The AP obtained body camera footage from 2019 showing a State Police Trooper savagely beating a Black man in Monroe with a metal flashlight during a traffic stop.
46-year-old Aaron Bowman is shown being pummeled 18 times by Trooper Jacob Brown. Bowman’s Attorney Donecia Banks-Miley said Bowman suffered a large gash on his head that required staples, a broken wrist, a broken jaw, and broken ribs as a result. Banks-Miley said Bowman also requires physiological treatment to help him process the trauma.
“When he sees it he breaks down every time, when he sees it he says he is reliving it,” said Banks-Miley who added that Bowman was able to view the video back in June after sending a request to the FBI but saw it for the first time with family when it was released by the AP.
Bowman is a dialysis patient and Banks-Miley said the impact from the beating required him to start receiving dialysis through his chest. The incident occurred not far from Bowman’s house, and Bowman was reportedly out that night picking up some household items from a nearby store.
Troopers accuse Bowman of committing a traffic violation and resisting arrest. The beating was defended by Brown who called it “pain compliance”.
“We’re not buying it, it’s a bunch of bull,” said Banks-Miley. “The audacity of Jacob Brown to say anything in that regard and for them to… that’s just completely wrong. The reports were fabricated to say the least.”
The investigation into the attack did not begin until about a year and a half after the incident. State Police released a statement saying Brown engaged in “excessive and unjustifiable actions” and that he “intentionally mislabeled” body camera footage and did not properly report use of force. Brown resigned in March and now faces Second Degree Battery and Malfeasance charges.
The Advocate reported State Police records show Brown had 23 use of force incidents between 2015 and 2019, 19 of them against Black people, some of which he is reportedly on record bragging about.
Video and audio captured from the incident do not appear to show Bowman resisting as he is held down by several troopers.
“He was not resisting he never laid his hands on any officer,” said Banks-Miley. “He was complying with their requests, the only thing he did was cry out for help.”
Bowman still faces charges related to the stop including Battery of a Police Officer and Resisting Arrest. He also faces a traffic violation, Improper Lane Usage. Bowman denies he resisted arrest or hit an officer and Banks-Miley said their lawsuit is about getting these troopers off the streets and Bowman’s charges dropped. The attorney said this isn’t the first time Bowman or others in the community were harassed by law enforcement because they were Black.
“This has happened at least two or three times in the past where he was stopped and asked questions in regards to him being an informant to inform them if he knew anyone else doing some type of illegal activity related to drugs,” said Banks-Miley who believes there is a deeper issue at play here. “A deeper issue it the systematic issue that has become the culture of these different troops and agencies such as Troop F.”
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