After tasing Bucks guard Sterling Brown for parking across two handicapped spaces in Milwaukee on January 26, the same officer cracked a ‘joke’ about tasing J.R. Smith for fumbling during the NBA Finals. 

According to the lawsuit Brown filed against Milwaukee and its police department which The Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery uploaded, J.R. had the ball during Game 1 and let the clock run out to force the game into overtime. His team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, lost in the end. 

“I hope JR Smith double parks in Walgreens handicap Parkin spots when he’s in Milwaukee!” Erik Andrade, the officer who tased Brown, wrote on Facebook. 

The ’joke,’ or threat, centers around a video released by the Milwaukee Police Department body cam footage that catches the moments when Brown was forced to the ground by officers and tased for a parking infraction. 

“Nice meeting Sterling Brown of the Milwaukee Bucks at work this morning! Lol#FearTheDeer,” Andrade posted. 

When speaking on the situation, Brown said, “Black men shouldn’t have to have their guard up and instantly be on the defensive when seeing a police officer, but it’s our reality and a real problem. There must be mutual respect, and both sides have to figure out how to accomplish this.” 

Brown hopes to use this as a learning experience that people in the black community can grow from by making strides toward change. 

“Situations like mine and worse happen every day in the black community,” Brown said in a statement. “Being a voice and face for people who won’t be heard and don’t have the same platform as I have is a responsibility I take serious… Peaceful support to ensure no further damage to our community is the only way to respond.”

Excessive forceJR SmithMilwaukee BucksPolice brutalitySterling BrownTaser