2015/11/13

If a police officer knocks on someone’s door and they answer it, it is legally viewed as the resident’s consent to make contact; however, unless the situation particularly demands it the cops are not allowed to step inside – according to Tuscaloosa Police Chief Steve Anderson.

He was addressing a news conference about multiple cell phone videos, which have gone viral online in a matter of days, showing the police’s use of excessive force against University of Alabama students on the weekend.

He also released the names of three students who had been arrested and confirmed that at least three of the officers involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave.

In the early hours of the morning on Sunday, November 8 Tuscaloosa police officers responded to a noise complaint. Just hours ago the University of Alabama football team, Crimson Tide had managed a sweeping victory over Tigers – the Louisiana State University’s team at the Bryant-Denny stadium; it is located only a block away from the apartment where the incident took place.

Three officers initially responded to the complaint.

Eventually, at least half a dozen officers can be spotted at the scene in videos that emerged online.

Chief Anderson says the reason a number of officers responded to the call was because several cops were nearby monitoring the bar scene.

The initial responding officer, an eight-year veteran of the Tuscaloosa police department, called for backup and quite a few officers arrived a short while later.

The senior police official says the footage left him “deeply disturbed”.

The videos show several views of the incident.

At first one cop can be seen standing in the door of the student apartment talking to several people inside.

The officer is seen holding on to the man’s shirt, while a woman can be heard asking numerous times whether the man is being arrested or detained.

Then, the cop confirms that he intended to take the man into custody. However, he does not specify the charges.

Less than a minute after the argument, the police officer barges into the apartment and violently attacks at least one of the men.

One person can be heard saying: “Please let go of him. You are illegally entering.”

Moments later officers can be seen emerging out of the residence dragging out two men and a woman – we now know their names, they are: Brandon James Williford, 21, Matthew Macia, 22 and Caroline Giddis, 22.

One of the men was pinned to the ground and tased, then one officer bashes him repeatedly with a cylindrical stick.

An Alabama student Jordan Johnson says he cannot make head or tail of the police’s reaction.
“Shocking. The guy was already getting tased, so why would you beat him when he was on the ground,” he said.

“I just didn’t understand what was going on with the cops. He was already like contained.”
Williford and Giddis are both from Tennessee, while Macia is from Johns Creek, Georgia.

One media outlet got hold of Giddis, shaken by the incident they say she sounded disturbed.

However, later on she contacted the reporter via a text message and said neither she nor her attorney would like to make any further comment.

The three senior students were charged with obstructing governmental operations and harassment.

Williford is a Metallurgical Engineering major, Guinness is pursuing a double major in Public Relations and Spanish, and Macia is majoring in Economics, Arts and Sciences.

The three officers placed on administrative leave include the initial responding officer, the cop who used the taser – a 12 year veteran of the department and the one who used a baton, a relatively new employee, who had been on the force for two years.

Watch the video below: