Posts
GALVESTON -- All Michael McMillan said he could do was stand and watch as Galveston police officers arrested – and he claims beat – his friend, Houston Astros pitcher Brandon Backe.
“Just punching, punching, punching. Five, six, seven (times),” said McMillan. “Blood just pouring out of his nose (as) he's handcuffed.”
Backe, a Galveston native and local hero, was among nine people arrested after a brawl with police at a resort bar early Sunday morning. McMillan and others who witnessed the melee said police went too far and assaulted Backe and others.
Galveston police said they used what force was necessary to bring order to the situation.
“All I can see is a police officer with his hand on Brandon (and) kick Brandon on the side of the face,” said McMillan. “I'm like, come on guys y'all can't do that.”
McMillan and the 30-year-old starting pitcher were at the San Luis Hotel's H2O bar with others who had just left a wedding reception at the nearby Galveston Island Convention Center. The group was having drinks when, all of a sudden: “We're like, oh, my God, what's going on,” said McMillan.
What happened was that Cole O'Balle, a member of the wedding party, was on the ground. He had been handcuffed and was bloody. Police said the 19-year-old threw punches at them after they questioned him about having an open container.
What happened next was what McMillan described as chaos.
An eyewitness shot video of one portion of the police response that shows officers using Tasers to subdue two of the guests. One of the men can be heard crying in pain after being knocked to the ground.
The video is nothing compared to what police did to Backe, said McMillan.
“They're hitting him on the side of the face, both sides of the face. Both of his eyes are just unbelievable,” said McMillan.
The police report on the incident does confirm that a police officer punched Backe in the face twice, in order subdue him.
Officer Nicholas McDermott wrote in his report that after taking Backe down to the ground in a bushy area near the bar, “I observed Brandon get back onto his knees and hands and attempt to get up again. I then administered two closed hand strikes to Brandon's facial area.”
Police took Backe to jail, and McMillan went along with him. McMillan was charged with public intoxication, though he said he was not drunk. Backe was charged with misdemeanor resisting arrest and interfering with a police officer.
Also arrested at the scene was Jaime E. Forero, who has been the FEMA front man for recovery operations in Galveston. Police said Forero identified himself as the director of FEMA operations and threatened police with their jobs for arresting him on charges of failure to obey a police officer.
Source:TXCN.com
RSS Feed
Email Subscribe
0 Comments:
Post a Comment