Ex-officer appears in court after arrest in police beating incident

ASHEVILLE - Former police officer Chris Hickman made his first appearance in court Friday morning after being arrested and charged in the August police beating of a city resident, a story that has made national news for the disturbing footage of the event captured on Hickman's body camera.

Hickman wore a light brown jacket, a tie and cowboy boots. He was sitting alone on the first bench reserved for defendants and the public until several television news crews packed in around him.

Buncombe County District Court Judge Edward D. Clontz instructed media to only use video, not to take still photos and to only take footage of Hickman while his case was being heard. The former Asheville Police Department officer was among a long list of other defendants appearing for various charges that morning.

When it came time for his hearing, Hickman stood and Clontz asked him if he understood why he was there today.

"I do, your honor," he said.

Clontz advised him that he was charged with assault by strangulation, a class H felony that carries up to 39 months incarceration; communicating threats, a class 1 misdemeanor that carries up to a 120-day sentence; and assault inflicting serious injury, a class A1 misdemeanor that carries up to 150 days.

The judge asked Hickman if he wanted a court-appointed attorney, and he said no, that he would hire his own lawyer.

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Hickman then swore on a Bible that he understood the charges against him, the maximum sentences if he is convicted and that he was waiving the right to a court-appointed attorney.

His next court date was set for April 2.

Hickman left the courtroom surrounded by media, who followed him into the elevator. He declined to answer questions, not reacting and looking straight ahead.

Footage of the incident, which showed what officers said was a second stop of Johnnie Rush for jaywalking and for previously trespassing by walking through the parking lot of a business closed for the night, depicted a quick escalation.

Rush said he wanted to go home, accused the officers of harassing him and cursed in apparent exasperation. He ran after being told to put his hands behind his back, saying in a later interview with the Citizen Times, that he stopped running, at which time Hickman caught him, but not before the officer yelled, "You’re going to get (expletive) up hardcore."

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When Hickman caught him, they went to the ground and footage showed Rush being beaten, choked and tasered.

On Feb. 28 the Citizen Times, which had obtained a copy of the body camera video, published it along with a story.

Thursday night, six months after the incident, Hickman was charged and arrested. He left the Buncombe County Detention Center under a $10,000 unsecured bond, which does not require the defendant to put down any money.

Staff with the Buncombe County Magistrate's Office said that was a standard bond for the charges, given Hickman does not have a criminal record.