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On Monday, the DeSoto police released the dash cam footage showing the chaotic arrest of a family who was handcuffed on August 7. The son of the woman who called the cops, can be seen being tased repeatedly and crying out for help.
Sammie Anderson, who lives on the outskirts of Dallas, now regrets calling police to assist in a sibling rivalry between her sons, after a brutal confrontation left them battered, the Dallas Morning News reports.
After activists called for the videotapes be released, the DeSoto police released the 44-minute video showing turmoil as officers swarmed in after being called to settle a dispute between brothers.
Anderson said she feared that the heated exchange between her boys would escalate to another level, so she sought help from the De Soto police.
“It was the worst decision I’ve ever made as a mom,’’ Anderson said.
DeSoto’s city attorney, Joseph J. Gorfida, Jr., said the story “tended to incite many people against the city.”
Anderson filed a police brutality complaint with the DeSoto Police Department against the six officers involved on Aug. 7. Anderson contends that the officers falsely arrested two of Anderson’s sons on charges of interfering with officers and a third on suspicion of domestic violence.
The video footage shows cops threatening to arrest her for being “a pedestrian in the roadway.”
As the video begins, and a woman says, “No one is fighting.”
Jayla Armstead arrives with Sam Bible, age 18, who is one of Anderson’s sons.
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Anderson panics when officers tell him too to lie down: “He’s not resisting.’’
An officer grabs Anderson and slams her to the ground as she tried to approach her son.
“We’re just detaining everybody,’’ the officer says when asked if they were being arrested.
DeSoto police Chief Joseph Costa said previously that officers followed protocol. However many witnesses have said that those cameras will show proof that it was a calm scene and unnecessary for police to swarm in.
“There was no physical altercation, no arguing,” Costa admits. “Yes, it was calm.”
“Comply now, complain later,’’ Costa said. “If you comply now, most of the time, we’ll get it resolved without anyone getting hurt.’’
“The treatment of this family is deeply troubling,’’ said the Rev. Peter Johnson, founder of the Institute for Non-Violence, who is also a Dallas-area civil rights activist. “We’re talking brutality that goes beyond skin pigmentation. It involves a lack of training to de-escalate a crisis, as well as possible intimidation of a family.’’
“The allegations made about the officers’ conduct raise serious concerns for the public that cannot be fully addressed without the benefit of video footage taken at the scene,’’ Andre Segura, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, said in a written statement. “We strongly advise the department — in the interest of transparency and public confidence — to release any recordings.”