Asheville activists say better online public access to police records could help ease community mistrust of law enforcement heightened. The request comes after the beating of a black pedestrian by a white police officer in Asheville.
Local media report that members of Code for Asheville told city leaders on Tuesday that the accountability is needed because neither the public nor city council knew about the incident for nearly six months.
City officials have given the U.S. Attorney's Office records related to former Asheville Police Officer Chris Hickman's beating of Johnnie Rush last August. The earliest subpoena was on March 5, five days after the Asheville Citizen-Times published leaked police body camera footage that showed Hickman choke and strike Rush while holding him on the ground after shocking him with a Taser.
Hickman was later charged with felony assault by strangulation.