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A Birmingham-area high-school band director stated the police went too far once they shocked him with a Taser and arrested him after he refused to adjust to their orders to cease his band’s efficiency on the finish of a soccer recreation.
The Birmingham Police Division launched body-camera footage of the incident on Tuesday, Sept. 19, exhibiting officers subduing Minor Excessive Faculty band director Johnny Sims.
After a soccer recreation between Minor Excessive Faculty and residential staff P.D. Jackson-Olin Excessive Faculty ended final week, police on the scene requested the band administrators from each colleges to finish their performances so they might shut down stadium operations.
The house staff’s band adopted the directive, however Mims continued to permit his band to play.
About 20 minutes after the sport ended, they personally approached Mims to make the request once more. Mims is heard saying on the video, “Get out of my face,” but additionally tells the officers that the track the band is enjoying would be the final earlier than they pack up.
Moments later, the stadium lights are shut off, the band stops enjoying, and college students start screaming. It’s too darkish to see, however an altercation begins between Mims and some officers because the officers try and handcuff Mims. Bodycam footage exhibits Mims saying, “Get off of me” to the officers restraining him. One officer yells that Mims hit one other officer, which Mims denied. Then, one other officer tases Mims.
WATCH THE FULL BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE HERE.
Mims was arrested, taken to a close-by hospital, after which booked into jail on disorderly conduct, harassment and resisting arrest fees.
Throughout a information convention, Mims said that the incident ought to have by no means escalated, particularly in entrance of his college students. He defined that the police interrupted a traditional “fifth quarter” scenario when marching bands, normally from predominantly Black excessive colleges and schools, proceed to play music after video games finish in a battle-style efficiency.
“The issues that occurred in that recreation ought to have by no means occurred. The scholars ought to have by no means seen me tased. I used to be not attempting to be defiant to the police division. Once more, I used to be simply attempting to do my job, which was beforehand established earlier than the top of the sport. This was one thing that was customary to bands,” Mims stated. “I undoubtedly don’t need us to lose sight of the scholars who had been caught in the midst of this.”
Mims’ lawyer, Juandalynn Givan, doesn’t consider confrontation would have occurred if the faculties had been predominantly white.
“This wouldn’t have occurred in a majority white college within the state of Alabama,” Givan stated. “However you’ll dare tase a Black man in a Black college within the metropolis of Birmingham, which is a majority Black metropolis — it’s OK?”
Mims and Givan additionally mentioned the aftermath of the incident throughout an look on CNN.
“No matter how this will have began, there’s nothing that occurred that may have warranted my shopper being tased a number of occasions, even whereas on the bottom like some whole prison, at that time in entrance of 145 college students,” Givan instructed CNN. “These youngsters had been traumatized.”
The varsity superintendent echoed related sentiments as Mims’ lawyer.
“It’s extraordinarily upsetting to me that our college students, our kids, needed to witness that scene,” Jefferson County Faculties superintendent Walter Gonsoulin stated in an announcement. “Nothing is extra necessary than their well-being.”
Birmingham Police launched an announcement concerning the confrontation, which stated that the arresting officer alleged that “the band director pushed him throughout the arrest.”
Givan known as that declare “an absolute lie.”
“My shopper, not at one time, tried to assault, in any trend, the Birmingham Police Division,” Givan stated. “That an educator could be tased in entrance of scholars by legislation enforcement is unacceptable. It’s extreme.”
Mims instructed CNN that he’s working to regain use of his left arm after being tased.
“I’ve an amazing physician that I’ve been working with to attempt to assist me get common use of my arm as a result of I used to be tased within the shoulder in addition to the decrease torso space,” Mims stated. “I take advantage of my shoulders for, in fact, a lot of the issues that I do.”
Mims stays on administrative go away presently whereas the varsity district opinions and investigates the scenario.
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