On Monday [September 26], the METRO police chief released surveillance video from an incident in August that showed an officer beat a black homeless man on a light rail station platform in Houston while another officer watched.

In the video, the Metro officers, Daniel Reynoso and Jairus Warren approach the homeless man, Darrell Giles, who is slumped over on a bench on the platform at the Burnett Station.  After a brief exchange, Giles stands up only to fall back down on the seat after Warren draws his baton and begins to repeatedly strike him.  Giles falls from the bench eventually onto the ground, writhing in pain with each strike from the baton.  The beating lasted 19 seconds.

Later in the video, Reynoso seems to intervene, but then helps pin Giles down with his knee on his back while he appears to search him.  The officers then arrested Giles and charged him with criminal trespass and resisting arrest.  The charges were later dismissed and Giles was released from jail.

The two Houston police officers were both suspended during the investigation. Officer Reynoso was later cleared of wrongdoing and returned to service, but he will be required to undergo additional training.  Officer Warren resigned Monday morning and Chief Vera Bumpers said an internal review board validated the excessive force allegations against him and recommended his termination. The investigation has now been handed over to the Harris County District Attorney's Office.

"I thought he pulled a gun out," Giles told Eyewitness News . "He hit me so hard, he knocked me to the ground, so the first couple licks, he's just standing over me going bom, bom, bom making some noise."

"I don't remember too much. All I remember is bracing myself and just taking the licks and I was holding my arm up," Giles added.

Source: youtube.com