Maryland Police Officer Suspended For Taking Video Of Delonte West During Arrest
OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — A Maryland police officer has been suspended for shooting a video that shows former NBA player Delonte West as he was being questioned while shirtless and handcuffed, a police department said.
One of two videos circulating on social media shows a thin, shirtless man with tattoos sitting on a curb with his hands cuffed behind his back. Police say that man is West and that an officer shot the video.
Prince George's County Police said they learned on Tuesday that an officer shot video of West sitting on the curb and that it was circulating on social media. An investigation followed and the suspension was announced on Tuesday.
The other video shows a man being beaten in the middle of a road.
Police said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that they responded to a call about a fight near the MGM National Harbor casino, located just across the border from Washington. When officers arrived, they saw a man bleeding from the face and "made the decision to handcuff" West.
Police said they learned that West and the second man knew each other and that they had argued earlier that morning. The men refused medical treatment and refused to press charges, police said.
The 36-year-old West played for the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks. He spoke in 2015 about having bipolar disorder.