Several organizations are holding a press event at 5:15 this evening at the Roanoke City Police Department to give more details on an alleged assault by two Roanoke County Police Officers. A press release by the groups Justice For Kionte, Black Lives Matter, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and Raise Up $15 says video footage was captured of two Roanoke County officers assaulting 32-year-old Alvin Murdock Sunday around midnight behind an Enterprise Rental Car location on Rt. 419 across from Tanglewood Mall. The release says video footage of the assault will be released later today at the press event. The groups are calling for a full investigation into the practices of Roanoke County Police. Including other incidents like the officer-involved shooting of 18-year-old Kionte Spencer.
Continue reading for the full release
PRESS EVENT
Justice For Kionte
Black Lives Matter
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Raise Up $15
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
On Sunday, August 28, 2016 at approximately 12:00 am two of Roanoke County police officers who later identified themselves (Names to be released at the press conference) were recorded physically assaulting 32 year old Alvin Murdock behind an Enterprise Rental Car location on Rt 419 across from Tanglewood Mall in Roanoke County. The assault was captured on the IPhone of a citizen who happened upon the situation after hearing what appeared to be a person “…screaming for their life…” and a sound that later seemed to be a taser. The phone cam caught images of Murdock “…on the ground, handcuffed with his pants and underwear down to his ankles and the two officers kneeling on top of him and repeatedly punching down onto his body”. When the officers discovered that they were being watched and videoed they immediately began to raise Murdock to a sitting position. The two also appeared to be removing what looked like taser cords from inside Murdock’s rectum. Murdock yelled out, prompted by questions from the citizen recorder that the officers were “…beating him below the belt—his groan and they were shoving stuff up his butt!”
(Video footage will be provided at the news conference for the media)
The aforementioned organizations are calling for the following:
- Immediate full investigation of the pattern and practices of the Roanoke County Police
- That Alvin Murdock and Derwin Bonds Jr. families be allowed immediate access to their sons
- Immediate full investigation of the pattern and practices of the Roanoke City Police
- The US Attorney R. Mountcastle to honor the call of hundreds of citizens to investigate the death of Kionte Spencer at the hands of Roanoke County Police
- Immediate disciplinary action against all of the officers involved in these incidents
- The State Police to investigate the “suicide” of the Roanoke City Police officer in the restroom of the police department
- Immediate release of all body and dash cam video associated with each of the incidents highlighted today
- The immediate suspension of the Roanoke County Police Chief
DATE: August 31, 2016
TIME: 5:15 PM
PLACE: Roanoke City Police Department / 348 Campbell Avenue SW
CONTACT: 540.330.1821 / 540.497.1570
