook who was aware of the situation and had already conducted a full review of the situation and also a review of our policies,” Benjamin said in a statement. “The chokehold is not allowed under City of Columbia policies and will not be tolerated. The only exception is when it is necessary to protect someone from serious physical injury or to protect human life.”
Benjamin made the call for more information after The State published the photo of the arrest with a story about officers’ putting the knees on the necks of suspects. The man in the photo was charged with a curfew violation.
George Floyd, a 46-year-old black Minneapolis man, died in police custody while an officer held a knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, raising a national dialogue about police brutality. His death sparked protests nationwide, including in Columbia.
Last Saturday, May 30, a peaceful demonstration at the State House escalated into violence that included property damage, burned police cars, and clashes with police.
Benjamin released police body camera footage of the arrest and other events to help find others who may have photos or videos of the arrest.
“Our country is experiencing an important movement toward equality and justice,” Benjamin said. “The City of Columbia is fully dedicated to being leaders in this movement.”
The police body cam footage can be seen on here and here.
This story was originally published June 5, 2020 at 7:11 PM.