A Tennessee police officer is on administrative leave as the violent arrest of a man is investigated
CNN
By Hannah Sarisohn, CNN
Tennessee officials are investigating an officer’s violent arrest of a Black man accused of fleeing from police trying to stop him after allegedly running a stop sign, officials said.
Brandon Calloway, 25, was tased and eventually subdued with a police baton during an arrest captured on cellphone and body-worn camera video, authorities said.
One of the officers involved in the incident has been placed on administrative leave, an official told CNN.
Mark Davidson, the district attorney for the 25th Judicial District, which includes Fayette County, told CNN he asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to review the case.
The arrest happened at around 7:30 p.m. July 16 in Oakland, Tennessee, after a police officer identified only as D. Jackson alleged Calloway failed to stop at stop sign, according to a complaint affidavit obtained by CNN.
Calloway is accused of speeding up to 32 miles per hour in an area with a speed limit of 20 mph, and the officer followed his vehicle until Calloway turned into a driveway and ran inside his home.
“Mr. Calloway, jumped out of the driver seat and started running to the house while reaching into his pockets. At that time Officer Jackson commanded Mr. Calloway to stop, which he refused. When Mr. Calloway was running into the house, he was yelling obscene language stating, ‘this is my f**king house and I did stop for the stop sign,'” according to the complaint.
Calloway ran inside his house as another officer, identified as Officer Richardson with the Oakland Police Department, arrived on scene, according to the complaint.
The officers determined Calloway needed to be detained and kicked in the front door, the complaint said.
Cellphone video recorded at the home, obtained by CNN from Calloway’s girlfriend, shows officers entering and running up the stairs to the sound of a woman screaming.
The person with the phone follows police as they pursue Calloway. A woman can be heard screaming, “Stop hitting him! Stop hitting him!”
The Tennessee Attorney General’s office denied CNN’s public record request to obtain officers Jackson and Richardson’s body camera footage, citing the ongoing investigation.
According to the complaint, Calloway tried to stop Jackson and Richardson from entering one room by closing the door.
The video shows Calloway evade officers while they pursue him back downstairs. A third officer from another agency, who was not identified in the complaint, arrives in the home. The person with the cellphone continues to follow and a woman screams, “Why are you chasing him and hitting him? He has no weapon!”
“Officer Jackson deployed his department issued taser, which had no effect on Mr. Calloway. Officer Richardson began to use his department issued baton to get Mr. Calloway to comply with the officers’ commands, which had no effect,” the complaint said.
Cellphone footage shows violent arrest
Fifty-nine seconds into the video from the point officers enter the home, a Taser deployment could be heard. The third unidentified officer can be seen trying to wrestle Calloway from behind.
Calloway can be heard saying, “I’m bleeding!” The woman can be heard saying, “Stop hitting him! Brandon stop resisting! Brandon stop resisting!’ Calloway turns to the camera with blood on his face. The woman continues to implore Calloway to comply with officers.
“Once Mr. Calloway was taken to the floor, he stopped resisting and was taken into custody. The incident was captured on Officer’s body worn cameras along with Officer Jackson’s in car camera,” the complaint said.
“After being medically cleared for injuries, he sustained while resisting arrest, Mr. Calloway was transported to the Fayette County Criminal Justice Center without any further incident.”
Calloway has been bonded out of the Fayette County jail, according to his attorney.
According to the complaint, Calloway was held for evading arrest, resisting stop, frisk, halt, arrest or search, disorderly conduct, failing to stop at a stop sign and speeding.
Officer Richardson has since been placed on administrative leave, Oakland City Manager Jay Johnson told CNN in an email.
Attorney says he’s hoping for a ‘dialogue’ with police
Calloway’s attorney Andre Wharton told CNN that Calloway suffered injuries to his head in at least two locations, which led to excessive blood loss and required stitches.
Wharton said Calloway also suffered wounds throughout his body and his client is experiencing headaches and is having vision trouble.
“He understands the gravity of what happened, and we’re focused on getting him well. It’s definitely going to be a process and he’s trying to make it through,” Wharton said.
Calloway’s attorney says they are hoping to begin a dialogue with the Oakland Police Department once internal and external investigations are complete.
“We are pushing for a timely conclusion to their internal investigation. We hope we can begin dialogue once the parties sit down and are able to talk,” Wharton said. “Right now, that has not happened.”
CNN has reached out to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office and the Fayette County Criminal Justice Center.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
