Police issue apology to Bucks’ Brown

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales apologized to Bucks guard Sterling Brown yesterday for a January arrest that started with a parking violation and escalated to include use of a stun gun, and said some officers had been disciplined.

Brown responded with a statement that described the incident as “an attempt at police intimidation” and said it “shouldn’t happen to anybody.”

Morales’ apology came as police released body-camera footage that showed how a simple interaction over an illegally parked car quickly escalated. City officials’ worry over the content of the video was apparent earlier this week when Mayor Tom Barrett said he found it concerning.

It began around 2 a.m. on Jan. 26 in a Walgreens parking lot. As Brown walks out of the store, an officer standing by Brown’s car asks for his driver’s license. When Brown gets close to his car’s passenger door, the officer touches Brown and he tells the officer not to touch him.

“Back up! Back up!” the officer yells. “For what? I ain’t did nothing,” Brown responds.

The conversation between the officer and Brown is testy as they wait for additional squad cars to show up. Brown says he has no problem with the officer’s questions and the officer responds that he touched him “because you got up in my face.”

“I got up on your face? Really?” Brown responds in disbelief.

It all took a turn for the worse when Brown, surrounded by four officers by his car, is asked to take his hands out of his pockets. Almost immediately a scuffle ensues, with the officers swarming over Brown and one yelling “taser, taser, taser!”

Brown is heard groaning in pain on the ground, although he’s barely visible from the camera’s viewpoint.

Brown ultimately was not charged with anything.

“The department conducted an investigation into the incident, which revealed members acted inappropriately and those members were recently disciplined,” Morales said at a brief news conference.

“I am sorry this incident escalated to this level,” he added, and left without taking questions.