Tape Shows Brooklyn Prison Guards Beating Inmate

WNBC has video of an inmate at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn being kicked repeatedly by a guard. The video was played during the trial of five guards who are accused of using excessive force or covering up the incident.

In 2006, inmate Kenneth Howard was being transported to solitary confinement. As he was escorted into an elevator, it looks like Howard is either shoved or tripped before guards hold him down for others to hit him. One of the guards, Kevin Cummings, is standing in the hall at the start of the attack and drops his weapon in order to kick Howard.

A number of corrections officers were indicted for the beating and making false statements (they said Howard had attacked another guard and was acting "combative") and now five are on trial in federal court. An assistant warden, Justin Andrews, testified for the prosecution, saying, "It was in my opinion that the video depicted excessive use of force and did not support the memorandum [prepared by officers."

A few years ago, in the wake of September 11, after one complaint of mistreatment, a MDC warden required that any time Muslim detainees were transported from their cells, they had to be videotaped.