Local

Titusville activist calls for police citizens' review board after suspect allegedly punched by cop

By Melonie Holt, WFTV.com
By Melonie Holt, WFTV.com

TITUSVILLE, Fla. — The Titusville City Council got an earful Tuesday night after an activist asked them to form a citizens' police review board.

"We cannot allow the police to police themselves," said Rev. Johnnie Dennis, of the National Action Network.

The request stems from a December drug arrest that was captured on a cellphone and appears to show a 20-year-old suspect being punched after he's taken to the ground.
Amari N. Hair, of Titusville, faces charges of possession of heroin and possession of hydromorphone. 
Hair was placed in handcuffs and taken down to the ground by two officers, the video showed.
Moments later, an officer told Hair to stop resisting and then punched him in the face because Hair disobeyed commands to stop reaching for his front waistband, police said.
The chief said his department is still gathering all the facts in the case, which is now the center of an internal affairs investigation.
>>>Read more Brevard County stories<<<
The Dec. 27 take-down and arrest at a South Hopkins Avenue Cumberland Farms was captured by a cellphone camera and is now a call to action for one local activist. 
He wants the city of Titusville to consider forming a citizens’ police review board and to fire Detective Joshua Bernd.
“We have no problem with them upholding the law, but (not) breaking the law and not being held accountable,” said the Rev. Johnnie Dennis of the National Action Network.
The police chief said his agency is transparent.
“We pride ourselves on that. We also have oversight by the state accreditation as well as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement,” said Chief John Lau.
Lau said his department launched an internal review of the arrest without a formal complaint. 
He doesn't see the need for a citizens’ review board to determine if the arrest violated department policy.
“We want to interview any witnesses that may have seen it, or been a part of it, any employees here. So, we interview everybody, and then we take all the facts,” he said.
The information will ultimately be turned over to the state attorney's office to determine if there are any criminal violations.
“We have no confidence in internal affairs investigating the police. Because when the police investigate the police, they cover up their crimes and exonerate each other,” Dennis said.
Since he was hired in 2013, Bernd has been the subject of one internal affairs investigation.

WATCH: Video of the arrest

Cox Media Group

Most Read