# Why was this University of Maryland student beaten by the police? (video) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 14, 2010, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-university-of-maryland-student-beaten-by-the-police-video/536041 "2010-04-14T06:37:58Z")\ **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:** [April 14, 2010, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-university-of-maryland-student-beaten-by-the-police-video/536041/1 "2010-04-14T06:37:58Z")
[Per this video](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/13/jack-mckenna-beaten_n_535849.html) this celebrating student gets what appears to be a huge beatdown for… well… nothing really. He is skipping or dancing in celebration of the Terps basketball win over Duke and then officers rush him and beat the tar out of him. Assuming the officers aren’t utterly insane what in the world could have premeditated that attack? > [@](#): > > COLLEGE PARK, Md. – A police chief in suburban Washington says he is outraged by a video that shows three police officers in riot gear beating a University of Maryland student during a rowdy basketball victory celebration. > > One Prince George’s County police officer has been suspended and Police Chief Roberto Hylton says two others will be as soon as they are identified. > > Attorney Christopher Griffiths released video of the March 3 incident Monday after charges were dropped against his client, 21-year-old John McKenna. McKenna was one of 28 people arrested that night near the College Park campus. > > It’s not clear who shot the video or how a private investigator working on behalf of McKenna and another student got it. > > County prosecutors are investigating the beating and police have launched an investigation. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-university-of-maryland-student-beaten-by-the-police-video/536041/2 "2010-04-14T07:14:43Z")
He must have said something that really pissed them off. Some police officers just like beatin’ people. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-university-of-maryland-student-beaten-by-the-police-video/536041/3 "2010-04-14T11:23:24Z")
Yeah, my guess is it was a “Fuck you cops!”-type incident. ---
**Author:** ![Chicagojeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@Chicagojeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicagojeff)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-university-of-maryland-student-beaten-by-the-police-video/536041/4 "2010-04-14T14:59:22Z")
Between the false report that was filed as well as the unwarranted beating the he received i seriously hope that the officers are brought up on criminal charges. Police Officers have to know that their actions have serious consequences and when you act like that you’re nothing but a street gang. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-university-of-maryland-student-beaten-by-the-police-video/536041/5 "2010-04-14T16:55:03Z")
Cops usually won’t turn on their own. It’s only a guess, but if any of those cops get under too much heat, I expect a “Blue wall of silence”. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-university-of-maryland-student-beaten-by-the-police-video/536041/6 "2010-04-14T17:05:08Z")
Welcome to Prince George’s County. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-university-of-maryland-student-beaten-by-the-police-video/536041/7 "2010-04-14T17:10:58Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > Yeah, my guess is it was a “Fuck you cops!”-type incident. Fuck you cops is right. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-university-of-maryland-student-beaten-by-the-police-video/536041/8 "2010-04-14T17:21:47Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Welcome to Prince George’s County. Bingo. This county’s police force has a (well-deserved) brutal reputation, and this incident is proof that indeed they will beat the crap out of you just for looking at them funny. Fun fact: My parents live in Alexandria, Virginia, just across a bridge from PG county. Thieves once unsuccessfully tried to carjack my dad, and as they were fleeing, Alexandria cops gave chase to their SUV, which fled across that bridge. They were quickly corraled over there, and after one Alexandria officer told my parents that they had been arrested in PG County, the other Alexandria cop snorted, “And they’ll beat the hell out of them over there!” So they have that rep even among other cops. ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-university-of-maryland-student-beaten-by-the-police-video/536041/9 "2010-04-14T17:45:38Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Fuck you cops is right. :mad: Yes, I, too, generally hate fucking cops. For shit like this, of course, and also for much more mundane, but no less insidious, shit. [This does me a world of good after watching fucked up shit like that.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSvD5SM_uI4) ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-university-of-maryland-student-beaten-by-the-police-video/536041/10 "2010-04-14T21:32:14Z")
