This past Wednesday the Milwaukee police department released the body camera footage of the January arrest of NBA player Sterling Brown (who is a member of the Milwaukee Bucks).
During this arrest, an uncooperative Brown was tackled and tasered, making it easier for officers to place handcuffs on him. Milwaukee Chief of Police Alfonso Morales claimed at a press conference that the officers were disciplined but didn’t take further questions.
Brown was confronted by the police on January 26 due to a parking violation in a drug store parking lot. The confrontation escalates at the eight-minute mark of the video. The tasering occurs before the nine-minute mark. Due to the unnecessary brutality of the arrest, Brown was not charged with a crime. Instead, an internal affairs investigation began.
The Milwaukee Bucks support Brown and also said this isn’t a rare case.
“It shouldn’t require an incident involving a professional athlete to draw attention to the fact that vulnerable people in our communities have experienced similar, and even worse, treatment,” the Bucks said in a statement.
The team also spoke about their respect for police officers.
“We are grateful for the service of many good police officers that courageously protect us, our fans and our city, but racial biases and abuses of power must not be ignored.”
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett after watching the video now has concerns, according to CNN.
Brown has also spoken about how no one should experience what he did and how his arrest is one of many examples of police racism.
“The common denominator in all of these situations has been racism towards the minority community, the abuse of power and the lack of accountability for officers involved,” Brown said. “The lack of repercussions for the police officers involved in so many of these cases is offensive. This is a slap in the face to the victims’ families and communities.”
Hopefully, Brown’s experience will lead the relationship between police officers and minorities to become one of more respect and less discrimination.
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