Transgender Rights And Police Brutality

May Bridges McRae get what he deserves! May Duana Johnson rest in peace! Former Cop On Trial For Violating Transgendered Woman's Rights Officer says he defended himself, prosecution witnesses say otherwise Stephanie Scurlock 5:27 PM CDT, April 9, 2010 (Memphis 04/09/2010) A former Memphis police officer is defending himself against federal charges he violated a transgender woman's civil rights. The incident was caught on tape back in 2008 inside the Shelby County Jail. Former officer Bridges McRae is accused of beating Duana Johnson as Johnson was being booked on drugs and prostitution charges. McRae's trial is underway in federal court. Johnson was killed 9 months after the jail altercation in an unrelated incident. Jurors have to decide if Johnson was involved in a fight or was beaten and whether Johnson's civil rights were violated. The video released by the Shelby County Sheriff's Office shows the altercation between Johnson and officer Bridges McRae. There is no audio but in court jurors heard play by play what happened from a deputy jailer who was there. The jailer said after the altercation, Johnson was bleeding from the forehead. She demonstrated how McRae used handcuffs as a weapon to hit Johnson in the face. The jailer said Johnson wasn't cooperating with the officer and was refusing to be finger printed because McRae would not call her by the female name, Duana. She said Duana waved her arms but did not strike back. Hearing the testimony was too much for Johnson's mother, Hazel Skinner, "I hope justice will be prevailed because that was uncalled for. You don't treat a human being like that not because he didn't stand up and answer to a name that's not his name." McRae has said he was merely defending himself against the 6'5" 350 lb Johnson. McRae said Johnson was fighting him. However, the deputy jailer along with another inmate and a fellow Memphis police officer testified Johnson was fending off blows from McRae and was not fighting him. "I'm here to support my child. Yes, alive or dead. I'm here. I'm his mother. So, I'm going to be here until justice is done," said Skinner. The trial will continue next week when the former officer will give jurors his side of the story. If convicted, McRae faces up to 10 years in federal prison. Original Article