Attorneys representing one Alabama woman shared a video showing her arrest by a cop who took her into custody for failing to identify herself at her own home.
According to Twyla Stallworth’s lawyers, she was arrested on Feb. 23, 2024, in Andalusia, Alabama, following a dispute over a noise complaint.
Stallworth, a Black woman, tried to call the police that day to report her neighbor, who is white, for playing loud music in her neighborhood. After receiving no response, she set off her car alarm to get her neighbor’s attention. That neighbor ended up calling 911 to report the noise from the alarm. Police responded to the neighbor’s call and one officer arrived at Stallworth’s home to confront her.
Stallworth’s legal team said Andalusia Officer Grant Barton arrived at her home and threatened to cite and arrest Stallworth for the car alarm, but he refused to address Stallworth’s noise complaints directed at her neighbor.
After Stallworth told Barton that his treatment was racially motivated, Barton began asking for her identification, according to her attorneys. Stallworth’s son began recording a cellphone video of the encounter at this point, and Stallworth is heard on the video refusing Barton’s request to show her ID.
Alabama Code 15-5-30 states that police may stop any person in a public place if police have reasonable suspicion that that person is committing, has committed or is about to commit a crime and may demand that person’s name, address, and an explanation of his or her actions.
Stallworth was at her home, not in a public place. Regardless, Barton takes out his handcuffs to arrest her when she refuses to show her ID.
The video shows Barton and Stallworth talking on Stallworth’s porch. When Stallworth says she’s going back into her home to put on her shoes in preparation for the arrest, Barton suddenly grabs Stallworth, shoves her son out of the way, and storms into Stallworth’s home.
Stallworth was unarmed and showed no aggression or signs of threatening behavior toward Barton.
After Barton storms into the home, Stallworth begins yelling at him for pushing her son, then repeatedly asks him why he needs her ID.
Barton doesn’t answer her. Instead, he shoves her on the couch and forcefully cuffs her. Stallworth’s son is heard in the video asking everyone to calm down in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.
As Barton walks Stallworth out of her home, her son follows behind and is heard asking Barton why he placed Stallworth under arrest.
“Right now, she’s under arrest for failure to identify,” Barton answers.
Her son asks Barton for confirmation of the law he’s enforcing and after Barton places Stallworth in the car, Barton appears to Google the statute.
Stallworth’s son reads part of the statute aloud and tells Barton that it doesn’t specifically say anything about official identification. Barton responds, “I know, but I’m not going to argue with you.”
According to her lawyers, Stallworth was jailed for up to 15 hours and charged with obstruction, resisting arrest, and attempting to elude.
“Never mind that Officer Barton needlessly escalated the situation, forcefully entered Ms. Stallworth’s home, and physically assaulted her over a noise complaint. Nevermind that he arrested her for exercising her constitutional rights and nevermind that he misquoted a law that doesn’t require a woman in her own home to present an ID,” attorney Harry Daniels said in a statement. “Calling out racism isn’t illegal. Using your badge to intimidate a 40-year-old mother is.”
Stallworth’s case is evocative of that of Pastor Mike Jennings, who was arrested in Childersburg, Alabama, in 2022 after he failed to show his ID to police while he was watering his neighbor’s flowers. Jennings said he was racially profiled after his white neighbors called the police on him.
