FINDINGS

D.C.: Cops Justified in Forcibly Detaining Black Teen at ATM

Videotaped October confrontation.

An internal police investigation into the October arrest of D.C.-area black teenager Jason Goolsby has found that police officers were “justified” in their actions. Footage from the incident showed several officers aggressively restraining the 18-year-old outside a bank, allegedly after someone in the bank thought it suspicious that Goolsby and two other teens were congregating near the ATM. The probe found the officers used proper departmental procedure, largely because Goolsby refused to comply with commands and had attempted to flee the scene. According to the report, Goolsby said, “When I fled, I saw a gun and pepper spray and I nearly got hit by a car, so my first instinct was to run because I didn’t want to die.” Ultimately, the report concluded, “this forcible stop and frisk was necessary and reasonable.”