Local political leaders and activists in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania are demanding answers and accountability after videos surfaced showing two separate, but brutal and aggressive arrests of a Black man and woman.
The arrests of Devlon Pridgen and Morgan Daniels reportedly happened on Dec. 29 and Dec. 31, respectively.
Footage of Pridgen’s arrest obtained by WPXI shows multiple officers pinning him to the ground while a woman recording the video screams that he’s unarmed and “not resisting.” One officer appears to be punching Pridgen while he’s on the ground.
The Pittsburgh NAACP and the Black Political Empowerment Project sent a joint letter to city leaders, stating that the footage “presents an interaction that appears to be significantly more excessive and aggressive than necessary.”
Photos taken after the arrest show a wounded Pridgeon with a bruised cheek and bloodied chin.
“Why was such a level of force employed, especially given that there were already multiple officers present at the scene?” the NAACP’s and B-Pep’s letter read.
Authorities never charged Pridgen with any crimes, and it’s unclear at this time what prompted his arrest or the force used in the police encounter.
A city Public Safety spokesperson told Atlanta Black Star about the encounter, stating that the department is “aware of a use of force incident” and that “any accusation of improper conduct is taken seriously, and will be thoroughly investigated.”
William Anderson, chairman of the Allegheny Democratic Black Caucus, is also demanding transparency about the arrest.
“He is hurt physically, emotionally, he’s a father of eight. He called me crying. … He was just overwhelmed,” Anderson said of Pridgen.
Nearly a week after Pridgen’s arrest, Anderson posted two videos showing the arrests and detainments of several Black people, including Morgan Daniels, at a Pittsburgh-area home on Dec. 31.
One video shows several officers detaining multiple people at one time as the woman recording the footage shouts at the cops to “please relax!” while promising that no one was going to hurt them in an apparent attempt to de-escalate a chaotic situation.
Seconds later, a female officer and a Black woman are seen rolling down a set of stairs as the cop tries to wrestle the woman into submission. The cop is also seen striking the woman before a male officer drags her over a set of cinderblocks and down the sidewalk.
The woman behind the camera urges the officers to “let her calm down,” adding that “she’s not under the right influence,” after the woman attempts to kick the female cop.
A second video that appeared to be taken by a neighbor shows the arrests from a different angle. In the recording, an officer is seen attempting to take another Black woman into custody. As she trips and falls to the ground, the officer falls with her, pins her to the ground using his knee, and detains her.
In both videos, viewers can hear both the cops and the detained individuals screaming and shouting.
One of the women who was taken into custody after that police encounter was Morgan Daniels, who was later charged after the incident.
Circumstances leading up to Daniels’ arrest and how the events in the videos unfolded are also unclear. Pittsburgh Public Safety said that three people, including Daniels, were arrested and charged with aggravated assault, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and public drunkenness.
“The Allegheny County Democratic Black Caucus is outraged that the City of Pittsburgh Police choose to charge Morgan Daniels after brutally assaulting her in an attempt to justify their continued acts of Police Brutality against our African American Citizens and members,” Anderson wrote in a statement. “We demand any and all charges filed against Ms. Daniels be immediately dropped. And her hearing scheduled for January 13th cancelled.”
The caucus group stated they plan to hold a press conference later to discuss Pridgen’s and Daniels’ arrests and demand justice and accountability.
