Police officials in Lakeland, Florida are reviewing an incident in which officers punched and tased a teenager after he allegedly trespassed at an apartment complex pool and refused to leave when police ordered him to do so.
Lakeland police charged the 16-year-old boy with misdemeanor trespassing and two felony counts of battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer with violence, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by ABC News.
Christopher McKee, one of the two arresting officers in the May 26 incident, stated in a police report that he was responding to a 911 call from the apartment complex management complaining that several people were at the apartment pool who weren’t allowed to be there because they weren’t tenants. Once officers arrived, the apartment complex manager notified them that all non-residents of the complex were trespassing.
Lakeland police officers in a physical altercation with a 16-year-old boy who they claim wouldn’t leave an apartment complex after being informed he was trespassing.
Darryiell Bowman
ABC News is not naming the teen because he is a minor.
“I gave [the subject] several more lawful orders to exit the property or he would be arrested,” McKee stated in the affidavit. “[The subject] continued to ignore my verbal commands and stuck his hand in my face, while stating ‘I don’t have to talk to you.’ I decided at this time to take [the subject] into custody for trespassing.”
The officer claims in the report that after making physical contact with the teen to bring him into custody, the teen struck the officer in the face with a closed fist. In cell phone video of the incident obtained by ABC News, two officers can be seen punching, pulling the hair of and tasing the teen before he submits to being handcuffed. The video does not show what led up to the incident.
Ja’Tae Lewis, the boy’s mother, told ABC News that her son and his friends were leaving the property, as requested by police. At that point, one of the officers followed behind them and told her son that the next time he came to the complex he should take his “fat a–” to the gym to work out, rather than the pool.
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Lewis said that her son told her that he replied to the officer but allegedly doesn’t remember what he said. The officer then approached her son, according to Lewis, who in turn raised his hand up toward the officer’s face to establish distance. That is when the officer became physical with her son, according to Lewis.
Lakeland police told ABC News that body camera video of the incident is not available to the public at this time. The teen was transported to a local hospital and then to a juvenile assessment center, according to the arrest affidavit.
“Chief of Police Sam Taylor has already requested an administrative review by our Office of Professional Standards,” Lakeland police told ABC News through a statement. “We will not be able to release any other material related to this case until the administrative review is closed.”
Recently, a video surfaced online showing police officers in Florida using force on a teenager who was accused of trespassing at a pool. The incident has sparked outrage and raised questions about the use of force by law enforcement officers.
The incident took place at a community pool in Florida, where a group of teenagers were allegedly trespassing. When police arrived at the scene, they attempted to detain the teenagers, including a 15-year-old boy. In the video, one officer can be seen grabbing the teenager by the neck and slamming him to the ground. The officer then proceeds to handcuff the boy while he is lying on the ground.
The video has since gone viral, with many people expressing shock and anger over the use of force by the police officers. Some have criticized the officers for their aggressive tactics, while others have defended their actions, citing the need to maintain order and discipline in public spaces.
The incident has once again highlighted the issue of police brutality and excessive use of force, particularly when dealing with teenagers and young people. Many have called for an investigation into the incident and for the officers involved to be held accountable for their actions.
In response to the incident, the police department has launched an internal investigation to determine whether the officers acted appropriately in their handling of the situation. The department has also stated that they take allegations of misconduct seriously and will take appropriate action if necessary.
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of proper training and oversight for law enforcement officers. It is crucial that officers are trained to de-escalate situations and use force only when absolutely necessary. Additionally, there needs to be accountability and transparency when incidents of police misconduct occur.
As the investigation into this incident continues, it is important for the community to come together and demand justice for the teenager who was subjected to unnecessary force. It is only through holding law enforcement accountable that we can work towards building trust and improving relations between police and the communities they serve.
