Nov 9, 2015
Tuscaloosa police are investigating after a video has surfaced of a team of officers cursing, Tasing and using a nightstick on at least one student during an arrest at an apartment early today.
Police were reportedly called to 12th Avenue Place Apartments on Frank Thomas Avenue about 3 a.m. on a noise complaint. What happened next is unclear, but multiple videos taken from both inside and outside of the apartment are making their way across social media.
The video shows an officer talking to those inside the apartment at the front door, and those inside refused to exit the apartment. The students questioned whether they were being arrested or detained, and whether the officers were within their rights to search the apartment.
Officers ended up going into the apartment. In one of the videos, one of the officers tells those inside the apartment to “Shut the (expletive) up.” When told the incident was being videotaped, he replied, “I don’t give a (expletive).”
At least a dozen officers quickly responded to the scene. A witness told AL.com the scene was chaotic. “They had a girl and two boys on the ground,” she said. “They were all screaming and everybody was videoing it. ”
One of the young men was taken outside the apartment and then hit with a Taser stun gun, and struck repeatedly with an officer’s nightstick. Two young men and a young woman – all three students – were taken into custody.
The officers were from the Tuscaloosa Police Department and The University of Alabama Police Department.
Tuscaloosa police Chief Steve Anderson told AL.com tonight he received the video this evening. “I have forwarded the video to our Internal Affairs investigators,” Anderson said. “They will begin an investigation tomorrow.”
After the chief spoke with AL.com, the Tuscaloosa Police Department released this statement: “The City of Tuscaloosa and the Tuscaloosa Police Department have been made aware of videos regarding an incident that occurred on November 8, 2015 at 3:19 a.m. that were a result of a loud music call. A full investigation of the circumstances that are depicted in these videos will be conducted and all appropriate measures taken to ensure the integrity of the Tuscaloosa Police Department in serving the citizens of Tuscaloosa.”
University officials released a statement on Monday: “We are aware of the incident and we remain very concerned about the welfare of all students who were there, especially those who were arrested. We have reached out to provide support to them, and will continue to provide services they need. We can confirm that three UAPD officers responded to a TPD officer’s call for emergency assistance that morning, and we are reviewing their actions to verify they acted appropriately. We encourage other students who have been impacted by this matter to contact the university’s Counseling Center at 205-348-3863.”
Source: http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2015/11/tuscaloosa_police_investigatin.html