Milwaukee attorney defends police in Sterling Brown arrest, asks for dismissal of federal suit
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett says no one benefits from ‘legal wrangling’
Milwaukee police officers did nothing wrong when they used a stun gun on Bucks’ guard Sterling Brown during his arrest over a parking violation in January, a city attorney said Friday, contradicting the police chief and mayor who condemned the officers’ actions.
Grant Langley said in a court filing on August 24, 2018, in response to a federal lawsuit that Brown was at least partially to blame for what happened on Jan. 26 during his 2 a.m. encounter with police outside a Walgreens store at South 26th Street and West National Avenue.
“The plaintiff’s injuries, if any, were not caused by any policy, practice, or custom of the City of Milwaukee or any of its officers, agents or employees acting in their individual or official capacities,’ the 51-page court filing reads, in part.
The filing asks that the lawsuit alleging “excessive force” be dismissed. The case got national attention.
Police Chief Alfonso Morales apologized to Brown and in May announced that 11 of the officers involved in the rookie guard’s arrest were disciplined or retrained.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said Sunday that what happened to Brown was wrong.
“I think right now you’ve got the legal wrangling going on and I don’t think anybody benefits by having legal wrangling going on. What I’m looking for is a resolution to this that will be a positive for the community and for Mr. Brown,” he said.
Brown had been talking with officers while waiting for a citation for illegally parking in a disabled spot outside the store when officers took him down because he didn’t immediately remove his hands from his pockets as ordered.
Milwaukee police officers did nothing wrong when they used a stun gun on Bucks’ guard Sterling Brown during his arrest over a parking violation in January, a city attorney said Friday, contradicting the police chief and mayor who condemned the officers’ actions.
