by Matt Agorist, The Free Thought Project:

Lufkin, TX — A couple’s verbal dispute over a parking space turned into a nightmare after a call was made to 911 to settle it. When police showed up, the man involved in the dispute, Mark Anthony Smith, 48, was savagely beaten by three deputies who all used their rifles to inflict serious injury. He was then falsely charged and thrown in a cage.

The incident unfolded in April but video of it was only just released. The video reportedly saved Smith from spending decades in prison after it showed that cops were the aggressors and Smith was an innocent victim. Despite the charges being dropped against Smith, the apparently corrupt sheriff, Greg Sanches, is standing by his officers and justifying their near-deadly assault.

According to Dawn Thompson, who called police on April 7, the call was made because Smith apparently wouldn’t move his truck. That was all. The sheriff disagreed and claims that Thompson was in distress which is why officers showed up with AR-15s drawn on Smith. However, this is a detail Thompson disputes and says the 911 call — she now regrets making — made no mention of distress and was all about moving a truck.

In a Facebook post, Thompson described what happened, while calling the sheriff a “lying ass crooked cheating ass sheriff.”

Greg you are about one lying ass crooked cheating ass sherif. I made the 911 call never once said I was in fear just wanted him to move his truck. I have listened to the 911 call and made it clear I was not in fear for my life. Your officers tried a couple of times to get me to say I was when they called me asking for access code to his video system. You are flat out lying to the people of Angelina county. Bring the 911 tape and your copy of the video to television station And we will let them play both there exactly the same. I was sitting in the car with my window down and yet no one ever told him to get down. It’s on 911 call as well. As well as him asking you what y’all wanted. He never knew I called 911 as well. So Mr. Sanchez lets just go ahead and bring all this to the KTRE NEWS STATION . People really need to think before calling the sheriffs department for something cause it happens a lot and people don’t really get to see the truth. “ Braking his ribs after he’s handcuffed and Unconscious “ it’s nice to see you support your “team”.

As the video below shows, there is absolutely no way they can legitimately justify the use of force. Smith appears to be entirely compliant as cops draw down on him with their rifles and then start bashing him with their AR-15 buttstocks, which is likely a violation of police use of force policy.

Even after they have him handcuffed and on the ground, and, according to Thompson, “unconscious,” they continue to dole out knee strikes and stomps. He was then falsely arrested and charged with multiple felonies. On April 7, before any video footage or evidence was known, local media published his name and charges and ruined his character.

“The Angelina County Sheriff’s Office arrested Mark Anthony Smith, 48, on four felony charges Saturday night — assault on a peace officer, resisting arrest/search/transport, unlawful restraint and disarming or attempt to disarm a police officer,” the Lufkin Daily News wrote.

The damage had been done. Now, it is up to everyone else to share this video to tell Smith’s actual story and clear his name.

According to the person who sent us the video, after the beating Smith suffered a broken nose, stitches, broken ribs and fingers, a concussion, swollen eyes, vertebrae and cervical injuries.

A petition has since been started to remove Sheriff Sanches from office over this most brutal assault and subsequent cover-up which he was so ready to condone and justify. As you watch the video below, remember that this man who is getting beaten with rifle buttstocks was in a verbal argument and had committed no crime. Think about that next time you call 911 for “help.”

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