> [@MTCicero](#): > > Yes, I, too, generally hate fucking cops. For shit like this, of course, and also for much more mundane, but no less insidious, shit. > > [This does me a world of good after watching fucked up shit like that.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSvD5SM_uI4) I see this picture of a badass dude and the words “Body” on the left and “Count” on the right. Nothing else happens. Just wondering, what in the hell is that supposed to mean??😕 ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-university-of-maryland-student-beaten-by-the-police-video/536041/11 "2010-04-14T22:40:43Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Bingo. This county’s police force has a (well-deserved) brutal reputation, and this incident is proof that indeed they will beat the crap out of you just for looking at them funny. > > Fun fact: My parents live in Alexandria, Virginia, just across a bridge from PG county. Thieves once unsuccessfully tried to carjack my dad, and as they were fleeing, Alexandria cops gave chase to their SUV, which fled across that bridge. They were quickly corraled over there, and after one Alexandria officer told my parents that they had been arrested in PG County, the other Alexandria cop snorted, “And they’ll beat the hell out of them over there!” So they have that rep even among other cops. Yeah. What I really meant was: [Voice of Dave Chappelle mimicking Rick James]Welcome to Prince George’s county, BITCH.[/Voice of Dave Chappelle mimicking Rick James]😃 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-university-of-maryland-student-beaten-by-the-police-video/536041/12 "2010-04-15T13:35:21Z")
> [@LiveOnAPlane](#): > > I see this picture of a badass dude and the words “Body” on the left and “Count” on the right. Nothing else happens. > > Just wondering, what in the hell is that supposed to mean??😕 Turn up your volume. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-university-of-maryland-student-beaten-by-the-police-video/536041/13 "2010-04-15T14:36:26Z")
I’m wondering if he was close to a Oscar Mayer factory when he told the cops he smelled bacon… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-university-of-maryland-student-beaten-by-the-police-video/536041/14 "2010-04-15T14:49:57Z")
Must be Duke fans. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-university-of-maryland-student-beaten-by-the-police-video/536041/15 "2010-04-16T06:15:54Z")
He was probably drunk and did something stupid. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-university-of-maryland-student-beaten-by-the-police-video/536041/16 "2010-04-16T06:23:49Z")
[This is how they do shit in Prince George’s County](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NcMsDtyNKw), bitch. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-university-of-maryland-student-beaten-by-the-police-video/536041/17 "2010-04-16T06:38:52Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > [This is how they do shit in Prince George’s County](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NcMsDtyNKw), bitch. Yep. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-university-of-maryland-student-beaten-by-the-police-video/536041/18 "2010-04-16T06:58:21Z")
That was worth staying up an extra 4 minutes to watch. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-university-of-maryland-student-beaten-by-the-police-video/536041/19 "2010-04-16T07:59:54Z")
> [@tr0psn4j](#): > > That was worth staying up an extra 4 minutes to watch. 🙂 You’re welcome. I’m constantly trying to tell people about it but it never seemed relevant until now. Awesome video. ---
**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:** [April 16, 2010, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-university-of-maryland-student-beaten-by-the-police-video/536041/20 "2010-04-16T09:10:08Z")
Supposedly dozens of students complained of similar treatment from the PG police force that night. The only difference is that one was caught on tape. The arrest report was totally fabricated. The officers said the guy assaulted the police, the horse kicked him and that is how he got his bruises. So there is hard evidence that they falsified a police report. [http://www.alternet.org/story/146490/"i\_didn't\_do\_anything%2C\_and\_i\_got\_my\_ass\_kicked"\_--\_the\_unfolding\_police\_scandal\_over\_videotaped\_md.\_student\_beating](http://www.alternet.org/story/146490/%22i_didn%27t_do_anything%2C_and_i_got_my_ass_kicked%22_--_the_unfolding_police_scandal_over_videotaped_md._student_beating) > [@](#): > > As Officer Ardozini #246 and Officer Jones #177 from the maryland National Capital Park Police mounted unit attempted to regain order, Arrested 1 and arrested 2 struck those officers and their horses causing minor injuries. Arrested 1 and Arrested 2 were both kicked by the horses and sustained minor injuries. From the video it is obvious that none of that happened. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-this-university-of-maryland-student-beaten-by-the-police-video/536041.md?page=2)