Milwaukee Police Release Video of Sterling Brown, Apologize For 'Incident'
CHICAGO (CBS) -- He was a high school stand-out at Proviso East. So good, Sterling Brown went to the NBA.
Late Wednesday police in Milwaukee released video of officers tasing and arresting Brown in an encounter that many said went too far.
CBS 2's Mai Martinez has the story.
The arrest of Milwaukee Bucks rookie Sterling Brown around 2:00 a.m. on January 26 raised questions about the police response and use of force almost immediately.
But the Maywood native didn't want to talk about the incident shortly after it happened in January.
"It's a personal issue I'm dealing with right now. It's being handled. I appreciate if y'all respect that right now," said Brown.
When asked if the scrapes and bruises on his face were from the incident, Brown wouldn't elaborate.
While Brown wasn't talking about the incident, on Tuesday, Milwaukee's mayor who saw the video of the arrest did.
"It was a disturbing video when I saw it and I know that the police chief feels the same way," said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.
Milwaukee's new police chief, who was promoted in the wake of the fallout following Brown's arrest, addressed the controversy.
"Our department conducted an investigation into the incident which revealed members acted inappropriately. And those members were recently disciplined," said Chief Alfonso Morales of the Milwaukee Police Department. "Criminal charges against Mr. Brown were not pursued. I'm sorry this incident escalated to this level."
Brown released a statement Wednesday through the Milwaukee Bucks in which he said his experience with the Milwaukee Police Department was both wrong and shouldn't happen to anybody.
He went on to say that it has forced him to stand up and share his story to prevent these injustices from happening in the future.
According to Brown's attorney, he plans to file a civil rights lawsuit against the Milwaukee Police Department.