FIRST ON FOX: Officer on Trial, Police Body Cameras Show Possible Assault

BALTIMORE (WBFF) - A Baltimore police officer jumps out of his car, runs after multiple men, and hits one of them with his police baton.The officer is now standing trial, and FOX45 has obtained exclusive body-worn camera footage of the alleged assault.

On Christmas Eve 2017, Baltimore police body-camera footage shows a sergeant arriving at the scene. Darrian Carr is on the ground, and Officer Kevin Battipaglia is standing next to him - a wooden club, or baton, in his hand - as other officers talk and argue with friends of Carr.

As Battipaglia helps wrap crime tape around the scene, the sergeant approaches him.

“You started this?”

Battipaglia explains: “We go to clear this corner. They ran. I chased one of them down, and when I was running because I had my stick in my hand already, so when I was running, I don’t even remember, Sergeant.”

City prosecutors indict Battipaglia about four months later. Tuesday, he stands trial for first degree assault.

Carr’s attorney, Latoya Francis-Williams, says Carr has had multiple surgeries to recover from the encounter with Battipaglia. He continues to have nightmares. Francis-Williams plans to file a civil suit against police on Carr’s behalf.

Carr did enter an Alford plea for gun possession as part of the case.

FOX45 reached out to Battipaglia’s attorney for comment. He did not return our email.