Not only did the officer attacked the man for no reason, he then falsified a report blaming the victim for the incident.
Officer Vincent Cosom, a six-year Baltimore police officer apparently had words with the man, 32-year old Kollin Truss. According to the attorney of the Kollin Truss, words were exchanged between the officer and his client inside a store. The officer claims that he told Truss to stop loitering and Truss told him, “F*ck you. I will see you when I get outside.”
On one surveillance video, the two men are seen in front the liquor store arguing. A woman then steps between them and she is eventually pushed away by the officer. Truss and the woman leaves the area but were followed by the officer to another location where a second video shows the officer running up on the unsuspecting Truss and punching him, repeatedly in the face. The officer then arrested Truss, charging him with assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and alcohol intoxication.
Now that the surveillance videos show the truth, everyone is understandably outraged, some even demanding body cameras for all the officers. Baltimore police Commissioner, Anthony Batts, said that he is “shocked, I’m outraged, I’m disgusted by what I saw by an employee of the Baltimore City Police Department.” Even the mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake expressed frustration with the incident.
“I am deeply disgusted by the images I saw in this video. [Cosom’s] conduct was shameful and not worthy of the sworn obligation every officer takes to serve and protect city residents.”
Cosom is on paid administrative leave and the incident – which happened in June – is being investigated. Kollin Truss has filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the Cosom and the Baltimore Police Department.
