I wasn’t in the courtroom or read any of the evidence presented, but I found this statement odd;
Larson was charged with simple assault after arresting a man outside of Wiley’s in Downtown Sioux Falls in July of 2021.
Larson was accused of pushing Samuel Sykes’ head against the cage in the police vehicle and punching Sykes in the groin while trying to latch the seatbelt.
Court papers say it was caught on video – video the judge did not see.
“That’s evidence. The video should have been in court, period. He’s saying something about the video, I’m saying something about the video, the attorney that I had was saying something about the video. Where’s the video at?” Sykes said.
I am wondering why the video would not be admissible in court? Also notice the charge was reduced to simple assault and he plead NO CONTEST which isn’t really an admission of guilt.
Obviously the judge felt he was guilty of something, or he would not have denied the suspended imposition and gave a sentence, BUT you also wonder if this was a way to cover up police brutality of a white officer assaulting a black citizen you know, like when the DCI clears South Dakota officers of NO wrongdoing . . . every . . . single . . . time.
The city also thought Mr. Larson was in the wrong since they terminated him. Did they review the video?
We also know very little about what lead up to him being arrested and if he resisted.
The city was pushed to use body cams and they are now, maybe they can also use the actual footage for courtroom evidence?
Hopefully more details arise as to why the video was not permitted in court.
Will the settlement amount from the upcoming? lawsuit be released, or will it be hidden from public purview as it seems is the modus operandi of the current and recent past administrations? Inquiring minds would like to know.
What race is Sykes? Were they trying to damper a potential fire?
Received a very light sentence indeed. Perhaps his cousin’s friend is the Mayor’s neighbor and he is connected so got a favor when PTH talked to the Judge. Anything is possible in this city!
support our police. back the blue. blah blah blah.
One becomes a cop because they can legally physically abuse the public (especially minorities). A judge must disallow video because it will become hard to recruit cops. Wyatt Erp was a horse thief before he became a lawman. Nobody remembers the horse thief but everyone recalls the OK Coral. Wiley’s is an environment for a cop to get the attention of a wicked woman if he assaults someone innocent.