MILWAUKEE
Police abuse stirs anger, protest
By Bryan
G. Pfeifer
Milwaukee
The police beating of an African American man with mental
health problems has touched off protests here--and brought to
the surface long-held anti-police feelings.
On March 26, Faymond Brown was arrested for disorderly
conduct and resisting arrest as he pushed a cart full of cans
and other belongings down the street in a predominantly African
American neighborhood in Milwaukee's central city.
Police had stopped Brown and told him to move the cart to
the sidewalk. He replied that it was too heavy and difficult to
maneuver. As he reached out in an apparent attempt to move the
cart, two police officers forced him to the ground, handcuffed
him and vigorously kicked him in the head several times.
Brown's version of the event has been corroborated by three
eyewitnesses, who have signed statements with Repairers of the
Breach, an advocacy organization for the homeless. Brown was
first thought to be homeless, but it was recently learned that
he has an apartment.
According to Repairers of the Breach Executive Director
MacCannon Brown--no relation to Faymond Brown--the abused man
was released from jail after a short hospitalization for
bleeding and head trauma and a brief stay at the Milwaukee
County Mental Health Complex.
Brown's whereabouts were unknown until April 14, when he
made an appearance at the Repairers of the Breach office. He
denied he had resisted arrest or was abusive, as police had
claimed. A representative of Milwaukee Police Chief Arthur
Jones said there would be no further comment on the case, but
other police officials and an assistant district attorney have
promised to look into the matter.
The officers involved in the beating of Faymond Brown are
still on duty.
The homeless community has not waited for the police to look
into the matter. Repairers of the Breach held a rally April 13
in front of the Milwaukee County Courthouse denouncing Brown's
treatment and demanding justice. Various speakers demanded that
all charges be dropped and the officers involved in the beating
be charged.
Many speakers linked this case to police behavior elsewhere
in the United States. They mentioned Amadou Diallo in New York,
Mumia Abu-Jamal, and Amnesty International's indictment of the
United States for human-rights abuses. Future protest actions
are planned.
The beating of Faymond Brown comes at a time of stepped-up
police occupation of African American, Latino and poor white
neighborhoods in Milwaukee. Excessive force complaints are on
the rise.
Twenty-seven people--all but two African American and
Latino--have died in police custody since 1990.
Jones recently announced that 20 new police officers will be
added to the streets under the guise of "drug enforcement."
A position statement issued by Repairers of the Breach in
the wake of Faymond Brown's beating lets the police know that
the people of Milwaukee are not backing down.
"Repairers of the Breach, allied organizations and students
protest actions of the Milwaukee Police Department which they
believe are increasingly unjust and brutal toward low-income
people of color and homeless people. We agree with the national
media who have portrayed the Milwaukee Police Department as
racist. We believe that this racism has created a climate of
oppression and malice throughout the city. In speaking out
against the unwarranted brutality directed at Faymond Brown, we
demand a reversal of anti-poor and anti-homeless attitudes and
treatment by the Milwaukee Police Department and an end to
police cover-ups."
For more information on Faymond Brown's case, readers can
call (414) 934-9305.
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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