The indictment charges Henry County Police Department officers Robert Butera and Quinton Phillips and former Hampton Police Department officers Mason Lewis, Marcus Stroud and Gregory Bowlden in the death of Rodriguez on September 20, 2019 , after coming into contact with police outside a concert at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The indictment, released by the Henry County grand jury Friday night, charges all five officers with one count of malicious murder, two counts of murder, one count of aggravated assault and a breach of law. sworn.
A spokesman for the Henry County District Attorney’s office said warrants for the arrest of five officers were issued Monday morning. Each officer will be kept more than $100,000 in bond, the spokesperson said, and must file by 5 p.m. Tuesday.
The five-page indictment says Rodriguez died of asphyxiation. Full-body camera footage shows him walking completely naked down a street, away from officers as they arrested him more than a dozen times.
The indictment alleges officers contributed to Rodriguez’s death by dragging him “on the ground in a prone position, while he was handcuffed and shackled, holding him down and applying pressure on him.” body, contrary to state law.”
“Rodriguez, who lives in the Atlanta area, was leaving the Fantasy Music Festival at the Atlanta Freeway in Hampton when officers encountered him,” the district attorney’s office said in a press release. “In addition to keeping his naked body to the ground, officers attacked Rodriguez more than a dozen times with their Mission.”
In an interview with CNN on Monday, an attorney for the Rodriguez family called the video of the incident “rebellious.”
Family lawyer Page Pate said: “This is a clear civil rights violation and the DA seems to agree.
The City of Hampton has settled a multimillion-dollar civil lawsuit, according to Pate. The city did not respond to a request for comment.
“They paid the family $3 million as soon as they saw the complaint,” Pate said, adding that he anticipates Henry County will settle a similar lawsuit.
Two attorneys representing the officers in their civil lawsuit did not respond to CNN’s request for comment. The criminal defense attorney for the five officers could not be immediately reached for comment.
“The family is very satisfied [with the indictment]”Page told CNN.” They waited patiently for justice. We know this is a long process, but it’s a good start. ”
The Georgia Coroner’s Office has launched an investigation into Rodriguez’s death, according to a press release from the DA office.
