In response to King’s arrest, Acevedo says he has reached out to the U.S. Department of Justice for help in providing additional training for his officers. After watching the video, the Chief says he was taken aback by his officers’ mentality. Separate footage that also surfaced Thursday revealed the conversation about race between King and another white officer, Patrick Spradlin.
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Both officers were taken off law enforcement duties, and the police chief said administrative reviews are being conducted into past conduct by both officers.
Dash cam footage surfaced Thursday of a white Austin, Texas, police officer violently arresting Breaion King, a black elementary school teacher, in 2015. She had parked in a parking spot and got out of her Nissan Versa. She does but apparently doesn’t close the door.
The two Texas police officers are now being investigated because of the violent assault. She questions whether he can ticket her after she is already parked. The video showed King-who told police she weighed 112 pounds-being thrown to the ground twice.
The officer responds by telling her to stand up.
Some, like former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, have recently pushed back against the “black lives matter” movement by saying the majority of killings in black communities are carried out by African Americans, not at the hands of police.
The police cruiser pulled up next to King’s auto as she was exciting the vehicle.
“I’m getting out, let me get out”, King said. “Do not touch me”.
“If that was a white woman, would he have yanked her out… and slammed her on the ground?” Probably, the reason for her resistance was unwilling to be brutalized by the officer.
Once she is placed in the police vehicle, a third officer walks up and tells them that a bystander had filmed the interaction.
Officials said she had committed suicide in the jail.
The second video picked up with King handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser as she spoke with Spradlin. She asked him if he thinks racism still exists.
“I believe that caucasian people have more rights than black people”, she tells the officer.
While being pinned to the ground, King says she’s trying and he’s not giving her enough time to comply. “I can give you a really good – a really good idea why it might be that way”, Spradlin says.
“We need to be aware of these kinds of incidents”. “We have met with community stakeholders and begun a dialogue”.
CNN called both officers and left messages requesting comment.
Last June, 26-year-old Breaion King was pulled over for going 50 miles per hour in a 35 miles per hour zone.
“I was embarrassed and I was ashamed and I did not know what I needed to do”, King said.
KXAN News spoke to King’s attorney’s assistant who said King is not expected to speak until Friday.
King has not filed suit but that is a possibility, Grigg said.
A department that the chief says has watched the eye-opening videos, proof, he says, that APD isn’t immune to the nationwide divide.
“When we don’t come forward, everyone loses”, he said.
He also said he wants investigators to look at resisting arrest complaints, public intoxication arrests and other detentions that require monitoring to prevent abuse.
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“A mindset that has no business in society, but definitely has no business in policing”, Acevedo said. “But the work is not done”.
