TOWSON, Md. — Family and friends of Samuel Brown gathered outside Baltimore County Police Headquarters in Towson on Friday, demanding the officer-involved in an encounter that led to Brown's death be fired and criminally charged.
Demonstrators gathered in a lot outside police headquarters on a blustery Friday afternoon, calling for Ofc. Derek Hadel, a nine-year veteran of the force, to be prosecuted. Brown, 56, died on February 27, eleven days after he hit the pavement when Hadel punched him during an early morning encounter along Security Boulevard in Woodlawn.
Kamar Brown, Samuel Brown's son, drove to Maryland from Georgia.
Family, friends protest in front of police HQ after Samuel Brown fatal encounter
"Justice. For some type of correction for the police, for my family. All want is justice for him," Kamar Brown told WMAR-2 News.
Protesters say Hadel had other options, and that recently released body-worn camera footage, which does not include audio in several portions due to buffering, does not tell the full story. DJ Quicksilva, a friend of Samuel Brown, pushed back on the characterization of events leading up to the encounter by some on social media.
"Can we please stop the narrative that Samuel Brown got pulled over for drunk driving, and just got out the car and attacked the police? That is not a fact, that is an opinion that you're trying to make to further their narrative, to get officer Derek Hadel off of fired and prosecuted, that we want," he said during remarks at the Friday demonstration.
READ MORE: Family of man who died after police encounter calls for criminal charges against officer
The public video, released by the Maryland Attorney General's Office, shows Hadel approaching Brown, asleep in the driver's seat, around 3:30 a.m. A case report said Hadel woke Brown up and smelled alcohol on his breath. At first, Brown refused to get out of the car, but eventually got out and approached Hadel after Hadel forcefully closed the car door.
During the confrontation, Brown tried to bat the officer's hand down, and Hadel punched Brown in the face twice, causing Brown to hit the pavement. Brown died less than two weeks later.
"Sam did not deserve the death penalty. Sam did not deserve to be punched like that. Sam did not deserve what happened to him," said Billy Murphy, an attorney for the family.
The Attorney General's Office will investigate and will ultimately decide whether Hadel is charged. The Baltimore County Police Department said it is cooperating with the investigation.
For Kamar Brown, the response from the community has shown him how loved his father was.
"The city of Baltimore has shown it. They've shown that they love him, they've shown that he's made an impact here, and they've shown that he's always cared for this city," Kamar Brown said.
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