Footage Shows a Dozen Police Beating Suspect

Police on Wednesday were videotaped kicking and beating a suspect who had been involved in a shootout with officers minutes earlier.

Mayor John F. Street promised “a proper and fair investigation.”

“While it would be easy to be inflamed by the videotape, we have to determine all the facts,” Street said late Wednesday night.

Street said that “as inflammatory as this tape might be,” police had been trying to apprehend the man, who had resisted arrest and shot an officer.

Thomas Jones, 30, is accused of leading police on a chase in a stolen patrol car after firing at them and injuring one with an officer’s gun. He was dragged from the police car and kicked and beaten by a dozen officers for about 30 seconds while a television news helicopter hovered overhead.

Jones, who appeared to resist officers as he was led away in a chokehold and handcuffs, was in serious condition with injuries to his abdomen and arms, said hospital spokeswoman Vivica Aycox.

Witnesses said he and police traded numerous gunshots before he leaped into one of their cruisers and fled. Police said the man was shot by officers two or three times.

Police Commissioner John Timoney said questions about police brutality were premature.

“The guy obviously doesn’t want to get arrested,” Timoney said. “When somebody doesn’t want to get arrested, there really isn’t a very easy way of doing it. So let’s not jump to any conclusions; let’s wait and see what happens.”

The incident began when officers saw a car driving erratically and determined it was reported stolen July 1, Timoney said. Two officers stopped the car and there was a confrontation with the suspect outside of the car.