Florida Ex-Cop Accused Of Beating Black Man Was One Of The Proud Boys Attacking Police At The Capitol Riots
Source: Nathan Howard / Getty
ABlack man is suing the city of Apopka, Florida after he says he was beaten by police in his driveway.
According to reports, in November 2019, Jason Friend, who is a former police officer, was sitting in his car in his driveway listening to music that reminded him of his late grandmother. The music prompted a neighbor to call the police and complain about the music being too loud.
Police claimed Friend was drunk when they arrived on the scene and was unresponsive when officers tried speaking with him. According to their report, Friend hit one of the officers as they tried to reach for his keys, which were in the ignition. Officers then claimed they believed Friend was reaching for a gun under the seat, so they pulled him out of the car. The report claims that officers had to use a stun-gun on Friend after he became violent. He was eventually arrested, but all charges were later dropped.
A video that was posted to TikTok shows officers dragging Friend out of his car and punching him repeatedly. Officers can also be seen with their knees in the back of Friend as he is screaming and pleading with officers that he couldn’t breathe. You can also hear officers cursing at Friend as he continues to try to talk with the police.
Watch the video below:
Apopka Florida police department brutally beating a Black Man not knowing that he is an ex police officer. #fuegosunnecessarynecessarynews #fyp
Justice For Jason Friend #fyp #fuegosunnecessarynecessarynews #follow #apopkaflorida
“It’s a big cover-up from beginning to end,” said Friend during a press conference. “This story has to be told.”
And the story is a wild one.
Nathaniel Tuck, one of the officers involved in the incident, was arrested for his participation in the Jan 6 attack on the Capitol. According to reports, Tuck, who was a member of the Proud Boys, broke into the U.S. Capitol and allegedly hit a police officer. Tuck’s father also participated in the insurrection. His arrest forced him to resign on September 18, 2020 but did reveal that Tuck was a member of the Proud Boys while he was an officer at the Apopka Police Department. Tuck says he joined the Proud Boys after watching hours of Antifa videos on YouTube. The rabbit hole of Antifa videos led tuck to Proud Boy founder Gavin McInnes.
Tuck’s relationship with the Proud Boys is cause for serious concern. Police officers with preconceived biases can be dangerous and Jason Friend shouldn’t have had to learn that the hard way.
Friend is suing the city of Apopka and Orange County. The city has yet to comment on the pending lawsuit.
“My 13-year-old child was in my house, Friend said. “My wife was in the house. If they would have rolled up and just asked hey go knock on the door. There’s no victim. There’s no crime. It’s a noise complaint.”
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