Robert Leone is suing the Pennsylvania State Police for alleged brutality. Leone claims he was viciously beaten by law enforcement officers during an arrest for a hit and run accident. WBNG-TV reports that Leone’s arrest and the physical altercation with the police officers was captured on the cruiser’s dash camera. The incident occurred in 2010, but the police video was only recently uploaded on YouTube and the lawsuit has not yet gone to trial.
Leone, of New York, was pulled over in Bradford County, PA on suspicion of committing a hit and run. Although a swollen right eye and bruised face are visible in Leone’s rather gruesome looking mugshot, the injuries do not necessarily prove the Pennsylvania State Police acted in a brutal manner. As shown on the police dash camera video, Leone refused to pull over when the officers flipped on their lights and sirens – forcing the troopers to use two cruisers to box the suspect in on the roadway.
The scene depicted in the video shows Pennsylvania state troopers instructing Leone to exit his vehicle and when he refused to comply, an officer used a taser gun through the suspect’s sunroof. The physical altercation includes an officer kicking Leone while other officers attempted to handcuff him, according to the video footage. The entire fight is not visible from the cruiser dash camera video. Officers maintain that Leone was violent towards the police during the arrest.
Pennsylvania State Trooper Scott Renfer broke his hand as a result of the “blow after blow” to Leone’s head, The Blaze reports. Leone claims he was kicked repeatedly and tased off camera. Police statements heard on the raw video include one state trooper yelling, “Do you know who you’re messing with? This is the Pennsylvania State Police,” at Leone during the arrest.
Do you think the police used excessive force during Leone’s arrest?