Sims described what viewers and Hicks endured as “traumatic and humiliating."
“It’s very difficult to watch bodycam footage like that, especially as we are all reliving the murder of George Floyd,” said Kody Cross, co-founder of the Akron Minority Council. “It’s a traumatic experience even for the viewers in the general.”
“From my perspective, there was an overly excessive use of force, an abuse of power, even some cruelty, in throwing the snow in Mr. Hicks’ face,” Cross added.
In a statement issued on Facebook, Ward 8 Councilman Malik Shammas, who, along with Ward 5 Councilwoman Tara Samples and Ward 1 Councilman Rich Swirsky, had urged the police department to release the body-worn camera footage ahead of Thursday’s news conference, described his concerns.