This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/12/texas-councilman-taser-prarie-view-sandra-bland

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Texas councilman shocked with Taser vows to take up incident with police Texas councilman shocked with Taser vows to take up incident with police
(about 2 hours later)
A Texas city councilman who was shocked with a Taser on his front lawn has promised to take the incident up with officers from the same police force that arrested Sandra Bland before her death in a jail cell this summer.A Texas city councilman who was shocked with a Taser on his front lawn has promised to take the incident up with officers from the same police force that arrested Sandra Bland before her death in a jail cell this summer.
“It went from me asking questions to me basically being put face down on the ground,” 26-year-old Jonathan Miller told KHOU news after his release from jail on Friday. “I’m curious to have a conversation with those officers.”“It went from me asking questions to me basically being put face down on the ground,” 26-year-old Jonathan Miller told KHOU news after his release from jail on Friday. “I’m curious to have a conversation with those officers.”
He later told the local CBS affiliate: “It shouldn’t have come that far.”He later told the local CBS affiliate: “It shouldn’t have come that far.”
Three videos posted online over the weekend, two from police body cameras and one from a cellphone owned by a friend of Miller, show the incident, during which the Prairie View city councilman was arrested.Three videos posted online over the weekend, two from police body cameras and one from a cellphone owned by a friend of Miller, show the incident, during which the Prairie View city councilman was arrested.
In the black and white police footage, a female officer talks with three of Miller’s friends outside his house, where they say they had been practicing a step routine for their college homecoming. Miller approaches to ask what’s happening, telling the officer: “They were at my house” and “I’m not trying to be combative or anything.” In the black and white police footage, a female officer talks with three of Miller’s friends outside his house, where they say they had been practicing a step routine for their college homecoming. Miller approaches to ask what’s happening, telling the officer: “They were at my house” and “I’m not trying to be combative or anything”.
“I understand that and you’re just coming in on the tail end of it,” the officer replies. “They told me everything OK.” The officer replies: “I understand that and you’re just coming in on the tail end of it ... They told me everything OK.”
A male officer then intervenes, saying “This is a scene, come on,” and waves his hand. A male officer then intervenes, saying, “This is a scene, come on,” and waving his hand.
Miller replies: “Officer, please do not put your hands on me.”Miller replies: “Officer, please do not put your hands on me.”
The officer instructs Miller to step away: “Go over there before you go to jail for interfering, man.”The officer instructs Miller to step away: “Go over there before you go to jail for interfering, man.”
Miller takes a few steps back without speaking and continues to watch the officer, who repeatedly tells him: “I’m telling you one more time, man, go over there before you go to jail.”Miller takes a few steps back without speaking and continues to watch the officer, who repeatedly tells him: “I’m telling you one more time, man, go over there before you go to jail.”
Finally, the officer reaches out to Miller and tells him to turn around. Miller says: “I’m not saying nothing, get your hands off me.”Finally, the officer reaches out to Miller and tells him to turn around. Miller says: “I’m not saying nothing, get your hands off me.”
The officer’s body camera then falls to the ground. Police chief Larry Johnson later said Miller “physically resisted” arrest, and “continued to resist, even after repeated commands to stop” and being “told that he was being placed under arrest for interfering with the investigation”.The officer’s body camera then falls to the ground. Police chief Larry Johnson later said Miller “physically resisted” arrest, and “continued to resist, even after repeated commands to stop” and being “told that he was being placed under arrest for interfering with the investigation”.
Miller’s friend Brandon Wilson also recorded the arrest. His video begins with Miller kneeling as officers try to move his arms behind his back. The female officer tells him: “Quit resisting and put your hands behind your back.”Miller’s friend Brandon Wilson also recorded the arrest. His video begins with Miller kneeling as officers try to move his arms behind his back. The female officer tells him: “Quit resisting and put your hands behind your back.”
