Attorney for Alabama band director arrested after football game says tasing was unacceptable and left students traumatized
The Alabama band director who was arrested after refusing to stop his band’s performance at a high school football game is grappling with the aftermath of being tased by police, which his attorney says was unacceptable and left students traumatized.
“Regardless of how this may have started, there’s nothing that happened that would have warranted my client being tased multiple times, even while on the ground like some total criminal, at that point in front of 145 students,” Johnny Mims’ attorney, Juandalynn Givan said. “Those kids were traumatized.”
Mims, the band director at Minor High School, told “CNN This Morning” he is working to regain regular use of his arm after police tased him and is concerned about his students who witnessed the incident.
One thing that I haven't been able to glean from reading up on this incident was the exact reason the cops were trying to stop the performance. Was there an emergency and they had to clear everyone out? Not to imply the excessive escalation was justified, it isn't imo, just wondering what set these officers out on stopping him in the first place.
Officers wanted the stadium emptied and he refused to order his students to comply. They attempted to arrest him on, effectively, no charge. He allegedly resisted (who wouldn't?), and then they tased him.
The article i read yesterday just said that the game was over, cops were trying to clear the stadium. They asked the bands to stop playing so that people would leave quicker (?). This band director refused.
Huh. I would think that having everyone leave quicker would be more likely to cause an emergency than to prevent one. But also, like, the band practiced for this and the school (?) I'm guessing, gave the green light to go ahead and have the band play at the game. The least they could be allowed to do is finish their performance that they've been practicing.
"All right! More band music! Let's never leave!," exclaimed the football fans.