Lateef Dickerson: Police video footage shows 'white police officer kicking black suspect in teeth'

Delaware officer has been charged with assault

Dashcame footage shows a white officer kicking a black suspect in the teethe

Footage released from a police dashcam appears to show a black suspect being kicked in the teeth by a white officer who has been charged with assault.

The video footage was recorded in Dover, Delaware, in the summer of August 2013 and was released after a judge ruled that it could no longer be considered confidential. The judge had made the decision following a challenge by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Mr Webster, 41, was arrested on Monday and placed on unpaid leave after prosecutors charged him with assault. Previously, prosecutors had declined to bring charges against him.

“We believe that the video demonstrates the need for large-scale reform of the Dover Police Department, specifically improvements to their use of force and internal affairs practices, and supervision of their officers,” Kathleen MacRae, executive director of the ACLU of Delaware, said in a statement.

Mr Webster and another officer encountered Mr Dickerson while responding to a fight at a local service station possibly involving someone with a gun. Court records show that Mr Dickerson has a long criminal history, the AP said.

Mr Webster’s lawyer, James Liguori, said once the video from the officers own patrol car and audio from the dispatch centre was released, “everybody's going to be satisfied that no crime was committed”.

“They’ve only seen half the movie,” he said.

Police have said they “acted accordingly” after an internal investigation found that Mr Webster's action did not comply with department policy, and he returned to patrol duty in June 2014.