Video of Josh Neer's Arrest is Released
We thought we'd have to wait until UFC 104 on October 24th to see new footage of a Josh Neer fight, but authorities just released the video of Neer's arrest that followed his alcohol-induced high speed chase on New Year's Eve. Although Neer received a suspended sentence back in April, the footage remains relevant because Neer is contemplating a lawsuit for police brutality.
"The Dentist's" thinking was clearly not rational that night, but the police report stating that force was necessary to prevent Neer from biting and head butting officers does not seem to match the video clip of Neer leaving the car with his hands held high over his head. Besides, head butting is currently banned in the UFC and biting wasn't even legal in UFC 1.
While I'm not above cracking wise on this situation, it is troubling... on both sides. We've come a long way since Rodney King (who, young MMALB.com readers, was famous for his own arrest video 18 years ago, ultimately resulting in his own recent connection to combat sports) and any situation that is even arguably excessive force brings bad some bad memories. Neer certainly shares some blame here as well, having put lives at risk on the road and putting the officers in a situation where they could not have known what to expect.
