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3 Alabama officers on leave after violent arrest of students

Three Alabama police officers in the Tuscaloosa Police Department have been placed on paid leave after video footage surfaced of them forcefully pulling three University of Alabama students out of an apartment
Screenshot of the aggressive arrest.

Three Alabama police officers in the Tuscaloosa Police Department have been placed on paid leave after video footage surfaced of them forcefully pulling three University of Alabama students out of an apartment, reports AL.com. They then appear to use a Taser and a baton on one of them.

The footage, captured on cell phones, provides various vantage points of the incident.

"They had a girl and two boys on the ground," a witness told AL. "They were all screaming and everybody was videoing it."

WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE 

 

According to WBRC, the three University of Alabama students arrested and their charges were as follows:

  • Brandon James Williford, a 21-year-old senior studying engineering, was charged with harassment, obstruction of governmental operations and resisting arrest
  • Matthew Macia, a 22-year-old senior studying economics, was charged with obstructing government operations and resisting arrest
  • Caroline Giddis, a 22-year-old senior studying Spanish and public relations, was charged with obstructing governmental operations and harassment

While none of the videos captures the events leading up to the confrontation, the Tuscaloosa Police Department said in a statement released Sunday that the incident occurred at 3:19 a.m. that morning and was "the result of a loud music call."

The University of Alabama addressed the incident Sunday via Twitter. On Monday, university spokesman Shane Dorrill released this statement:

"We are aware of the incident, and we remain very concerned about the welfare of all students who were there, especially those who were arrested. We have reached out to provide support to them, and will continue to provide services they need. We can confirm that three UAPD officers responded to a TPD officer's call for emergency assistance that morning and we are reviewing their actions to verify they acted properly. We encourage other students who have been impacted by this matter to contact the university's Counseling Center at 205-348-3863."

AL reports that Tuscaloosa Police Chief Steve Anderson said he was "deeply disturbed" and "disappointed" by the footage, which has prompted an internal investigation, in a news conference Monday afternoon.

The three officers placed on leave during this investigation include the initial officer who responded to the call, the officer who appeared to be using a stun gun and the officer who appeared to using the baton, according to AL. They had served on the force for eight years, 12 years and two years, respectively. Their names have not yet been released.

According to the university's student newspaper, The Crimson White, Anderson did not disclose the number of officers who responded to the incident or how many were wearing body cameras during the press conference.

"We're going to take a look at each and every officer's actions," Anderson said, according to the paper. "We're going to do an open and honest investigation and be transparent."

He also asked for the public's patience.

"This investigation does not move at the speed of the Internet," he said. "With a little bit of patience, we're going to get there. We're going to do everything we can to rebuild the public trust."

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