Evaluating the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Use of Force Policy

On August 8, 2021, three officers (later joined by others) attempted to arrest a man in the 1500 block of U Street in the Anacostia neighborhood. The man was suspected of distributing drugs and was believed to possess a handgun. As two officers held the man's arms and attempted to handcuff him, another officer punched the man in the face/head approximately 8 times. The incident was captured on video, quickly uploaded, and became the source of community outcry. The officers were suspended and referred for criminal prosecution. In this episode of BWTBL, Serge and Clarke evaluate the case by use of the MPD's Use of Force policy. This is the first of two episodes on this subject that we hope will be of interest to anyone attempting to understand the actions of the officer, the Department or the United States Attorney.