The Brief
- Police call the forceful arrest of a 13-year-old boy “justified,” while his attorney claims the teen was “targeted” over a sibling dispute.
- The boy admits he held onto a door out of fear, while police state they used restraint because he was resisting and flailing.
- The family’s attorney is demanding the officers be fired and plans to file a federal civil rights lawsuit.
MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. – Menomonee Falls police say three officers’ actions during an arrest of a 13-year-old boy were “reasonable” and “justified.” The boy’s attorney called it a “targeted” arrest, all stemming from a dispute between two brothers that the attorney said was blown out of proportion.
Arrest questions
What we know:
The sister of 13-year-old Ronald Shabazz recorded three Menomonee Falls police officers on top of the boy last month at his home. Shabazz and his attorney say the incident started with a Snapchat of a photo of Shabazz when he was in the shower, shared by his younger brother.
“I found out, and said I was going to tell on him, and I took a screenshot of it. The day after that, the police came to my house, woke me up, and we were talking. I was answering all their questions. I showed them the screenshot of what my brother sent of me, and they still arrested me,” Shabazz said on Thursday.
“He tells his younger brother he’s going to tell on him. The younger brother simply overreacts and goes to school and tells the school resource officer that his older brother shared this photo,” said William Sulton, attorney. “The school resource officer knows who (Ronald) is, doesn’t like him, decides to leave his post at the school, get backup and go to his house to harass this 13-year-old child.”
Police statement
The other side:…