Usually in the news lately, it’s been police brutality against minorities that has caught attention. This time in the latest case of ‘Cops Gone Wild,’ a Tennessee sheriff’s deputy is shown on camera choking a student until he passes out. University of Tennessee Police called for backup because a block party of several hundred rowdy students was out of control. The Knox County Sherriff’s department responded with several units and students began throwing bottles.
At some point, student Jarod Dotson was singled out of the crowd for arrest. The student was allegedly intoxicated and was resisting arrest. That’s when Knox County Sheriff’s deputy Frank Phillips, 47, put his hands around Dotson’s neck and began choking him while two other officers handcuffed the student. The burly officer chokes Dotson until he falls to his knees seemingly unconscious. Deputy Phillips then appears to slap Dotson across the face a few times to bring him back to consciousness. The student is later made to walk to a police van with other arrested students. The whole incident was caught in a series of pictures taken by a partygoer.
In response to the incident, Deputy Phillips was fired and Knox County Sheriff Jimmy “J.J.” Jones issued the following statement, “In my 34 years of law enforcement experience, excessive force has never been tolerated. After an investigation by the Office of Professional Standards, I believe excessive force was used in this incident. herefore, Officer Phillips’ employment with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office is terminated immediately.”
As for Dotson, he was charged with public intoxication and resisting arrest. Dotson was released Sunday morning on a $500 bond.
