Monday, June 08, 2009

Man beaten and arrested for having an unzipped jacket

Surveillance videotape shows a police officer beating a man outside a bar in Passaic. The man is Ronnie Holloway and he was badly beaten back on May 29.

The footage shows Holloway waiting outside Lawrence's restaurant in Passaic when a police cruiser pulls up and a female officer asks Holloway to zip up his sweatshirt. Holloway appears to comply, but in an instant, Officer Joseph Rios III jumps out and starts beating him.



The 49-year-old, who is on medication for schizophrenia, does not appear to resist but that doesn't stop Officer Rios. At one point, he seems to stand Holloway back up, only to bodyslam him into the police cruiser. Officer Rios' partner looks like she's trying to intervene, but the punches don't stop until back-up arrives.

Holloway, who says he has no police record, was arrested on charges of resisting arrest and wandering with the intent to buy drugs. He has filed a complaint and an Internal Affairs investigation is underway.

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