Outrage continues to grow over harrowing footage of an African-American woman being dragged to the ground and forcefully arrested by two Saraland Police officers at a Waffle House eatery in Alabama over the weekend.
A video clip of the April 22 encounter shows officers wrestle 25-year-old Chikesia Clemons to the ground following a dispute over the poor customer service she and her friend received while dining at the popular restaurant. Footage of Clemons’ Sunday morning arrest quickly made its rounds on social media, sparking renewed backlash over claims of police racial bias.
Several community members gathered for a sit-in that evening in the parking lot of the Waffle House where the incident unfolded, AL.com reported. Their protest was ultimately met with resistance from local police.
Video of the incident captured by Clemons’ friend Canita Adams shows Saraland Police officers briefly chatting with Clemons before dragging her out of her chair and onto the restaurant floor. She is heard telling the police she was waiting for the number to Waffle House’s corporate office so she could file a complaint against one of the waitress’s.
— ㅤTwinWorld🔑🌎 (@SlicSpud) April 22, 2018
Once on the floor, officers are seen trying to force Clemons’ hands behind her back as they work to flip her over and place her under arrest. The young woman’s dress is pulled down during the scuffle, exposing her breasts in the process.
“What are you doing?” Clemons asks at one point, to which one officer responds, “I’ll break your arm, that’s what I’m about to do.”
The entire incident was reportedly preceded by a dispute over plastic utensils, according to AL.com, which one of the waitresses tried to charge Clemons 50 cents for when she rung up her order.
The violent encounter has added fuel to nationwide scrutiny over the way Black Americans are treated by police in public spaces, a controversy sparked by the recent arrests of two African- American men at a Philadelphia Starbucks last week. The coffee giant has since promised to close 8,000 of its stores next month to educate its employees on racial bias.
As for Waffle House, company spokesman Pat Warner said Monday that information regarding Clemons’ controversial arrest “strongly supports” actions taken by police.
“… [I]t’s fair to say that the information we have received at this point differs significantly from what has reportedly been attributed to Ms. Clemons and strongly supports the actions taken by the Saraland Police Department,” Warner told AL.com in an emailed statement. “The Saraland Police Dept. is conducting its own investigation, and we encourage you to contact them for additional information.”
— ㅤTwinWorld🔑🌎 (@SlicSpud) April 22, 2018
Clemons was ultimately arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, AL.com reported. She was released after her mother paid her $1,000 bail.
” …The footage shows the story completely,” said Clemons’ mother, Chiquitta Clemons-Howard, who called the incident a miscarriage of justice. “My nerves are very, very bad right now.”
