Photo: Wukela Communications (YouTube)
Newly-released video shows an Alabama police officer forcefully arresting a Black mother who complained about a white neighbor's loud music. An attorney representing Twyla Stallworth claims Andalusia police didn't take her complaints seriously and got violent with her during an incident that unfolded on February 24, according to AL.com.
Stallworth, a 40-year-old mother, reportedly called the police several times to report a noise complaint from her neighbor. After she purposefully set off her car alarm to get the neighbor's attention, the neighbor called the cops, and an officer, identified as Grant Barton, responded to the scene, lawyers allege.
Barton allegedly threatened to cite and arrest Barton for blaring her car alarm while doing "nothing to address her multiple complaints," Stallworth's attorney said. As Barton was returning to his police cruiser, the mother accused him of being racially biased during the encounter.
Footage recorded by Stallworth's 18-year-old son shows Barton approaching her and demanding her identification. Stallworth refuses, leading to a back and forth about whether Barton asked the white neighbor for ID.
"I’m not arguing with you. Show me your ID, or you’re going to jail," the officer states before he reaches out to grab the mother. The situation escalates inside the house as Barton later pushes Stallworth on the couch and starts handcuffing her. At one point, it appears the officer shoved her son before the confrontation unfolded inside their home.
“Why are you trying to rough up a female, dude? You need Jesus," Stallworth says in the video. "This ain’t nothing but the devil.”
Civil rights lawyer Harry Daniels, who's representing Stallworth, slammed the police officer for allegedly using his badge to "intimidate" a Black mother.
“Never mind that Officer Barton needlessly escalated the situation, forcefully entered Ms. Stallworth’s home and physically assaulted her over a noise complaint," Daniels said, per AL.com. "Never mind that he arrested her for exercising her constitutional rights and never mind that he misquoted a law that doesn’t require a woman in her own home to present an ID."
The attorney said Stallworth was detained for 15 hours on charges of obstruction, resisting arrest, and attempting to elude.
The City of Andalusia apologized to Stallworth and announced the charges against her were dropped in a statement issued on Friday (March 8). Mayor Earl Johnson said the responding officer "made a mistake" and was disciplined over the incident. He also addressed the allegations of racism:
“Ms. Stallworth has not filed a complaint with the police department, but her attorney alleges in his release that her arrest was racially motivated. We have reviewed body cam footage of the incident, and see no evidence of racism... In the video released by her attorney, Ms. Stallworth also claims that the police department has failed to respond to complaints she made about her neighbor. We also have reviewed internal evidence that shows the police department did respond."
Stallworth hasn't filed any lawsuits as of Monday (March 11), according to court records.