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A young African-American man was viciously beaten by Tennessee police on camera as they were investigating an alleged traffic infraction.
Officers in Oakland, Tennessee, a town about 40 miles east of Memphis, can be seen following Brandon Calloway into his home at the start of the video. The two Oakland Police Department officers in the video look formidable, with one of them swinging a baton and the other drawing a taser. You can watch the events unfold below.
Tennessee Police's violent handling of Brandon Calloway leaves everyone shocked and angry
TW: Graphic violence
The sound of a woman shouting Brandon's name and asking the police to stop can be heard in the video. She even tells them to never hit him again. The police chased Calloway upstairs into a den and started tasering him. A third officer then enters the scene.
The woman can be heard screaming again:
"Why are you chasing and hitting him? He has no weapons. I need to call my mom. I need to call his mom."
All three officers attempted to corner the man.
According to a police affidavit, officers attempted to stop 25-year-old Brandon Calloway after he drove through the stop sign. Calloway allegedly "sped away" in his gray Chevrolet Camaro while driving at 32 mph in a 20 mph zone. Officers turned on their lights when he didn't stop, according to their record.
Since the Tennessee police didn't originally use their sirens, Calloway's lawyer, Andre Wharton, told WMC that his client was unaware that they were going to pull him over. Wharton said:
“Brandon obviously was trying to figure out what’s going on here. Why are you guys following me? I’m not violating any law."
The lawyer said that he continues to question how a traffic stop violation "turns into head injuries, hospitalization, and significant pain and suffering."
Netizens react against Tennessee Police for their alarming brutality
People strongly criticized the actions of the police and the use of force against Brandon Calloway after the video went viral on Twitter. Netizens also called out the hypocrisy of the police who show a tendency to be more severe towards African-Americans for even minor crimes.
Nobody can reason why the police acted so violently against Calloway for a relatively small crime, which could have been handled in numerous other ways.
District Attorney General Mark Davidson has asked the TBI to look into the arrest and use of force, but Tennessee police has not commented on the issue yet.
The assault on their son has left the Calloway family inconsolable.
Brandon graduated from college in April 2021 and was a member of the National Society of Black Engineers at that time. His parents expressed their pride in their son's accomplishments.