Miller’s does not move his hands behind his back, and lets them fall to his sides when the police back away. The female officer then says: “OK, he’s gonna have to tase you, you’re not doing like you’re supposed to.” Miller does not move his hands behind his back, and lets them fall to his sides when the police back away. The female officer then says: “OK, he’s gonna have to Tase you, you’re not doing like you’re supposed to.”
The male officer uses a Taser on Miller, who falls to the ground with a shout of pain.The male officer uses a Taser on Miller, who falls to the ground with a shout of pain.
Officers continue to command “Put your hands behind your back,” though Miller only groans and says: “I live here, man!” Officers continue to command: “Put your hands behind your back,” though Miller only groans and says: “I live here, man!”
In the female officer’s body camera footage, she tells Miller: “Everything was fine, we told you that, but you just kept trying to get involved. Even your frat brothers was telling you, everything was fine. You were not following the instructions that the officer gave you.”In the female officer’s body camera footage, she tells Miller: “Everything was fine, we told you that, but you just kept trying to get involved. Even your frat brothers was telling you, everything was fine. You were not following the instructions that the officer gave you.”
She then thanks Miller’s friends for cooperating, and tells them none will face any charges. Miller was arrested and charged with interference and resisting arrest, and spent the night in jail. She then thanks Miller’s friends for cooperating, and tells them none will face any charges.
“I feel like I was checking on my line brothers and I feel like it escalated to a situation where I was tased and it shouldn’t have come that far,” Miller told the local CBS affiliate the next day. Miller was arrested and charged with interference and resisting arrest, and he spent the night in jail.
Johnson later confirmed that the female officer took Bland to a county jail in July. “I feel like I was checking on my line brothers and I feel like it escalated to a situation where I was tased, and it shouldn’t have come that far,” Miller told the local CBS affiliate the next day.
Johnson later confirmed that the female officer took Sandra Bland to a county jail in July.
“We have six police officers. The probability of having the same officer involved in multiple types of incidences is probable,” Johnson told NBC. “I haven’t seen anything that gave me any cause for concern as far as this officer’s conduct at this point.”“We have six police officers. The probability of having the same officer involved in multiple types of incidences is probable,” Johnson told NBC. “I haven’t seen anything that gave me any cause for concern as far as this officer’s conduct at this point.”
None of Miller’s friends were arrested or charged, and the man who recorded the video, Wilson, disputed the police account that his friend behaved in a way to deserve being shot with a stun gun. None of Miller’s friends were arrested or charged, and the man who recorded the video, Wilson, disputed the police account that his friend behaved in such a way as to deserve being shot with a stun gun.
“Usually I would think if you’re tasing somebody it’s somebody that’s running from the cops, somebody that’s trying to inflict harm on somebody, not somebody that’s on their knees with their arms by their sides,” he told KHOU. “Usually I would think if you’re tasing somebody, it’s somebody that’s running from the cops, somebody that’s trying to inflict harm on somebody, not somebody that’s on their knees with their arms by their sides,” he told KHOU.
The Prairie View police fell under national scrutiny earlier this year when a minor traffic stop of 28-year-old Sandra Bland suddenly escalated into a physical confrontation and arrest, much of which was caught on dashcam footage. Bland was found to have killed herself days later in a jail cell.The Prairie View police fell under national scrutiny earlier this year when a minor traffic stop of 28-year-old Sandra Bland suddenly escalated into a physical confrontation and arrest, much of which was caught on dashcam footage. Bland was found to have killed herself days later in a jail cell.
Bland became a symbol of police abuses against black people, and was taken up by the Black Lives Matter movement that has grown out of a series of high-profile killings of young black people. Bland became a symbol of police abuses against black people, and her story was taken up by the Black Lives Matter movement that has grown out of a series of high-profile killings of young black people.
Johnson and the female Prairie View police officer involved in the Miller altercation are black.Johnson and the female Prairie View police officer involved in the Miller altercation are black.