The Atlanta Police Department has responded to a recent arrest that went viral after a woman claimed the officer used excessive force while arresting her sister. As we previously reported, the sister wrote, “I can’t believe this happened to my sister!!! To give context, my sister has never been in any unlawful situation, and simply out of fear and lack of information. She had questions about signing her citation.”
Unfortunately, the video that sparked outrage didn’t show everything that happened during the arrest. On Wednesday, the Atlanta Police Department shared an over ten-minute video of the interaction with Officer Brooks, the unidentified woman, and the man before the arrest. Footage showed that Officer Brooks approached the pair at Shady Valley Park, located at 2700 Shady Valley Drive in northeast Atlanta, advising that the park was closed. He asked them for their IDs and went to his patrol car. Upon arrival, he alerted them that they would be receiving a citation for being on city property after closing.
The man could be heard asking the officer if he needed to sign the citation, to which the officer could be heard saying yes, and he could go to jail if not. The man obliged and signed the citation. However, the woman gave him push back. She asked for Officer Brooks’ information, which he provided repeatedly. The woman refused to sign the form, and that’s when things escalated as she was placed under arrest.
As the footage continues, viewers watch the woman being combative and refusing to allow the officer to place her in handcuffs. While he kept his composure and attempted to put handcuffs on her, she asked why she was being arrested because at that point, she said she would sign the ticket, but it was too late. She was informed that was no longer an option.
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In addition to the entire body cam video, Atlanta police also released a lengthy statement saying,
“The Atlanta Police Department (APD) is aware of video footage circulating on social media regarding an Atlanta Police Officer arresting a woman for being in a city park after hours. Upon learning of the incident, members of the APD’s Command Staff immediately began reviewing the incident to determine the facts surrounding the case. It has become immediately clear there is more to this story than the short social media video shows, and the decision has been made to release the Body Worn Camera footage from the arresting officer.”
Roommates, what are your thoughts on this situation?
