Charges Dropped Against Siblings Accused Of Attacking Minneapolis Police Officers During Domestic Call
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A family in north Minneapolis is sharing police video that they say proves officers used excessive force during an incident in August of 2019.
The video, which may be hard for some to watch, shows officers responding to a mother who called police for help with her children -- Brandy Adams, Lee Evans and Champaigne Hale -- who she said were fighting.
Once officers were face to face with her adult children -- the situation turned violent.
"I believed Champaigne, I believed Lee, when they told us the story, when we saw their wounds," Leslie Redmond, head of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP, said.
It was last August when Tammy Squalls and her children stood before cameras. They told a story of how officers used excessive force during a domestic call to their home. Community leaders say the release of a police body camera video proves the family was victimized.
"What we saw was criminal conduct on the part of the police, an escalation that was utterly unnecessary, you saw officers tasing with these long cycle of tases," Michelle Gross, from Communities United Against Police Brutality, said.
Police released a statement back in August that said officers arrived and spoke to the victim, and when they entered the house to arrest the suspect, family members were uncooperative and interfered physically. They say officers were outnumbered and additional squads were requested.
Activists say the video proves otherwise.
"Now we know Lee was trying to protect, and everybody can see on that video that he did nothing, she did nothing, and then we get treated like this," community activist Al Flowers said.
Long-time community activist Spike Moss says in his 54 years of standing up against police brutality, this is the worst case he has seen.
"This one is too painful to watch the disrespect of a female, to watch the disrespect to a son that would do his best for his sister, and put his life at risk, and all you could hear is the popping in the tape, where they are just firing these tasers," Moss said.
Activists say they are upset that the officers in this video haven't been disciplined -- despite the fact that top officials within the Minneapolis Police Department have had the video since August.
Because this is an open case and there are still court dates pending, Minneapolis Police have not commented. But on Tuesday afternoon, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced that assault charges have been dropped against Adams, Evans and Hale.
Community activists are pushing for a meeting with Mayor Jacob Frey, Police Chief Medaria Arradondo and County Attorney Freeman to discuss what comes next.
