# Whatever happened to the dancing U of MD student who was beaten by police last year? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 4, 2011, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-dancing-u-of-md-student-who-was-beaten-by-police-last-year/584294 "2011-06-04T08:21:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-dancing-u-of-md-student-who-was-beaten-by-police-last-year/584294/1 "2011-06-04T08:21:00Z")
Re this story, I never say any followup ups and in googling it it appears there are no updates. Anyone know what happened? [Unprovoked Cops Viciously Beat Student Then Charge Him With Assault Video exonerates innocent victim and initiates criminal charges against police](Unprovoked Cops Viciously Beat Student Then Charge Him With Assault) [ABC story at the time](http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/student-beaten-cops-fights-back-10369656) > [@](#): > > Charges against a Maryland student were dropped yesterday after video was released showing three unprovoked police officers violently beating him to the ground with batons following a basketball game last month. > > As the video reveals, John McKenna, 21, was celebrating a Maryland basketball victory on the evening of March 3rd. > > As the student walks down the street close to the university’s College Park campus, he is seen waving his arms and dancing jovially. He then slows, stops and backs away upon seeing several horse mounted police ahead of him. > > McKenna is then set upon and viciously slammed against a brick wall by dismounted officers in riot gear, who pummel him with batons, knocking him unconscious according to his lawyer. > > As a hefty officer takes a run up and delivers a forceful blow to the legs, McKenna, somehow still standing, is hacked to the ground. > > The cops then continue to beat McKenna in the head and body around a dozen times in total as he lays crumpled and motionless, neither resisting nor able to defend himself. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-dancing-u-of-md-student-who-was-beaten-by-police-last-year/584294/2 "2011-06-04T08:38:00Z")
I have no idea but it reminds me of the Leonard Pitts column I just read about dancers at the Washington? Lincoln? Jefferson? memorial who were attacked and arrested by police. The editorial started off with some comment to the effect of, “Now we all agree that the arrests were warranted,” and I was like, say what? I would like to see a little more dancing in the world and a little less hitting people with sticks. Is that too much to ask? If you see someone dancing, can you just walk on by instead of re-enacting Thog the Caveman? ---
**Author:** ![busterpickle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@busterpickle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/busterpickle)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-dancing-u-of-md-student-who-was-beaten-by-police-last-year/584294/3 "2011-06-04T23:44:56Z")
If you Google: “University of Maryland Student Beaten by Cops Fights Back” you will see some links with updates. [They were PG cops and four were suspended.](http://www.wtop.com/?nid=708&sid=1933026) ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-dancing-u-of-md-student-who-was-beaten-by-police-last-year/584294/4 "2011-06-05T00:30:26Z")
> [@astro](#): > > [ABC story at the time](http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/student-beaten-cops-fights-back-10369656) I have nothing to add but wanted to say that I don’t think I have ever witnessed such an outrageous, unequivocal, and absolutely disgusting example of police corruption and brutality as documented in that ABC story (the video is jaw-dropping, especially in relation to the fact that _the kid_ was the one initially charged. And with a felony! My God!) ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-dancing-u-of-md-student-who-was-beaten-by-police-last-year/584294/5 "2011-06-05T03:57:22Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > I have nothing to add but wanted to say that I don’t think I have ever witnessed such an outrageous, unequivocal, and absolutely disgusting example of police corruption and brutality as documented in that ABC story (the video is jaw-dropping, especially in relation to the fact that _the kid_ was the one initially charged. And with a felony! My God!) There was also an issue with missing video footage from the surveillance camera that covered the area where the beating took place. The camera, IIRC, is on campus and looks down Knox Rd where the beating took place. The UM campus police are in charge of it and the video from the time frame was “accidentally” missing when the student’s lawyer asked for it. The UM police officer in charge of the video just happened to be married to one of the Park Police officers on the horses. At least that’s what I remember hearing a few days after it happened. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-dancing-u-of-md-student-who-was-beaten-by-police-last-year/584294/6 "2011-06-05T04:25:35Z")
I did a Lexis/Nexis search, and the most recent story i could find was from December 4, 2010. It was in the _Washington Post_. Here are some relevant details: > [@](#): > > Federal authorities are now leading the investigation into three Prince George’s County police officers who were caught on tape beating an unarmed University of Maryland student, and the federal officials made no secret of it this week by descending on the homes of about 40 officers who worked the night of the incident. > > \ > > No one has been charged in the case, though three county police officers - Reginald H. Baker, Anthony J. Cline and James Harrison Jr. - remain suspended or on desk duty while the investigation proceeds, authorities said. > > \ > > The accuracy of reports filed that night also is under investigation. Police charging documents initially alleged that McKenna and another student, Benjamin C. Donat, jointly assaulted police officers and their horses. The video contradicted that, and the charges against the students were dropped. > > The officer who filed those charges, Sean McAleavey, was suspended but quickly returned to duty - and the Prince George’s state’s attorney’s office does not consider him a suspect, according to a law enforcement source familiar with that investigation. It remains unclear whether he is a target of the FBI. I haven’t been able to determine whether the FBI have yet come to any conclusions, or laid any charges. Given that these cops were in Prince Georges County, i’m sort of surprised they were even suspended. In PG County, it often seems that police misconduct is more likely to draw bravery citations and promotions. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-dancing-u-of-md-student-who-was-beaten-by-police-last-year/584294/7 "2011-06-05T06:13:24Z")
I don’t understand; what was the cops’ motivation for the beating in the first place? All I can come up with is jumping the gun on the assumption that the celebratory sports fans would soon begin rioting and taking inaccurately violent measures to suppress such disorder, but even that seems implausibly wild. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-dancing-u-of-md-student-who-was-beaten-by-police-last-year/584294/8 "2011-06-05T07:13:03Z")
