Milwaukee Black Panthers demand action from Tosa Police after incident at Mayfair Mall
WAUWATOSA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- One day after a controversial arrest outside Mayfair Mall the Milwaukee Black Panthers are demanding action from the Wauwatosa Police Department.
The group held a protest outside of the Police Department Saturday walking right up to the entrance with their demands. The Police shift commander came outside to address them.
Cell phone video of the incident shows a 17-year-old being arrested by police Friday outside Mayfair Mall. At one point a Wauwatosa Police officer punches the 17-year-old in the face. Officers say they were called by Mayfair Mall security for five people causing a disturbance. Police say one of them tried to fight the officer who was attempting to detain him. They say the video shows only a small segment of the interaction between the teen and officer.
“Listen. This happened yesterday. You need to give it time. You need to let our department do the investigation. It will be investigated. King Rick, I promise you it will be investigated,” said shift commander Lieutenant Jeff Farina.
Lieutenant Farina says the officer involved is still working.
The Black Panthers say they're holding police and mall security accountable and are demanding the officer be fired and the department goes through diversity training, “It doesn't matter if that individual was causing a disturbance in the Mayfair Mall, he did not deserve to be brutally assaulted, and punched in his face and knocked down and then placed on his stomach and punched in his face again,” said King Rick.
On Friday the Tosa Police Chief sent a statement saying they take situations that involve use of force seriously. Lieutenant Farina says the chief will be in Monday to respond to the Black Panthers’ demands.
The teen in the incident was cited and released.