A video from a June 2015 incident showing an African American elementary school teacher in Austin, Texas violently arrested has surfaced amidst public scrutiny.
According to The American-Statesman, in the police officer’s initial report of the incident, he wrote that he acted quickly because 26-year-old Breaion King demonstrated an “uncooperative attitude” and was “reaching for the front passenger side of the vehicle.”
A video of the incident was obtained by the American-Statesman this week, revealing a very different story.
Scenes from the video show the officer using excessive force and flinging King to the ground.
Police charged King with resisting arrest, however, after the Travis County attorney reviewed the video the department dismissed the case against King.
Another video revealed controversial comments from officer Patrick Spradlin, who helped arrest King, about race and violence.
“Ninety-nine percent of the time, when you hear about stuff like that, it is the black community that is being violent. That’s why a lot of the white people are afraid, and I don’t blame them,” said Spradlin to King, who sat in the back of the police car.
He continued on about ‘dealing’ with black people as an officer.
“There are some guys I look at, and I know it is my job to deal with them, and I know it might go ugly, but that’s the way it goes. But yeah, some of them, because of their appearance and whatnot, some of them are very intimidating.”
A criminal investigation is active from the incident and the district attorney’s office will determine whether charges will be filed. Both officers have been removed from law enforcement duties. The police chief says administrative reviews for both officers are underway to look into past conduct. Spradlin has not received any punishment as a result of the conversation, however, officials are investigating his comments. The offending officer, Bryan Richter, received the lowest level of discipline — counseling and additional training from the Austin police department.
Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo publicly apologized to King, saying that he was unaware of the videos until Tuesday when a prosecutor called him to follow up on inquiries from the American-Statesman.
“I’m sorry that in the day you were stopped for going 15 mph, you were… treated in a manner that is not consistent with the expectations of this police chief, of most of the officers of this department, and most importantly, of all of us as human beings,” Acevedo said in an apology.
King has hired attorneys Broadus Spivey and Erica Grigg to represent her. In the meantime, she is contemplating a lawsuit against the officer and the Austin Police Department.
