Last week, Roanoke Police Department arrested 24-year-old Anton Brown for obstruction/Resisting without Force for refusing to listen to officers’ commands during a lawful traffic stop.
However, body cam footage of the arrest sparked controversy on social media and has led to members of the community speaking out about his arrest.
According to the Roanoke Police Department, Brown was driving over 50 mph in a residential 25 mph zone.
Police say that Brown “disregarded and walked away from the car with the bag towards a group of people.”
His mother, Bernadette Lark, told 10 News that her son was already out of his car before he was given any instructions.
“My son suffers a neurosensory loss, 70% on one side, 30% on the other, it’s well documented since he was a young child,” Lark said. “He was born with a disability, he failed his hearing screening at birth, it is something that has been with him his entire life.”
Lark says that her son was coming back from a trip to a nearby store to buy batteries when he was tackled by police in front of her seconds after they pulled up.
“They grip him around his neck and at that time it got tighter as I observed, so I immediately pulled my phone out,” Lark said. “The man is taking his body and all of his body weight with his arm... and he is now barreling down on my son’s neck while my son’s face is this way on the ground.”
Lark says that she witnessed a second officer tap the initial officer on the arm, a signal to release Brown.
After Brown was handcuffed, the officer behind him asked him to get up off of the ground. However, Lark says that as he was trying to get up, the first officer was still hanging onto his neck.
Now, she and the rest of her family are looking for answers.
“My son doesn’t understand why he was slammed around, why he was choked and [why] he was charged with obstruction without force,” Lark said. “So we beg for answers.”
“I went to Roanoke City Police Department the same day for a conversation to ask why was my son being arrested,” Lark said. “Why was my son detained? Why was my son driven off of private property in their car? What did he do? What was hurtful to me is I don’t get an answer.”
Lark says that it was a very short meeting and that the officer who met her said that they would be in touch.
She says her mission for accountability is not over just because the video was released. She wants police to be held to the same standards as the public.
“I need them to be accountable to their own policies. There is a policy and directives in Roanoke City that clearly says that the blocking of airways and carotid holds and choke holds shouldn’t be used by their members.”
Brown is expected to be in court on April 15.
