Man Says Police Beat Him Up Near Joe Biden's House After Gunfire Incident

VICE News is closely watching policing in America. Check out the Officer Involved blog here.

Shortly after an incident Saturday night in which multiple gunshots were fired outside Vice President Joe Biden's Delaware residence, authorities beat up a man who drove near the Greenville estate's entrance after he reportedly ignored orders to turn around.

Rock Peters, 57, claims New Castle County Police "accosted" him around 8:30pm that evening, saying the altercation with the cops resulted in a black eye, swollen nose, and injured ribs, according to a report from the News Journal.

"They beat the daylights out of me," Peters told the newspaper, denying that he was involved in the events at the Biden household earlier in the day.

While police have not commented on the matter, the News Journal cited court documents that said Peters was on his way back from church and headed toward his home, which is located about three miles away from where the vice president lives. When the 57-year-old pulled up to an intersection near Biden's house — just as cops were blocking the road off — officers told him to turn his vehicle around.

After telling the officers he needed to go straight, a cop stepped toward the vehicle and Peters made an abrupt U-turn and sped away. He was eventually pulled over by another police officer. During the stop, Peters got out of the car and reportedly reached for one of his pockets, prompting an officer to grab his arm. An altercation between the two ensued, which allegedly resulted in two officers pushing Peters to the ground and hitting him in various parts of his body.

A photo Peters sent the paper shows him bruised and bloodied.

News Journal exclusive: Man says he was accosted by police near Biden's home after shots fired — delawareonline (@delawareonline)January 20, 2015

In Peters' account of the event, he was "cold-cocked" after stepping out of the jeep and reaching in his pocket for his license, as prompted by the officers. He called the cops "extremely aggressive."

Peters has not been charged in connection with the gunfire incident at Biden's house. He could be slapped with a number of charges, including resisting arrest and reckless endangerment for the altercation with police. The vice president and his wife were not home during the shooting, and authorities are still on the hunt for a suspect connected with the incident.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons