Black Alabama Woman Tried to Call Cops to Complain About Neighbor’s Loud Music and Ended Up Violently Arrested for Not Showing ID at Her Home

Attorneys representing one Alabama girl shared a video displaying her arrest by a cop who took her into custody for failing to establish herself at her own residence.

In accordance with Twyla Stallworth’s legal professionals, she was arrested on Feb. 23, 2024, in Andalusia, Alabama, following a dispute over a noise grievance.

Stallworth, a Black girl, tried to name the police that day to report her neighbor, who’s white, for enjoying loud music in her neighborhood. After receiving no response, she set off her automobile alarm to get her neighbor’s consideration. That neighbor ended up calling 911 to report the noise from the alarm. Police responded to the neighbor’s name and one officer arrived at Stallworth’s house to confront her.

Stallworth’s authorized workforce mentioned Andalusia Officer Grant Barton arrived at her house and threatened to quote and arrest Stallworth for the automobile alarm, however he refused to deal with Stallworth’s noise complaints directed at her neighbor.

After Stallworth advised Barton that his therapy was racially motivated, Barton started asking for her identification, in keeping with her attorneys. Stallworth’s son started recording a cellphone video of the encounter at this level, and Stallworth is heard on the video refusing Barton’s request to point out her ID.

Alabama Code 15-5-30 states that police might cease any particular person in a public place if police have affordable suspicion that that particular person is committing, has dedicated or is about to commit a criminal offense and will demand that particular person’s identify, handle, and a proof of his or her actions.

Stallworth was at her house, not in a public place. Regardless, Barton takes out his handcuffs to arrest her when she refuses to point out her ID.

The video reveals Barton and Stallworth speaking on Stallworth’s porch. When Stallworth says she’s going again into her house to placed on her footwear in preparation for the arrest, Barton abruptly grabs Stallworth, shoves her son out of the way in which, and storms into Stallworth’s house.

Stallworth was unarmed and confirmed no aggression or indicators of threatening habits towards Barton.

After Barton storms into the house, Stallworth begins yelling at him for pushing her son, then repeatedly asks him why he wants her ID.

Barton doesn’t reply her. As a substitute, he shoves her on the sofa and forcefully cuffs her. Stallworth’s son is heard within the video asking everybody to settle down in an try to de-escalate the scenario.

As Barton walks Stallworth out of her house, her son follows behind and is heard asking Barton why he positioned Stallworth beneath arrest.

“Proper now, she’s beneath arrest for failure to establish,” Barton solutions.

Her son asks Barton for affirmation of the legislation he’s implementing and after Barton locations Stallworth within the automobile, Barton seems to Google the statute.

Stallworth’s son reads a part of the statute aloud and tells Barton that it doesn’t particularly say something about official identification. Barton responds, “I do know, however I’m not going to argue with you.”

In accordance with her legal professionals, Stallworth was jailed for as much as 15 hours and charged with obstruction, resisting arrest, and making an attempt to elude.

“By no means thoughts that Officer Barton needlessly escalated the scenario, forcefully entered Ms. Stallworth’s house, and bodily assaulted her over a noise grievance. Nevermind that he arrested her for exercising her constitutional rights and nevermind that he misquoted a legislation that doesn’t require a girl in her own residence to current an ID,” legal professional Harry Daniels mentioned in a press release. “Calling out racism isn’t unlawful. Utilizing your badge to intimidate a 40-year-old mom is.”

Stallworth’s case is evocative of that of Pastor Mike Jennings, who was arrested in Childersburg, Alabama, in 2022 after he failed to point out his ID to police whereas he was watering his neighbor’s flowers. Jennings mentioned he was racially profiled after his white neighbors referred to as the police on him.