The Milwaukee Police Department on Wednesday released body cam footage that shows the violent January arrest of NBA Milwaukee Bucks player Sterling Brown, and offered an apology for the incident which began as a dispute over a possible parking violation.
During a news conference, Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales said that the officers involved in the matter acted “inappropriately” and were “recently disciplined.”
“I am sorry this incident escalated to this level,” he added.
Brown was not charged with a crime and the incident was followed by an investigation.
The video, which shows Brown being arrested and tased, prompted Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett to say he was “offended” by what he saw.
“We all need this to be a city, where our residents can work with and respect our policy officers,” he said Wednesday. “We also need this to be a city where our police officers can work with and protect our residents. It has to be a two-way street.”
Brown also issued a statement on Twitter, addressing the persistent issue of police brutality against black people and claiming he will take legal action against the Milwaukee Police Department.
“My experience in January with the Milwaukee Police Department was wrong and shouldn’t happen to anybody. What should have been a simple parking ticket turned into an attempt at police intimidation followed by the unlawful use of physical force, including being handcuffed and tased, and then lawfully booked,” he said.
“There are no easy solutions to this problem, but there are strides that can be made to create change,” he added. “I will do my part in helping to prevent similar incidents from happening to the minority community in the future.”
