Video Shows 2 Black Women Forcefully Arrested On Nicollet Mall, NAACP Wants Answers

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minneapolis NAACP is calling for accountability after two young black women were forcefully arrested for verbally challenging three Hennepin County Sheriff's Deputies.

Nineteen-year-old Mikala More was dining out with a friend on the Nicollet Mall on May 31 when she verbally challenged three Hennepin County Sheriff's Deputies. She is seen subsequently being arrested in a cell phone video that her friend recorded. (Warning: Link contains strong content.)

"They tried to wrongfully arrest two African-American men at the time. I decided the arrest was unjust so I decided to speak up and say something," More said.

But speaking up eventually led to her arrest for disorderly conduct and obstruction of the legal process.

"Two men take me down, put their knees in my back, twist my wrists, all that good stuff, while I'm wearing a dress," More said.

After More was handcuffed, her friend, 20-year-old Taylor Keung (who was recording the video), was arrested as well.

"Who do we call when the ones who are supposed to protect and serve you are the ones hurting you, traumatizing you, and completely disregarding your humanity?" Keung asked.

After reviewing the video, the city attorney's office officially dropped the charges against both of the women on Friday morning, citing prosecutorial discretion as the reason.

"We know police officers and sheriff's officers in the state of Minnesota know how to police. They just don't know how to do it when its black bodies," Leslie Redmond, the Minneapolis NAACP president, said.

The Minneapolis NAACP is demanding a public apology from the Hennepin County Sheriff's office. Redmond said the Sheriff's office did not give an adequate response when the she tried to resolve the situation with the office directly. The NAACP also wants the deputies to be reprimanded and for there to be an action plan to avoid law enforcement misconduct.

"This should be very alarming to everybody, and just remember this could be your daughter one day," Redmond said.

The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office says there's an official review of the incident happening right now. The office adds that the two women in the video spent several minutes shouting profanities at the deputies as they were speaking with two cooperative men.

The sheriff's office says the deputies warned More that she could be arrested and that's when Keung started recording.