CBS 2’s Pam Zekman reports: Former suspect Randolph Holmes, taken into custody by the Lynwood Police Department, is suing the police department, saying he was brutalized by a sergeant.
CBS 2 Investigator Pam Zekman and the Better Government Association have been working for a year to get video showing police brutality of a suspect who was charged aggravated battery for allegedly spitting on a Lynwood police seargeant.
In a police department security video, suspect Randolph Holmes is shown handcuffed by Police Officer Kayvon Karimi. In video obtained, Sgt. Brandin Fredricksen slam Holmes into a door in a processing room and uses a pressure point in Holme’s neck in a hallway. A third camera view shows Sgt. Brandin Fredricksen when he elbowed Holmes and punched him to the ground.
Holmes said “He turn around and hit me with the elbow like this and I fall to the ground. And he punched me multiple times.” Hospital records show Holmes suffered a concussion and broken nose.
“It’s hard to justify the amount of force this police officer used. It’s harder to justify the failure of the police department to take it seriously, to hold him accountable and to investigate it properly.”
— Andy Shaw
Last month, Lynwood officials interviewed Sgt. Fredricksen’s former partner, who admitted he left a crucial fact out of his original report: that Holmes was handcuffed before the alleged abuse began, and that he found Holmes in the garage screaming he was knocked out by Fredricksen. Karmi told investigators “he felt threatened by Sgt. Fredricksen,” who told him “you better make this sound good.”
Officer Karimi then left Lynwood and currently works at the Homewood police department. Karimi says he reported what happened to Lynwood police officials and said he was told it would be handled.
Following many media and BGA inquiries, Sgt. Fredericksen was placed on paid administrative leave in July while the village investigates whether disciplinary action should be taken, which could include termination.
Holmes, with an extensive criminal history, was sentenced to one year in prison, but given credit for the time he spent in jail waiting for or the case to be tried. Randolph Holmes is now suing Lynwood.
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