HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — Several Atlanta leaders and pastors held a rally to support a former NFL player whose arrest was caught on video and went viral.
The video was posted on social media and shows Desmond Marrow being arrested and slammed to the ground in a shopping center parking lot. Marrow is a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive back.
On Monday, Marrow said he wants the officers fired.
Channel 2's Tyisha Fernandes also spoke to a woman who is suing one of the officers for excessive force on her.
Lauren Law said the same officer who choked Marrow, also dragged her out of a broken window. She was at a rally to support Marrow that took place Monday afternoon.
“He should’ve already been off the force when it happened to me and it shouldn’t go ignored any longer. He needs to go,” Law said.
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Her excessive force case is going through federal court right now.
Law told Fernandes that she's glad that officer is on desk duty now -- pending the Marrow investigation -- because he dragged her out of a broken window and caused her serious injury.
Henry County Police Chief Mark Amerman has not spoken about the Marrow case publicly, until Monday.
“I found more facts that concerns me greatly, that’s why I ordered an internal investigation,” Amerman said.
Video of Marrow’s arrest shows two of his officers arrested the former NFL player and charged him with making terroristic threats and driving recklessly and aggressively during a road rage incident five months ago.
Marrow said police choked him and used excessive force.
Police said Marrow tried to kick them, head butt them and spit on them.
The chief said he saw some things in the paperwork back in December that raised questions, so he ordered an internal investigation three weeks later and also asked the district attorney to look into it.
After Marrow released video of his arrest last week it went viral.
Amerman said he took one of the officers off the street. That officer is currently on desk duty pending the investigation. The other officer is still working.
During a support rally for Marrow at a local church Monday morning, his attorneys asked for the terminations of both officers in this video.
Many residents told Fernandes that they agree.
“This is ridiculous. That could’ve been my son, and that really hurts me to my heart to even think that could happen to my son, so I had to come,” supporter Anthony Butler said.
Last week, Channel 2 Action News spoke to a witness who saw part of the arrest. He said Marrow was clearly resisting and also said police were wrong for using so much force.
Cox Media Group
