A police department in Alabama found itself mired in controversy on Sunday after footage showing officers forcefully arrest a young black woman surfaced online.
The Saraland Police Department said that they have opened an investigation into the arrest of 25-year-old Chikesia Clemons early Sunday morning at the Waffle House restaurant on Industry Parkway in Mobile.
Video of the incident shows three officers briefly speaking with a visibly agitated Clemons moments before forcefully pulling her from a chair and pinning her to the ground of the Waffle House.
The Saraland Police Department said that they have opened an investigation into the arrest of 25-year-old Chikesia Clemons (Pictured) on Sunday
Video of the incident shows officers briefly speaking with a visibly agitated Clemons moments before forcefully pulling her to the ground of a Waffle House
Clemons was booked on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest and placed on $1000 bond
‘What are you doing?’ Clemons asks indignantly as the officers struggle to place Clemons into handcuffs.
‘I’ll break your arm, that’s what I’m about to do,’ one of the officers responds.
In the process of the arrest, footage shows Clemons’ top come down, exposing her breasts as patrons in the background continue to eat their food.
The incident comes amid a national backlash over the arrest of two black men last week inside a Philadelphia Starbucks after sitting at a table without purchasing any items as they waited for a friend to use the bathroom.
Canita Adams (Pictured), who is Clemon’s friend, filmed the incident and uploaded it to social media
The Saraland Police Department report shows that the incident unraveled at 2.45am when Clemons asked a Waffle House employee for plastic utensils after placing an order, according to al.com.
The conversation appeared to escalate after the employee informed Clemons that the plastic cutlery would cost an extra 50 cents.
Clemons, along with her friend Canita Adams – who filmed the incident on her cell phone – were perplexed by the additional fee, informing the employee that they had been at the restaurant the previous evening and were not made to pay an additional charge.
In response, the employee canceled the order, prompting Clemons to ask for the contact information of the Waffle House district manager who oversees the Saraland location, al.com reported.
‘They didn’t even ask her to leave, she was waiting for them to give her the district manager’s card so she could file a complaint on one of the waitresses,’ said Clemons’ mother, Chiquitta Clemons-Howard.
‘When they went to go get the card, that’s when the police showed up. The officer should’ve come in and said we need you to leave,’ she added.
Clemons was booked on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest and placed on $1,000 bond.
Following the incident, Mobile NAACP President David Smith said that they plan to hold a demonstration in the parking lot of the Waffle House to protest Clemons’ arrest.
‘In light of the current situation in our country – such as the arrest of two young black men at a Philadelphia Starbucks coffee shop – we felt it was important for our members to get a first-hand account of the incident, which has now gone viral on social media locally and across the country,’ Smith said.
Spokeswoman with the Saraland Police Department, Det. Collette Little, said in a statement that they have opened a probe into the incident and will release a full report after their investigation is complete.
‘The Saraland Police Department is aware of the arrest at Waffle House and the accompanying video on social media,’ the statement said.
‘The situation is being thoroughly reviewed and is under active investigation right now. Our department strives for transparency and we encourage our community to be aware of current events.’
The incident comes amid a national backlash over the arrest of two black men last week inside a Philadelphia Starbucks (Rashon Nelson, left, and Donte Robinson, right, both 23)