Authorities probe perplexing video of Maryland student

A Prince George's County, Maryland, laws police officer has going supported, and prosecuting officers are inquiring an secondary -- taken on telecasting recording -- in which ship's officers wielding batons got a University of Maryland educatee, officials told Tuesday.

Government also are depending into papers filed by patrol in the case that appear to negate the TV, Prince George's County police Lt. Andy Ellis told.

The television was shot Butt 3 Afterwards the Maryland men's basketball team unsuccessful Duke. In the television, scholarly individuals can be seen celebrating the win as policemen in riot gear and on ahorse are nearby. Some educatee are holding up their cellphones, taking pictures or telecasting of the policemen and the celebration.

The television recording shows a pupil identified as John "Jack" McKenna skipping down the street and approaching two officers on hogback. Afterwards a brief exchange, two officers on foot slam McKenna against a surround and he falls to the land. A third ship's officer joints the first zero, and the three take McKenna with billies while he is on the earth as gone scholars scatter.

McKenna had a cut on his head that involved eight staples to close, read Sharon Weidenfeld, a secret investigator good for McKenna's attorney, Chris Griffiths. In addition, he given a concussion, a bad swollen limb and bruises elsewhere on his body. Griffiths' office touched enquiries to Weidenfeld on Tuesday.

Another man identified as Benjamin Donat was also beaten, although that incident was not shown on the telecasting, Weidenfeld same. On Donat's body, the imprint of the military officers' billies could be seen, she very. He also suffered a head injury that caused him Some memory loss for a few days, although he will be all right, Weidenfeld same. "He really given his bell rung," she very.

Weidenfeld discovered the video recording recording and would say only that it was shot by another University of Maryland scholar.

Regime arrested Donat and McKenna on suspicion of assaulting an ship's officer and disorderly take. text files filed by patrol allege that the zero were causing a disturbance and that they struck mounted police officers and their horses, causing minor injuries, when Regime intervened.

"Arrested 1 and Arrested 2 were both kvetched by the horses and sustained minor injuries," the charging papers told.

The telecasting recording does not show McKenna striking the mounted military officer or horse, and the horses were not nearby while the ticking was taking place. The written documents tell a "totally fabricated story," Weidenfeld identical Tuesday.

prosecutors dropped charges against Donat on Friday and McKenna on Monday, she told. Griffiths is representing both youths, and a lawsuit is planned against the military officers, Weidenfeld told.

"The charging written documents certainly do not appear to be supported by the television recording," Ellis said. But he told, "I'm sure it's a stretch to say it's a cover-up," saying it's likely the police officer who wrote the papers had a "miscommunication" with policemen involved in the incidental, who provided information.

Read the charging documents from CNN affiliate WJLA-TV (PDF)

The department's internal affairs unit is investigating and will assist Prince George's County public prosecutors in their investigation, he same.

Ellis read he did not know whether the officer pendant wrote the charging documents. Because the military officers on the video were in full riot gear, they could not be readily identified, but Governments are looking into who was on duty that night and where policemen were at the time to determine who was involved.

"We didn't know about this videotape until it came out yesterday morning," he said. "We made no idea. It's kind of taken us by surprise. As evidence comes out, or we learn more information, we'll suspend police officers as they gone identified."

He added, "Not only is the deal of the military officers on tape far -- and clear it's exaggerated -- there are recent issues here we need to work over to make sure we're more organized" in such situations.

The ship's officers on ahorseback were from the Maryland-National Capital Park patrol. Department spokesman Lt. Stanley Johnson identical the mounted police officers were there for crowd control purposes. While "there were a lot of activities" going on that night, he very, no department horses or police officers were wounded and there were no reports of mass being quetched by horses.

In a statement Monday, McKenna's family told CNN affiliate WJLA-TV in Washington that "Numerous of these theatrical roles ought to go to jail. ... Numerous ought to but be booted off the force, and the residue should be properly developed to discover that force is not always necessary, and brutality is always wrong."