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Cops Gone Wild: Family says police used excessive force to arrest teen. Police disagree
Cathy KozlowiczSteven Martinez
Videos showing a Menomonee Falls teenager's arrest have raised concerns among the boy's family about excessive use of force while the village's police department defends the encounter as "reasonable" and "effective."
The videos – police body camera footage and a separate video recorded by the boy's sister – show officers around 9:30 a.m. May 21 interacting with the 13-year-old boy and some of his family members before taking the boy into custody and putting him in a squad car.
The boy's sister's video captures the arrest, which involved three officers restraining and ultimately handcuffing the boy as he tries to pull away from them. The video shows the boy repeatedly crying out for help from his grandfather and swearing at the officers while police hold him down.
In the boy's sister's video, a male voice can be heard shouting, "Don't put your hand on his throat," followed by a female voice saying, "His hand is on his throat."
William Sulton, the boy's attorney, said the arrest was targeted and excessive. Sulton plans to file a lawsuit against the department and wants the three officers fired.
Because it involves a minor, the Menomonee Falls Police Department declined to provide detailed information on the case, but released body cam footage of the encounter in response to the boy's sister's video, which the department said showed "only a portion of the arrest."
The department said in a news release that the officers remained calm during the arrest and continually requested the boy's cooperation. They only used the level of force necessary to take him into custody, police said.
"Consequently, it is our department's conclusion that the officers' actions in this incident were both reasonable and justified," the release said.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is not naming the boy because he is a minor.
Sulton said the arrest was wrong "all the way around," and cast doubt on whether it required multiple officers. He also said any police involvement in the matter was unnecessary since the incident that triggered the investigation was a "private joke among family."
Sulton said a school resource officer became involved after there was a dispute between the 13-year-old and his 11-year-old brother about a photo on one of their phones. Sulton described the incident as "just two brothers being weird."
The Menomonee Falls Police Department told the Journal Sentinel that the school resource officer was Ryan Young. The other two officers were Vincent Strom, a patrol officer, and Michael Schroeder, a K9 officer.
The boy has since been released from custody, Sulton said. He did not immediately have information on whether the boy was cited or charged in connection with the arrest.
The Menomonee Falls Police Department told the Journal Sentinel that they will not disclose information regarding possible charges because the arrest involved a juvenile.
Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or cathy.kozlowicz@jrn.com.
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