Parents of an Alabama teenager said Friday that their handcuffed son was severely beaten during a run-in with police and they want answers from authorities about what happened.
The mother of 17-year-old Ulysses Wilkerson posted an image of her son’s bruised and swollen face on Facebook and the photo was widely shared on social media.
Wilkerson, who is black, was walking behind a downtown business in the city of Troy when he was startled by police on the night of December 23, representatives for the family said in a statement. He ran from the officers and when police caught up to him, they beat him, the family said.
Angela Williams, the mother of 17-year-old, Ulysses Wilkerson (left and right), is demanding answers from Alabama police who allegedly beat her son to an unrecognizable pulp when he ran from officers during a random stop
‘As a mother I was shocked devastated and horrified to see my son this way,’ Angela Williams said Friday at a news conference with other family members
Some of them wore All Lives Matter T-shirts and occasionally wiped away tear
‘As a mother I was shocked devastated and horrified to see my son this way,’ Angela Williams said Friday at a news conference with other family members. Some of them wore All Lives Matter T-shirts and occasionally wiped away tears.
Police said they used force after Wilkerson reached into his waistband for what they feared might be a weapon, Pike County District Attorney Tom Anderson told CNN. Wilkerson was charged with resisting arrest and obstructing governmental operations, both misdemeanors, city officials said.
The mayor of Troy, Jason Reeves, said he asked for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to review the incident. He said the officer involved has been placed on leave. ‘I thought it was important for the state to … give an independent assessment of the matter,’ Reeves said in a statement
The mayor of Troy, Jason Reeves, said he asked for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to review the incident. He said the officer involved has been placed on leave.
‘I thought it was important for the state to … give an independent assessment of the matter,’ Reeves said in a statement.
Wilkerson’s eye socket was broken in three places and his face was severely swollen, his family said.
Pastor Kenneth Glasgow, a local activist who is working with the family, said the teen has few memories about what happened.
‘He remembers one thing, a big tall white officer kicking him in the face. He remembers that,’ Glasgow said.
While Wilkerson is African-American and remembers being kicked by a white officer, the family stressed that it was not a racial issue. Glasgow said the family didn’t care about the race of the police officer.
Troy is a city of about 19,000 people, some 50 miles south of the state capital of Montgomery. About 55 percent of the population is white and 39 percent African-American, according to the 2010 Census. The city’s main employer is Troy University.
Williams shared horrific photos of her son, Ulysses, whose face was left swollen and bloodied after an encounter with Troy police on Saturday night
‘The mother asks for justice. The father asks for justice. He didn’t care if he was white, black purple or polka dotted. … It’s not about black and white. It’s about right and wrong,’ Glasgow said.
Attorneys for the family said Troy police owe the ‘community answers and transparency.’
‘Where is the dash cam footage? Where is the body camera footage? Ulysses’ family and the community deserve answers,’ the attorneys said.
Lawyers include Ben Crump, who represented the family of Trayvon Martin, a black teenager who was killed by George Zimmerman in Florida, and Michael Brown, a 17-year-old African-American who was shot to death by police in Ferguson, Missouri
The lawyers include Ben Crump, who represented the family of Trayvon Martin, a black teenager who was killed by George Zimmerman in Florida, and Michael Brown, a 17-year-old African-American who was shot to death by police in Ferguson, Missouri. Zimmerman was acquitted and the Ferguson officer, Darren Wilson, was not indicted.
Angela Williams shared horrific photos of her son, Ulysses Wilkerson, whose face was left swollen and bloodied after an encounter with Troy police Saturday night.
‘Troy police officers did this to my son While he was in handcuffs,’ Williams wrote in a now-viral Facebook post.
Williams (pictured with Ulysses) said her son has a fracture and was transported to UAB Hospital in Birmingham for surgery, but he was released because of the extensive swelling
Williams said that her son has a fracture and was transported to UAB Hospital in Birmingham for surgery, but he was released because of the extensive swelling.
The incident unfolded Saturday night when officers saw Ulysses walking behind a closed business in downtown Troy, according to BuzzFeed.
Officers then exited their vehicle and approached Ulysses, who fled on foot. Authorities chased the teen down and a struggle ensued.
The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation is now investigating the incident.
In a statement, the Bureau told BuzzFeed that Troy officers arrested a 17-year-old at 11.52pm on Saturday.
During the arrest, the teen was injured and transported to Troy Regional Medical Center, the statement said.
A witness also reportedly saw the officers standing around a seemingly unconscious Ulysses, according to the news site.
Williams’ post had been shared more than 75,000 times as of Wednesday evening.
The incident unfolded when officers saw Ulysses (pictured) walking behind a closed business in the city’s downtown area. Officers then exited their vehicle and approached Ulysses, who fled on foot. Authorities chased the teen down and a struggle ensued
Wilkerson’s father also shared the photos of his son on Facebook. ‘As y’all can see troy police officers tried to kill my son and he has massive swelling and they can’t start surgery until swelling goes down,’ he said on Sunday. An investigation into the brutal beating is ongoing
‘From all over the world, people are commenting they want justice,’ the teen’s father, Ulysses Wilkerson Jr, told WKRG.
‘They had him handcuffed when we got in there they said he was charged with obstruction of justice the ambulance came to take him to UAB they took the handcuffs off and dropped the charges on him,’ said his father.
Wilkerson’s father also shared the photos of his son on Facebook.
‘As y’all can see troy police officers tried to kill my son and he has massive swelling and they can’t start surgery until swelling goes down,’ he said on Sunday.
Lt Heath Carpenter told BuzzFeed News that the investigation is still ‘open and active’.
The Wilkerson family is asking for body and dash camera footage to be released.