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Police Attack Black Teen For Jaywalking
It’s the video that has taken the Internet by storm: police in Stockton, California tackling a black teen into submission for jaywalking. Now, an angry and fed up African-American public is once again demanding justice.
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In the video, a police officer is seen shouting to the unidentified 16-year-old boy to “stop resisting,” “turn around” and “get on the ground.” However, the boy was not resisting arrest. Instead, he was cowering against a bush and sobbing, while pleading for police to leave him alone. The officer then struck the teenager in the face multiple times with his baton, prompting the teen to grab the baton in hopes of sparing further brutality. More officers then appeared and 4 of them forced the teen to the ground as other officers stood by. Throughout the melee, onlookers could be heard pleading for the officer to “get off of him” and “leave him alone,” repeatedly yelling that “he’s a kid.”
The video has now gone viral and was taken by Edgar Avendaño, an eyewitness to the attack. According to a Facebook post by Avendaño:
“The kid got stopped for ‘jaywalking’ when he barely stepped out of the bus he was 2 feet away from the sidewalk when the cop stopped him for ‘jaywalking.’ The kid took off the cop’s hand off his arm so the cop took out his baton & that’s when I started recording because everything happened too quick. He didn’t have to hit the kid with the baton & no need to call about 20 cops. And as you can see his body cam is on the floor. Smh.”
Despite video proof, Police Department spokesman Joseph Silva claimed the teenager defied orders to move from the bus lane and used obscene language before walking away from the officer. A scuffle ensued, during which the teenager grabbed the officer’s baton.
“As police officers, we cannot and will not let anyone take our weapons away,” Silva said. “Not only for our safety, but the safety of others.”
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Almost immediately after the incident occurred, the Stockton Police Department’s Facebook page was besieged with hundreds of outraged comments, accusing the officers of brutality and demanding further review. The department also received hundreds of phone calls from across the country. This cry for justice from the community, as well as a formal complaint from the boy’s family prompted Silva to promise that the Police Department will review the case. However, he cautioned that a preliminary review suggested the officer did in fact act according to policy, because of his need to reclaim the baton.
Even IF the boy was walking in the bus lane and even IF he used profanity, was that enough for him to be struck by a police baton and manhandled to the ground by 4 officers? Or did police (once again) totally overreact?
Although the teen was shaken up, he reportedly wasn’t seriously hurt. Police issued a citation for the traffic offense and released him to his mother.
As per the Washington Post, the young man's name is "Emilio Mayfield."
It does appear that this is yet another case of cops over-reacting to a situation involving a young Black male.
However, I would also like to know the answers to a few questions. The video shows what occurred AFTER the situation had already begun to escalate. I would like to know what actually took place PRIOR to what we see on the video? What actually led to the altercation?
Did Mayfield actually ignore the officer's request that he "move from the bus lane"..? And did Mayfield actually use profanity at the officer before getting into some kind of a physical atercation with the officer? (which then led to Mayfield seeking cover in a nearby bush).