Austin police officials are investigating the 2015 arrest of a black elementary-school teacher during a routine traffic stop, which spiraled into a violent encounter. The teacher, Breaion King, is shown being pushed against a vehicle by two male officers. This moment arrives after one of them, Officer Bryan Richter, violently slams her into the ground.
The video shows not only the arrest but the scene afterward, when the second officer, Patrick Spradlin, asks King, “Why are so many people afraid of black people?” She replies that she’d like to know too, and Spradlin answers, “I can give you a really good idea why it might be that way. Violent tendencies … Some of them, because of their appearance and whatnot, some of them are very intimidating.” Spradlin adds how he doesn’t blame white people for being afraid of them. King was charged with resisting arrest, but those charges were later dropped.
Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo said he was disturbed by the actions of the police officers and won’t tolerate this type of police behavior:
“My heart was sickened and saddened when I first learned of this incident. For those that think life is perfect for people of color, I want you to listen to that conversation and tell me we don’t have social issues in this nation. But there is another piece, which has caused concerns as to our review process and the systems we have in place.”
King told My Statesman that she was traumatized, and she broke down in tears while describing the event. Even a year after the incident occurred, King said she is still fearful for her life. This 2015 video surfaces on the heels of a Florida incident, which involved an officer shooting an unarmed black man with his hands in the air.
The disturbing and violent video of the arrest can be seen below.
(Via CBS News, The Washington Post and My Statesman)