On January 26, in Milwaukee, several police vehicles were called for backup before officers used a taser to violently arrest an unarmed NBA player over a parking violation in a Walgreens parking lot in the middle of the night. Aggressive force was used on Sterling Brown, then 22, all because the Milwaukee Bucks rookie parked his car across handicapped spaces, police said at the time. But after video of the arrest was released Wednesday, three of the multiple officers involved have been suspended over the arrest.
See Also: Sterling Brown’s ‘Unexcusable’ Arrest Calls Attention To Milwaukee PD’s Racist History
Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales explained in a statement on Friday how the officers will be punished.
“One member with eleven and a half years of service and two years as a police sergeant received a (15) fifteen-day suspension and will have an employee improvement plan implemented for violation of Core Value 4.00 – Leadership, referencing Guiding Principle 4.04 for failing to be a role model for professional police service,” he said. “One member with twelve years of service and one year as a police sergeant received a (10) ten-day suspension and will have an employee improvement plan implemented for violation of Core Value 4.00 – Leadership, referencing Guiding Principle 4.04 for failing to be a role model for professional police service.”
He continued: “One member with two and a half years of service as an officer received a (2) two-day suspension. That member will receive additional remedial training and will have an employee improvement plan implemented for violation of Core Value 5.00 – Respect, referencing Guiding Principle 5.01 for failing to treat a member of the public with courtesy and professionalism.”
This is what you call a punishment? A Black police officer was fired in New Jersey for a social media post about Black excellence and Assata Shakur, but thugs with a license to kill who are employed by the city of Milwaukee can tase and assault a 22-year-old Black man over a parking spot violation only to face suspensions and trainings (trainings they should have been had)? In addition, not only was Brown assaulted, but the cops lied on the police report saying he was the “aggressor.”
Based on the above precedent alone, these cops should be fired. Anything less than immediate termination is an absolute travesty and unjust. However, as we all know, the Milwaukee Police Department has a long history of racism.
“The video shows no justice at what really happened,” Brown, whose father is a former police officer, told Good Morning America on Friday. “Like, it’s a body-cam, it’s close, you can hear me screaming or what-not. But anybody who’s been in that position knows how … how dirty it can get. So it’s … it’s tough every time I watch it.”
Watch the interview below:
Let’s hope Brown wins a hefty payday from the civil right lawsuit he’s planning.
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Here’s The Weak Punishment The Officers Who Assaulted Sterling Brown Will Receive was originally published on newsone.com
