A Louisiana mother is calling out a New Orleans police officer for shoving her son “unprovoked” while he was participating in a parade last week.
Brandon Mitchell, a L.B. Landry High School student and band member, was playing his horn during the Krewe of Muses parade when the unidentified officer appeared to push him, WDSU reported. The incident was captured on video, and his mother, Tiffany Jones, posted it on social media.
In the 23-second video, Mitchell immediately turned toward the officer. He and another bandmate briefly go back and forth with the officers and his colleagues before the recording stops.
“As my son was continuing to try and get some kind of response from the police officer, he turned his back to him as if he didn’t just physically assault him and push him,” Jones told WWLTV.
The mother was only aware of the incident a few days later. Not only is Jones considering suing, but she is also demanding that the officer apologize to her child for the embarrassing situation, according to the report.
“I’m very upset about this‼️ I was not there but I’m so glad it was caught on video SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO REPRIMAND THIS OFFICER,” Jones wrote in a Facebook post.
When Atlanta Black Star reached out to the police department on Wednesday, a spokesperson said there are “no updates” and that the Public Integrity Bureau is investigating the matter. The Office of Independent Police Monitor responded to the viral clip and addressed the community’s concerns.
“The OIPM can confirm the NOPD has taken immediate action including initiating a misconduct investigation and removing the officer from that assignment,” the oversight agency wrote in a statement, per WDSU. “In the coming days, the OIPM will be working with NOPD leadership to determine how to best move forward to address community concerns and hopefully work directly with the affected individuals and school.”
The Algiers Charter school district championed how Mitchell handled the confrontation and said officials have planned a meeting with the police department.