> [@Indistinguishable](#): > > I don’t understand; what was the cops’ motivation for the beating in the first place? All I can come up with is jumping the gun on the assumption that the celebratory sports fans would soon begin rioting and taking inaccurately violent measures to suppress such disorder, but even that seems implausibly wild. It was a bunch or people raising a wild ruckus (that in the past had gotten out of control and violent) which tends to put police on edge. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time at the point they finally decided someone was going to get a beatdown. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-dancing-u-of-md-student-who-was-beaten-by-police-last-year/584294/9 "2011-06-05T07:33:30Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Given that these cops were in Prince Georges County, i’m sort of surprised they were even suspended. In PG County, it often seems that police misconduct is more likely to draw bravery citations and promotions. I’m guessing they don’t usually get caught on video. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-dancing-u-of-md-student-who-was-beaten-by-police-last-year/584294/10 "2012-12-19T13:55:12Z")
[Just found an update to this story.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/prince-georges-judge-deals-too-lightly-with-a-police-officers-assault/2012/12/17/4d696822-4644-11e2-8061-253bccfc7532_story.html?wprss=rss_editorials) Though at least 3 officers hit him, two were charged with assault, one was convicted. The convicted guy faced a possible 10 year sentence. What he got was 30 days of home detention, and 18 months of unsupervised probation. Fuck. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-dancing-u-of-md-student-who-was-beaten-by-police-last-year/584294/11 "2012-12-19T15:17:13Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Fuck. Yup. From the linked article > [@](#): > > (W)hen police act without discipline and then cover it up, they forfeit any claim to credibility and trust. It’s a pity the judicial system did not take the offense more seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-dancing-u-of-md-student-who-was-beaten-by-police-last-year/584294/12 "2012-12-20T00:17:29Z")
Fuck. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-dancing-u-of-md-student-who-was-beaten-by-police-last-year/584294/13 "2012-12-20T02:03:35Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > I have nothing to add but wanted to say that I don’t think I have ever witnessed such an outrageous, unequivocal, and absolutely disgusting example of police corruption and brutality as documented in that ABC story (the video is jaw-dropping, especially in relation to the fact that _the kid_ was the one initially charged. And with a felony! My God!) For everyone that gets videotaped, I’m sure 10,000 similar incidents are never videotaped and the kids life is damaged by violent cops. The police were investigated because objective evidence proved they were violent and lying. Had it not been for objective evidence (rather than eyewitness testimony) they probably would’ve sided with the officers. There were easily a dozen cops who witnessed the assault, false charges and the false police report and not one came forward. The only reason this came to light was because of the videotape. The 2 or 3 violent cops are one thing, but the dozen(s) who saw what was happening and covered up their acts are just as bad. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2012, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-dancing-u-of-md-student-who-was-beaten-by-police-last-year/584294/14 "2012-12-20T02:10:36Z")
The guy did get a 2 million settlement out of it. I’d take an unprovoked beating by the cops for $2 million. But had there been no videotape then the police would’ve gotten away with it and all the police eyewitnesses would’ve lied and helped cover it up. And the kid’s career path would’ve been heavily damaged by a felony record. What is also infuriating is that some states, cities and municipalities are dealing with these issues not by enforcing professionalism by the police, but by trying to make it illegal to videotape the police. Is Prince georges county the county where the police were mandated by the feds to install video cameras on their cars to provide objective evidence, or was that somewhere else? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-dancing-u-of-md-student-who-was-beaten-by-police-last-year/584294/15 "2012-12-29T03:03:20Z")
[Here’s an article](http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/prince-georges-police-get-away-with-a-college-park-beating/2012/12/28/9f6186c6-505f-11e2-8b49-64675006147f_story.html?wprss=rss_editorials), an editorial by the Washington Post, claiming the trial was essentially fixed. The judge’s ex-husband was was a PG county cop who had previously been convicted of shooting a helpless suspec. on the ground, and she communicated her disdain for the prosecution of the officers by turning her back on the prosecutor during his summation. She didn’t disclose her apparent conflict until a reporter dig it up. When the cop was convicted, she gave him an ridiculously gentle tap on the wrist. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-dancing-u-of-md-student-who-was-beaten-by-police-last-year/584294/16 "2014-09-21T13:19:34Z")
An update on this story: the only PG county cop convicted of beating a UM student, who received a ridiculous little slap on the wrist sentence, [had even that conviction thrown out](http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-judge-wrongly-throws-out-an-officers-assault-verdict-in-prince-georges-county/2014/09/20/70c8175e-4017-11e4-b03f-de718edeb92f_story.html?wprss=rss_editorials). ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-dancing-u-of-md-student-who-was-beaten-by-police-last-year/584294/17 "2014-09-21T14:17:23Z")
That is incredibly depressing but, in PG County, not especially surprising. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-dancing-u-of-md-student-who-was-beaten-by-police-last-year/584294/18 "2014-09-21T16:36:03Z")
Come on guys, it is just a few bad apples. The question remains why all the bad apples join the police. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-dancing-u-of-md-student-who-was-beaten-by-police-last-year/584294/19 "2014-09-21T16:39:53Z")
Paging **Smapti** to the thread. This is the first call for **Smapti**. There’s an unfairly-maligned peace officer who needs your services! ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-dancing-u-of-md-student-who-was-beaten-by-police-last-year/584294/20 "2014-09-21T20:15:09Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > That is incredibly depressing but, in PG County, not especially surprising. “Forget it, Jake, it’s Chinatown.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-the-dancing-u-of-md-student-who-was-beaten-by-police-last-year/584294.md?page=2)