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Public outcry at Springfield meeting after video shows officer striking, pinning 19-year-old; council presses chief for answers
Summary
After a circulated video showed a Springfield police officer striking and restraining a 19-year-old, the Committee of the Whole heard sustained testimony from aldermen and more than two dozen public commenters demanding independent review, suspension and implementation of Massey Commission reforms; the police chief defended the officer as following training.
Springfields Committee of the Whole devoted a major portion of its March 31 meeting to an incident captured in a widely circulated community video that shows a Springfield police officer using a strike while restraining a 19-year-old woman.
Chair opened the topic by acknowledging the video and saying the council would consider de-escalation and contractual measures. Several aldermen expressed emotion and outrage. Alderman Williams called the action "wrong" and urged the creation of an independent oversight mechanism, not internal policing of the department.
Police command described the officers tactics at the meeting. The Chief said officers move through defined levels of force and described the…
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