Jamie Kalani Rice was unjustly beaten by a Honolulu police officer. Rice has filed a federal complaint against the police department.
Rice says that he saw the monk seal, an endangered species, laying on the beach. Believing it to be unwell, Rice approached and sat a few feet away from it. He then began to perform a prayer to use his energy for healing.
A camera man for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration called for a call to police when Rice approached the seal after being asked by volunteers to stay away.
When Officer Wang arrived and asked Rice to leave, Rice either ignores him or doesn’t hear him, prompting Wang to take out his baton. Rice begins to walk away, with Wang following him.
Rice continues to try to leave, gathering his belongings, when Wang pepper sprays him in the face and hits his hand with his baton. When Rice doesn’t fight back, Wang continues to hit him with the baton, knocking him down and then stomping on him.
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