Video shows Gastonia officer throw teen to ground; Family Issues Protocol – WSOC TV

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“I landed face first on the concrete,” he said.

This happened seconds after he told his brother to call their mother for help.

“People who were supposed to protect you and serve you and they do things like this,” he told Lemon.

He said that on Mother's Day morning, around 3 a.m., he and some friends left a party to go for a walk in downtown Gastonia.

Police said they received a call about eight to 10 youths wearing masks and backpacks near Trenton Mills. The complex, which has been the subject of numerous nightly burglaries, is about a 15-minute walk from Dr. Martin Luther King Square, where police arrested the group.

“We didn’t do anything wrong,” Winston said.

Winston said everyone else in the group showed police their IDs or gave their names. He refused, which is allowed under state law, except in one circumstance mentioned by one of the officers.

“It’s called explicit suspicion,” the officer says in the video.

Defense attorney Brent Ratchford said “explicit suspicion” means police can force people to show their ID or give their name if they are searching for crime suspects nearby. Ratchford said it was overkill in this case.

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“A large group, say it’s 3 a.m., that can raise suspicion, but it’s not enough,” he said.

No one was arrested, but a medical report indicates that Winston suffered a concussion without loss of consciousness.

“I forget things a lot more,” he says. “I'm stunned. I feel like something is seriously wrong.

His grandmother, Sophia McGill, said the withdrawal had gone too far.

“He’s 15, he’s a teenager,” McGill said. “I want justice to be done. They should just end it.

Gastonia police said they repeatedly asked Winston to stop resisting and show his hands.

Her grandmother said she was looking for a lawyer to file a civil suit against the police.

Read the full statement on the incident from the Gastonia Police Department below:

“On 5/11/2024 at 3 a.m., Gastonia Police Officers observed a group of 8-10 people wearing masks on their heads and faces, carrying backpacks, and holding flashlights in the Trenton Mill Lofts parking lot. Lofts are a common target for vehicle burglaries. The responding officer explained why he was arresting the individuals. One of the subjects became uncooperative after multiple requests for identification. For reasons of police safety, the decision was taken to place him in detention. The subject immediately began to resist. The subject was repeatedly asked to stop resisting and show his hands. Officers were unable to determine the age of the individual because he was uncooperative. However, the minor was later returned to the custody of his mother. The case was referred to the Department of Juvenile Justice.

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