An investigation has been launched in Texas after the emergence of video that shows police officers violently arresting a school teacher, slamming her repeatedly to the ground and then telling her that black people have “violent tendencies”.
The footage shows a large, white police officer pulling the young black woman from her car, throwing her to the floor and pulling her arms behind her back to hand-cuff her.
Another officer who arrives at the scene tells the woman, 26-year-old Breaion King: “Ninety-nine percent of the time … it is the black community that is being violent. That’s why a lot of white people are afraid. And I don’t blame them.”
The video shows the white officer, Bryan Richter, explaining the arrest to his colleagues and claiming he had been forded to throw her to the ground because she had “violently” resisted arrest - despite the video showing otherwise. The video recording also captures Ms King being driven to the police station and questioning the officers about their attitudes.
“I believe that caucasian people have more rights than black people,” she tells the officer.
The release this weekl of the video, that captured the incident that took place in June 2015 in Austin, has resulted in an apology from the police chief in the city. An investigation into the incident, first reported by the Austin American-Statesman, has also been initiated.
“My heart was sickened and saddened when I first learned of this incident,” said Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo.
“For those that think life is perfect for people of colour, I want you to listen to that conversation and tell me we don’t have social issues in this nation. Issues of bias. Issues of racism. Issues of people being looked at different because of their colour.”
The footage captures Ms King talking to the officers and asking them whether they believe racism exists. One officer, Patrick Spradlin, who was also white, asked Ms King: “Why are so many people afraid of black people?”
She replied: “That’s what I want to figure out because I’m not a bad black person.”
Mr Spradlin added: “I can give you a really good idea why it might be that way: violent tendencies.”
Prosecutors cleared Ms King, an elementary teacher, of a resisting arrest charge after viewing the video of the arrest. She said she had hired lawyers as she considered whether or not to bring a lawsuit against the police department.
“I’ve become fearful to live my life,” she told the local newspaper. “I would rather stay home. I’ve become afraid of the people who are supposed to protect me and take care of me.”
The case comes as officials in Texas are still confronting the fall-out of the case of Sandra Bland, a young black women who was wrestled to the ground last year by state troopers. She was later found dead in a police cell.
Officials said she had committed suicide in the jail. Her family has denied the claim.
Meanwhile, in Austin, many remember the February shooting of David Joseph, a naked, unarmed 17-year-old shot and killed by former Officer Geoffrey Freeman after police said Mr Joseph charged at the officer. No charges were brought against the officer
Ms King was obliged to pay $165 and court costs after she was convicted of driving 50 mph in a 35 mph zone. The fine was later dropped.
