Adam Tatum’s blood seemed to be everywhere.
It was all over the floor of the Salvation Army halfway house, spilled by repeated blows from the batons and fists of Chattanooga police officers.
Officers who responded to the scene well after the mayhem was under way took care to step around the blood. Most paid less attention to the struggle going on in front of them, passing through on their way to make sure other inmates were contained.
Though public outrage followed last month’s release of video that showed Tatum being struck more than 40 times in six minutes, fellow officers who were there have defended the actions of Officers Sean Emmer and Adam Cooley.
And their attorneys believe that supplementary video showing a different view of what happened that night supports their contention that the officers acted with appropriate force in the face of a threat.