Indiana

Is There More Where This Came From?

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

As the City gets ready to meet next week with a group of local pastors to talk about building better relations between police and certain segments of the community, they may want to look at addressing false allegations of excessive force.

Already in the wake of the Brandon Johnson case word of false accusations have started to surface.  One of the most recent ones was on June 28.  An officer was called to the 8100 block of Siear Terrace to investigate a disturbance involving a group of teenagers at a playground.

The officer told the teens to leave because the teens were there after hours.   One teen refused to leave after being told two times to do so.  The officer told the teen that if he did not leave he would be arrested.  The teen refused, used profanity and the officer placed him under arrest.  As the  cuffs were put on him the teen reportedly pulled away.  The officer grabbed the young man’s hand and ordered him to the ground.  Although the teen went to the ground he continued to resist arrest.  The officer was forced to pepper spray him twice.  He also called for back up as a crowd was gathered.

Shortly after the teen was placed in the car, my sources tell me, his guardian who appeared upset over the altercation came over yelling threatening to sue by saying “Oh look, IMPD has money, I am going to get some.”  The teen later admitted to police that his family members told him to resist by not listening to police so they could later file a lawsuit.  He was later taken to Wishard to be treated for the pepper spray.  He was later charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on July 16, 2010 (boomark / email).