A Texas councilman was immobilized by a stun gun outside of his home Thursday night by Prairie View county police officers. According to NBC News, one of the officers was also involved in the arrest of Sandra Bland who died while in police custody in July.
Video footage from an officer’s body camera and another from the councilman's friend which was released on Saturday shows an officer firing his stun gun at an unarmed Jonathan Miller while he was on his knees. However, the videos do not show everything that led up to the officer firing. Police say they stunned Miller after they approached three of his fraternity brothers about suspicious drug activity in the area and Miller interfered with their questioning.
“I knew the officer, she knew me, so I figured if I let her know that these are my guests, you know, kind of lessen the tension,” Miller told "Today.”
The body camera footage shows one officer warning Miller to back up or be arrested.
"Go back there to the end, man. You always starting problems, so go back over there,” the officer said in the footage, to which Miller responded. “I live here.”
The video shows the officer reach to grab Miller, telling him to “turn around.”
"I'm not saying nothing, get your hands off me. I'm not saying nothing,” Miller said. The tape becomes unclear after that point, but KHOU reports that Miller and the officer fell to the ground wrestling. The officer’s body camera fell off before he used his stun gun on Miller, but Miller’s friend captured it on his phone.
The officers charged Miller with interfering with the police and resisting arrest.
“I don’t feel like I did anything that I’m accused of,” Miller said. "I don’t feel like I should’ve been detained or arrested or anything.”
The Prairie View police said they are investigating whether there was any wrongdoing by the officers, according to KHOU. The Prairie View Police Department has come under fire in the past, most notably with the death of Bland who was arrested for allegedly assaulting an officer during a traffic stop and found dead in her cell three days after being detained. The policewoman involved in Miller’s arrest was also involved in Bland’s arrest, according to NBC News.
Another Texas councilman, Marie Herndon, told “Today” that she may call a special meeting.
“It seems obvious to me, our police department needs some sensitivity training,” she said.
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