Brickbat: Batter Up

The police department in Prichard, Alabama, has placed Officer Tvon Campbell and another officer whose name was not released on administrative leave after video went viral showing Campbell hitting a man with a baseball bat. The officers were responding to a domestic violence call when Devoris Malone fled, holding his wife in the car against her will. When a Taser failed to subdue the suspect, Campbell used a bat, even continuing to strike Malone while he was on the ground. The Prichard Police Department, working with the Mobile County District Attorney, is reviewing body camera footage to assess the officers' actions. Malone has been charged with first degree kidnapping. Mayor Jimmie Gardner emphasized that baseball bats are not authorized by the department.