Five Georgia cops are indicted for murder after concertgoer, 24, who was walking naked along the road died when they 'tased him more than a dozen times while they held him handcuffed on the ground'
Five Georgia cops have been indicted for murder after they 'tased a concertgoer more than a dozen times' while he was held down on the ground handcuffed and he later died of asphyxiation.
The officers are accused of the death of Fernando Rodriguez, 24, who was walking along a road naked after he had attended the Imagine Concert Music Festival at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 20, 2019.
It is not clear why Rodriguez was naked but lawyers for his family said he needed medical care before police reached him.
Rodriguez was tased with a stun gun and held down and handcuffed as officers applied pressure to his body, according to the Henry County Attorney's Office.
One of the officers is also heard threatening to kick his teeth as he lies on the ground in footage from an edited body cam video.
Rodriguez is also heard groaning while sprawled on the ground.
Officers used stun-guns as Rodriguez did not respond to orders straight away, including a command for him to lie on his stomach, according to NBC News.
Fernando Rodriguez, 24, (pictured) was walking along the Atlanta Motor Speedway naked on September 20, 2019 after the Imagine Concert Music Festival when police stopped him and tased him.
A cop is heard saying: 'I just did not want to have to beat the boy to death.'
In a federal wrongful death lawsuit, it was also alleged that Rodriguez was called a 'sweaty little hog' by one of the officers.
Rodriguez was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital and later died of homicide by asphyxiation, according to the charges against the five officers.
A settlement of $3 million was reached with Rodriguez's family and the city of Hampton on July 19 after they filed the complaint on May 11.
The five police officers had their indictments returned by a county grand jury on Friday after two days of testimony.
They have been named as Henry County police officers Robert Butera and Quinton Phillips and Hampton cops Mason Lewis, Marcus Stroud and Gregory Bowlden.
Pictured: Rodriguez is tased by the cops in Georgia and later died of asphyxiation after they held him down while he was on the ground with pressure on his body
The five men have been charged with one count of malice murder, two counts of felony murder and one of aggravated assault, according to officials speaking on Saturday.
They also face an additional count of violating their oaths due to the force and pressure they applied to Rodriguez's body.
Warrants will be issued for the arrests of the officers next week, according to the New York Post.
One of the officers is also heard threatening to kick his teeth as he lies on the ground in footage from an edited body cam video. Pictured: Rodriguez in the video after he is stopped by police
The indicted Hampton officers all resigned after the incident- Stroud resigned on October 16 and Bowlden and Lewis resigned on August 5 of this year.
It is not known if the Henry County officers have resigned.
Page A. Pate, is an attorney for Rodriguez's family and said in a Saturday statement that they are pleased with the indictment.
Pate said: 'Fernando's family has been patiently waiting for justice in this case and they are very glad to see that the process is now moving forward.
'We are especially grateful that the officers have all been charged with murder and we think the charges fit the crime.'
Pictured: An officer is seen on body cam in footage which records the death of Rodriguez after he was tased and officers used excessive force on him
The family filed the complaint on May 11 which says the officers did not help Rodriguez and continued to pin him to the ground for almost four minutes after he became unresponsive.
His death has been investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The indicted Hampton officers all resigned after the incident- Stroud resigned on October 16 and Bowlden and Lewis resigned on August 5 of this year. It is not known if the Henry County officers have resigned. Pictured: Body cam captures two of the police officers involved in the incident who have now been charged
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