In the backdrop of the Milwaukee Bucks’ landmark decision to boycott a playoff game, we need to look back at why the team is so motivated to fight police brutality.
Advertisement
The Milwaukee Bucks have a player currently embroiled in a legal battle with the city’s police department. Sterling Brown was a victim of police brutality in early January of 2018.
The Sterling Brown Milwaukee Police department Incident
On the 26th of January, 2018, Sterling Brown was apprehended by 8 policemen for parking in a handicapped spot. For an offense that costs a $200 fine and at worst, the car being towed, Brown was hounded by 8 members of law enforcement. They knocked Brown to his knees and tased him just for having a target with bullet holes in his car.
The police officers at the scene took him to the police station nearby, booking him for misdemeanour. This they did without properly Mirandizing him, as would later transpire in court proceedings. They also searched his car without a warrant, or even probable cause.
Erik Andrade led police brutality against Sterling Brown
Sterling Brown suffered quite a few puncture wounds on his back, cuts on his face and bruises. The prejudice against Brown did not stop there. One of the arresting officers at the scene took to social media to ridicule him. That officer, Erik Andrade, was also found to have posted racist memes on Kevin Durant.
The Milwaukee PD did not initially take any substantial action – the maximum penalty they handed out to the offending officers was a 15-day suspension without pay. Eventually, however, they had to give in to public pressure and fire Andrade.
Sterling Brown and his team of lawyers was obviously incensed by the behaviour of the police department. They believed the action taken by them on their officers to be too little. Brown went into litigation in June 2019, and he turned down a settlement offer worth $400,000 from the city. The case is still awaiting completion.
