Arrest of Black man after traffic stop under investigation by Tennessee authorities
Written by ABC Audio All Rights Reserved on July 23, 2022
(OAKLAND, Tenn.) — A Black man who says he was beaten by Oakland, Tennessee, police following a traffic stop attempt told ABC News he is traumatized following the incident.
“Looking back on the videos and the pictures, I realized I was really knocked out,” said Brandon Calloway in an interview. “It is kind of hard to watch. But it is fulfilling that to know that it was on video.”
Calloway’s attorney, Andre Wharton, says officers with the Oakland Police Department used excessive force when they allegedly beat Calloway with a baton and used a stun gun on him after a July 16 traffic stop.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) is investigating the incident at the request of 25th Judicial District Attorney General Mark Davidson, the agency said. Several documents concerning the case, including body camera footage, remain confidential, TBI told ABC News.
According to an affidavit acquired by ABC affiliate WATN, officers followed Calloway to his home after he allegedly refused to stop for police. Officers say they tried to stop Calloway after he allegedly ran a stop sign and was going 12 mph over the speed limit. Calloway was going 32 miles per hour when the speed limit was 20, the affidavit says, according to WATN.
Police say the officers tried to stop Calloway, but he refused to stop and instead drove to his home and ran inside.
The affidavit said police announced themselves at the home, but Calloway ran upstairs. Officers then pulled out their batons and tasers and hit Calloway several times, WATN reports.
Video taken from Calloway’s girlfriend and provided by Wharton to ABC News, captures the incident.
According to the footage, officers follow Calloway inside and can be seen using their batons and stun guns against him as they chase him through the home. Photos following the incident show Calloway’s face covered in blood, as he lays on the ground.
The footage also shows an officer appearing to step on Calloway’s body.
“I’ve got these stitches in my head. I don’t know how many stitches I have. I’m not paying attention. I’m just worried about – I have stitches in my head,” said Calloway. “My head has really just been hurting constantly. I’ll wake up, if it’s really sunny out, my head hurts and I’ve got a sharp pain in my eye. I can’t focus. I can’t focus for like more than like 15 minutes now.”
The Oakland Police Department did not immediately respond to ABC News’ requests for comment. The department’s chief of police, Chris Earl, told HuffPost that one of the officers involved in the incident has been relieved of duty.
The Oakland mayor’s office declined to comment to ABC News.
Calloway is charged with evading arrest, resisting arrest, failing to stop at a stop sign and speeding, according to WATN.
Wharton said this incident is one of many instances of police brutality being seen across the U.S right now, and he hopes the investigation leads to accountability for the officers.
“For Brandon, this dream – if not nightmare – did become a reality,” Wharton said. “He experienced abuse and abuse of power and police misconduct. He’s yet another example of the long way we have to go as a community into resolving some of these issues.”
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