‘Don’t Fight the Police’: Pennsylvania Cop on Desk Duty After He Tases Black Man on the Ground, Then Punch Him Twice In the Face During Traffic Stop Arrest Captured on Video
An investigation is underway into a police officer at the center of a video posted to social media that’s sparked outrage in one Pennsylvania town after he was seen punching a Black man multiple times before taking him into custody.
The cellphone video captured the arrest of 42-year-old Wayne Vick during a traffic stop on May 27 in Chester, Pennsylvania.
The footage shows Vick lying on the ground while a cop tasers him and yells, “Keep your f—ing hands behind your back!”
As Vick cries out from the shock of the Taser, the cop kneels over him and tries to force one of his arms behind his back. When the cop struggles to pull his arm behind his back, he punches Vick twice on the side of his face.
In court documents cited by WPVI, the officer stated that he stopped Vick’s car because it had tinted front windows. Vick pulled over, but then fled his car on foot, prompting the officer to deploy his Taser after a brief chase.
The officer said he deployed his Taser three more times while Vick was on the ground, but that Vick refused to put his hands behind his back and started reaching for his waistband. That’s when the cop struck him in the face.
In the video, backup arrives after the cop cuffs Vick. As onlookers in the background start speaking to police, the cop who cuffed Vick tells one woman, “Don’t fight the police, ma’am. It’ll happen every time.”
When the woman asks the cop why he hit Vick, he answers, “Because he was fighting.” One bystander challenges the response, saying Vick “was on the ground, already tased.”
Chester Police identified the arresting officer as Michael Brodzinski, who has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into the traffic stop. The agency said it’s also reviewing all available evidence and body-worn footage to ensure a “thorough and impartial review.”
“We acknowledge that a portion of the incident has been widely shared online; however, it is important to emphasize that the video circulating on social media does not capture the full context. Additional video evidence, including complete footage from Officer Brodzinski’s body-worn camera, documents the encounter from initiation to conclusion,” the department wrote on Facebook.
Vick was taken into custody and was charged with manufacture/delivery or possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance by a person not registered, use/possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting arrest or other law enforcement, evading arrest or detention on foot and improper sun screening.
His bail was set at $20,000, which he was unable to post, Delco Times reported. He remains at a county prison until his preliminary hearing on June 10.
“What we saw in that video is deeply concerning, and the public deserves answers. I have formally requested that the Delaware County District Attorney undertake an independent investigation of this serious matter, and the Chester Police Department is committed to fully cooperating throughout that process,” Mayor Stefan Roots said. “We are committed to the truth, to justice, and to ensuring that our police department reflects the values of our community—accountability, professionalism, and respect for every individual while upholding its duty to protect.”
Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said his office “will review all of the evidence, compare it to the law, make a finding, and then report back to me and the commissioner of police.”