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Sterling Brown Files Lawsuit Against City of Milwaukee, Police over Arrest

Mike Chiari@mikechiariX.com LogoFeatured ColumnistJune 19, 2018

This Jan. 26, 2018 police body-camera footage released by Milwaukee Police Department shows NBA Bucks guard Sterling Brown as he talks to arresting police officers after being shot by a stun gun in a Walgreens parking lot in Milwaukee. The release comes as city officials who've viewed the videos have expressed concern about how officers conducted themselves. Even leaders of the police department have hinted the video may make them look bad. (Milwaukee Police Department via AP)
Uncredited/Associated Press

Milwaukee Bucks guard Sterling Brown filed a lawsuit against the city of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Police Department on Tuesday stemming from his January arrest during which he was tased.

According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com), Brown alleges in the lawsuit that he was the victim of an unlawful arrest and excessive force.

Brown's arrest occurred after an officer determined that he was illegally parked across multiple disabled spots outside a Walgreens.

Multiple squad cars arrived on the scene, and Brown was tased when he did not remove his hands from his pockets.

After body-camera footage of the arrest was released, Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales apologized and said, "The department conducted an investigation into the incident, which revealed members acted inappropriately and those members were recently disciplined."

Morales also disciplined three of the officers involved and ordered eight others to "undergo remedial training in professional communications."

In another video of the arrest obtained by TMJ 4, officers could be heard discussing the fact that Brown was a Bucks player.

One officer said there could be a "media firestorm" if Brown complained, and then added, "Any little [expletive] thing that goes wrong is going to be, 'Ohhh the Milwaukee Police Department is all racist, blah, blah, blah.'" 

In an interview with Good Morning America in May, Brown said he felt "defenseless" during the arrest and expressed his belief that the officers were trying to "show their force."

The Bucks selected Brown in the second round of the 2017 NBA draft out of SMU, and he averaged 4.0 points and 2.6 rebounds per game during his rookie campaign.