A short video documentary was recently released about the 2010 arrest of Robert Charles Leone by Pennsylvania State Troopers. The gist of the story is that when Leone failed to pull his vehicle over to the side of the road–despite the presence of several police cars with flashing lights and sirens right behind his slow moving car–the police became enraged, forced him off the road, and then brutally beat their submissive prisoner.
Much of the documentary consists of the dash cam footage from one of the police cars on the scene. A man named Larry Hohol created the documentary film and he is apparently working with the Leone family to draw more attention to the criminal case, now on appeal, and a federal civil lawsuit alleging police brutality. Mr. Hohol says he has a law enforcement background, and in the video, he comments on the conduct of the officers–reminding viewers that even if an arrestee is a murderer, it is not only unprofessional, but illegal, for the police to beat up a prisoner. Mr. Hohol also says that Leone has a bi-polar condition and that’s why he did not pull his car over. That is, since Leone knew he had not done anything wrong, he was locked in a mindset that the police cars in his rear view mirror were not focusing upon him and that they would eventually pass his slow moving car whenever they were good and ready to do so.
Pennsylvania authorities claim that Leone was under the influence of drugs and that Leone attacked the officers–so the police only used the force that was necessary to subdue Leone.
Go here to see the video. The documentary has graphic and disturbing images–so viewer discretion is advised. Additional background here. Readers are invited to gather more information and draw their own conclusions. My own view is that a special prosecutor needs to be appointed to fully investigate this matter.
The Robert Charles Leone Arrest Video is a post from PoliceMisconduct.net