Baltimore cop charged in beating caught on camera

BALTIMORE -- A Baltimore police officer faces charges after a surveillance camera caught the officer repeatedly punching a suspect, reports CBS Baltimore.

Vincent Cosom faces second-degree assault and perjury charges for his role in the beating, which outraged city leaders and sparked a federal investigation in the city's police department.

Blow after blow, an officer alleged to be Cosom can be seen on the June 15 surveillance footage punching and attempting to punch Kollin Truss in the face, at least seven times.

Footage of the beating contributed to assault charges against Cosom and the perjury charges are because Cosom allegedly lied on a police report, writing that Truss attacked him first.

But attorneys for Truss say just charging one officer is not enough.

"The other officers participated. They held his arms back. Our client was knocked unconscious on his feet," said Tony Garcia, victim's attorney.

Attorneys for Truss have filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the city.

The incident incident sparked the city's mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, to call for a Department of Justice investigation into the Baltimore City Police Department.

"Not getting it right, that's not an option. We have to get this right," Rawlings-Blake said.

A recent investigation by The Baltimore Sun revealed that between 2012 and July 2014, more than 3,000 misconduct complaints have been filed against police. More than 1,200 were sustained.

Federal investigators are examining the city's police training standards, conducting ride-a-longs with officers and holding community meetings. They are expected to issue their initial assessment of the department in six to eight months.