NAACP acknowledges actions of suspect, officers but thinks RPD still crossed line in arrest

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Raleigh chapter of the NAACP on Saturday added its own reaction to the viral videos showing Raleigh officers in a physical altercation with a suspect.

Gerald Givens, the chapter's president, says he recognizes the suspect's "choices and consequences" contributed to the confrontation.

"It is clear that all parties involved needed to behave just a little bit different," Givens said in an afternoon news conference. "Be civil, be polite and respectful in your communications with the officer. No matter how much disrespect they show you, keep control of your emotions and do not provoke the person who represents lawful authority and that's something as parents we have to do a better job of teaching all children."

Raleigh Police Department released bodycam video Friday showing the incident that gained a lot of attention after cellphone video of the interaction was posted to social media earlier this week.

The video shows the arrest of 22-year-old Braily Andres Batista Concepcion, who previously told ABC11 that he thought the police officers involved used excessive force.

RPD, however, released footage from dash cameras and body cameras showing the suspect ignoring police commands. Investigators also reported the suspect had been accused of drug possession and being involved in multiple hit and run crashes.

"Both of these incidents in the videos released today could have possibly been avoided if the individuals had complied and cooperated with any one of the multiple demands given by those officers," Raleigh Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown said in a news conference Friday, where she also addressed an officer-involved shooting from earlier in the month.

"Once again we have two men of color between the ages of 18 and 22 involved in these two critical incidents," she said. "Let us begin to truly ask ourselves in 2020 what is happening in our community that gets us to this place, that gets us to this type of encounter to begin with."

Still, NAACP leaders argued that the suspect ignoring commands did not lead to a clear and present danger and therefore the officers should have shown more patience and less physical force.

"We have to determine what's reasonable for us. Was what that officer did - was that reasonable for us," Givens asks. "Law enforcement officers need to understand that black people and people of color have watched video after video of people that look like us being beaten and killed by law enforcement."

Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman reviewed the cellphone video, dashcam video and body cam video from the incident.

"Traditionally the State Bureau of Investigation is asked to review use of force cases involving the use of lethal force. This case does not involve the use of lethal force," Freeman said. "Additionally after reviewing the video of the incident, I believe interviews conducted by the Raleigh Police Department, which I have requested to be recorded, will provide full information for a decision to be made as to whether the officers' conduct was criminal. If follow up investigation is needed, the State Bureau of Investigation may be asked at that time to conduct it."