TULSA, Okla. — Video of an incident involving two black teens earlier this month is circulating on social media.
2 Works for You started investigating the incident on Monday night.
In the video, two teens are walking along a street when a police car drives up. A Tulsa police officer grabs one of the teens by the arms, they appear to wrestle and the officer places the teen in handcuffs.
The teens are heard telling the officers to "chill out." The handcuffed teen asks officers why he is being arrested and police say they were jaywalking.
The handcuffed teen is visibly upset, while the other teen tells his friend to stay calm. Later, another officer places the other teen in handcuffs and instructs him to sit on the curb.
Both police officers place the upset teen into the police car. The teen spits on a police officer as he is seat belted in. After some conversation, the officer becomes upset and instructs the teen to not headbutt him again. The other teen sitting on the curb can be heard telling his friend to calm down throughout the video.
The upset teen is taken out of the vehicle again, wrestles with the same officer and then is placed into another vehicle. At the end of the video, officers take the handcuffs off the teen sitting on the curb and instruct him not to jaywalk anymore.
The video has some outraged and asking questions
"The question that I ask is are little boys getting harassed on Brookside for jaywalking?" said Greg Robinson, an activist and organizer in the community." Are little boys getting harassed in Utica Square’s neighborhood for jaywalking? And Cherry Street for jaywalking? In Jenks for jaywalking? No, they’re not.”
Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum commented on the video in a Facebook post:
I want every kid in Tulsa to feel safe to walk down the street in their neighborhood. No Tulsa kid should have to fear being tackled and cuffed for walking down the street. I viewed that footage last night more as a parent than a mayor. I know the officers in that unit focus on removal of illegal guns from the streets, but the goal of that work should be that families feel safe in their neighborhood. This instance accomplished the opposite. This specific instance is under investigation, but I am also going to work with Chief Franklin to review the way that unit goes about its work in general. We can do better.
Tulsa Police Department released footage of the teens arrest. Police said they received messages through social media about the arrest and found the officer's body camera video.
Police said in order to stay transparent with the community, they are releasing videos of the arrest.
WARNING: Viewer Discretion is Advised
Video One - Officer 1
Video Two - Officer 2
Video Three - Split screen synced video
The arrest is under investigation by the TPD Internal Affairs Unit at this time.
The Tulsa Police Department is unable to comment on the arrest until the investigation is concluded.
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