Video shows Alabama cop arrest Black woman who ‘called out his racism,’ lawyer says
Attorneys for a Black woman released video Friday they say shows her being assaulted by a police officer who arrested her after she claimed the officer took her white neighbor’s complaint seriously while ignoring hers.
Twyla Stallworth, 40, of Andalusia, called police multiple times on Feb. 24 to complain about her neighbor’s loud music, her attorney said.
But, when the police did not follow up on her complaints, according to her attorneys, Stallworth purposely set off her car alarm to get her neighbor’s attention.
Her neighbor then complained about the car alarm and an officer showed up to respond to her neighbor’s complaint, her attorneys claimed.
The officer, identified by Stallworth’s attorneys as Grant Barton, threatened to cite and arrest Stallworth for the car alarm but “did nothing to address her multiple complaints,” the attorneys alleged.
Efforts to reach Andalusia Police Chief Paul Hudson were not immediately successful.
That’s when Stallworth “pointed out the disparity as Barton was returning to [his] police cruiser suggesting it was racially motivated,” the attorneys said.
Barton then approached Stallworth’s front porch and asked for her identification as Stallworth’s 18-year-old son began recording the encounter.
In the video, Stallworth is seen asking Barton if he also demanded her white neighbor show his ID when he approached him. Barton said he did and he provided it.
Stallworth then says she does not have to show Barton her ID.
“I’m not arguing with you. Show me your ID, or you’re going to jail,” Barton says, according to the video.
After telling Barton she won’t give him her identification, Barton then tells her to put her hands behind her back and grabs her wrist.
Stallworth then screams and claims Barton pushed her son as she backs up into her home.
She is then thrown on to her couch before being put in handcuffs.
After getting up, Stallworth tells the officer, “Why are you trying to rough up a female, dude? You need Jesus… This ain’t nothing but the devil.”
Harry Daniels, a civil rights lawyer representing Stallworth, said she was within her rights not to give the officer her identification.
“Never mind that Officer Barton needlessly escalated the situation, forcefully entered Ms. Stallworth’s home and physically assaulted her over a noise complaint. Never mind that he arrested her for exercising her constitutional rights and never mind that he misquoted a law that doesn’t require a woman in her own home to present an id,” said Daniels. “He was leaving. He was walking back to his car ready to drive away right up until she called out his racism.”
“Calling out racism isn’t illegal,” he said. “Using your badge to intimidate a 40-year-old mother is.”
Stallworth was arrested and charged with obstruction, resisting arrest and attempting to elude, according to Daniels. He said his client was detained for 15 hours.
State court records did not show Stallworth filed any lawsuits so far in response to the incident.