A Milwaukee boy was attacked trying to sell candy in Greendale. Police bodycam footage shows what happened next.
The Greendale Police Department this week released bodycam footage from a recent candy-selling incident involving four Black Milwaukee residents — three of them children — and their eventual arrests.
The episode, which unfolded Oct. 17, prompted a protest last week and a broader discussion in the suburban community about racial profiling and policing.
On Oct. 17, a group of three kids and one chaperone, 30-year-old Darrell Brown, went door-to-door selling candy. After receiving calls, Greendale police informed the group that they needed a permit to sell candy, and they agreed to leave the area.
About an hour later, Greendale police got a 911 call that one of the children, an 11-year-old boy, had been attacked by five other youths. The footage shows the bloodied boy being inspected by Greendale police officers.
"I want to get these kids as much as your family does," said Greendale Lt. Bridgette Musial. Greendale police said they responded but "received minimal information" from the boy.
Shortly thereafter, the group is seen on police footage in another area of Greendale interacting with police officers again. The footage shows Brown threatening to cause physical harm to whoever attacked his 11-year-old nephew.
"We're not going to do that," said a Greendale police officer.
At 4:27 p.m., Greendale police responded to a home after receiving a call that Brown and the kids were at the front porch and refusing to leave.
Angelica Laurant, mother of one of the boys, said Brown's car broke down in front of the home and that the resident began to harass the group, telling them to leave his property. At the same time, a teenage boy left the home, and Laurant said her nephew identified him as one of the those who had attacked him.
Police bodycam footage from the interview inside the home shows the residents informing police officers that the group came to the door offering candy before the 11-year-old boy said he identified one of the residents as one of his attackers.
The resident told police that he told his son to "go get the rifle," as a scare tactic because he feared for his safety. He later informed police that he does not own a gun. Laurant, Brown and the boys tell police on multiple occasions that they saw the gun.
Police said they found no evidence the teen was involved in the attack and confirmed via home security footage that he had been home at the time of the reported attack.
Police footage shows Brown continuing to stand on the property of the residents while being surrounded by police officers. When Musial arrived, Brown was arrested for disorderly conduct.
"Do we have enough for disorderly conduct?" asks Musial, to which another officer responds "yes."
Officers then place handcuffs on Brown and walk him over to a squad car. One of the children that had been with Brown attempted to record the arrest while another stood by when Musial told them to leave the area before they are arrested for trespassing.
The kids refuse to leave, and Musial and other officers begin to arrest the boys. Both boys are tackled by officers.
In the aftermath of the arrests, the 11-year-old's nose, which had been bloodied in the initially reported attack, began to bleed again.
Shortly thereafter, Laurant and another mother arrive on the scene.
Greendale police cited Brown for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and misuse of 911.
The three children were arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. One of the kids is also accused of damaging the interior of a squad car, according to police. All three will be referred to the Milwaukee County Children’s Court Center, police said.
Brown refused medical treatment and was released after he was cited. All three minors were released and transported to an area hospital by ambulance, according to police.
The Greendale Police Department said in a statement it will continue to investigate the attack on the children by five unknown people, but has no leads.
Contact Drake Bentley at (414) 391-5647 or DBentley1@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DrakeBentleyMJS.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Greendale police share bodycam video of candy-selling attack aftermath
