Kim Dotcom Raid Captured On Video; Police Searched Megaupload Founder's Home With Helicopters, Rifles And Dogs [VIDEO]

By Lisa Eadicicco | August 08 2012 4:30 PM

New Zealand police raided the home of Megaupload founder Kim "Dotcom" Schmitz in January, and now an exclusive video of the search has surfaced. Authorities descended on the home of the creator behind the popular file-sharing site with dogs, helicopters and rifles.

Reuters

New Zealand court denied Kim Dotcom, founder of Megaupload and Megavideo, his appeal for bail on Friday

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As the footage of the raid on Dotcom's home surfaced, reports on what took place that day have also begun to pop up. Authorities deny the Megaupload founder was beaten during the search of his mansion, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.

"None of us punched him in the face," a New Zealand Armed Offender's Squad member testified in Auckland High Court on Tuesday. This was the second day of a hearing into Dotcom's bid to reclaim all 135 of his computers and hard drives, which he said he needs to defend himself in court. "I saw another officer walk by and inadvertently step on his hand."

On Tuesday, Dotcom, 38, testified in court that he was beaten by police during the raid. There were conflicting reports from authorities on his behavior during the arrest, with one Special Tactics Group member saying he was cooperative but an Armed Offenders Squad officer calling him belligerent.

The video, which comes from 3 News, shows what happened when authorizes stormed Dotcom's home, but doesn't reveal why the investigation warranted so much force. The footage opens with a view from the helicopter entering Dotcom's property, where his pregnant wife, children, staff and guests were said to have been present.

The footage also features Dotcom's testimony concerning the raid, saying that the U.S. FBI had already locked down servers pertinent to the Megaupload charges beforehand. The raid was later ruled partially illegal, and New Zealand authorities are attempting to overturn that ruling.

In January, Megaupload was shut down in the United States and New Zealand in an effort to shut down sites that have allegedly engaged in copy right infringement. The domain names for Megaupload were seized and its founders were arrested, with more than $50 million in assets being repossessed. The site earned most of its $175 million in revenue from copyright infringement practices, the FBI says, but Dotcom insists that was not the case.