An official investigation by the Arlington Police Department has been initiated, following the controversial footage of a police officer apprehending two teenagers went viral.
On July 3, Latasha Nelson, the mom of the two teens (16, 14) video recorded the incident on her mobile phone after an officer handcuffed her younger son at the Addison Place Apartment Complex.
The Arlington Police Department said police officers were summoned to the apartment complex right after a homeowner phoned a car thief. They add the teen matches the potential report of a suspected person included in the so-called felony.
Nelson insists her son had no involvement with a car theft. She also claims he went to the apartment complex after asking to check if the swimming pool was available. The mom started recording after going outside to see police officers apprehending her son. They would not tell her the location to where they’re bringing the teenager.
The apprehension intensified after a police officer put her son in a police mobile. The video displays Nelson asking the arresting officer where they’re bringing the teen, and the officer said he wouldn’t tell her for being unhelpful.
A few minutes later, the policeman is seen on video shoving Nelson’s older son to the floor, and hauling the teen back on his face, then turning the teen over to put handcuffs on him.
NGAN or Next Generation Action Network posted the video footage on its Facebook page. They were able to post the video as Nelson’s phone was backed up to the Cloud.
NGAG says the mom had to go all around the Tarrant County to find her kids.
Nelson paired with the activist organization and their lawyers. The Dallas-based organization believes the officer broke policies and misused his power.
Catherine Torrez, a Law Enforcement expert says if the Arlington Police would have offered more courtesy to the mom by informing her where they brought her sons, the conflict may have never occurred.
The Arlington mom says allegations against her son are still pending. She adds the department dropped the charges against her older son for obstructing with the tasks of a police officer.
The Department of Arlington Police released a declaration saying after examining the footage, there are several questions. The office says the issue needs a detailed inquiry, including interviews of the policemen involved and the Nelson family. They add the inquiry could take a lot of time. However, Officer Haning will remain on duty.
Nelson says the Arlington Police Department offered to drop the charges against her two sons if she surrendered the video of the incident.
She claims the two officers informed her that they would give back her phone—which Nelson says was illegally confiscated in the July 13 incident—after she gave the video. Kim Cole, her attorney, says the police implied that the charges would be dropped if she says yes.
The video received hundreds of comments with different opinions. There are some who pitied with the mom’s want to know where her 14-year-old son was taken. However, many do not agree with the abuse allegations.
