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Police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, are conducting an internal investigation into the forceful arrest of a man who was wrongfully suspected of fleeing a crash. The incident, which was caught on video inside an Applebee’s restaurant, involved officers looking for individuals matching a specific description. The man and a woman with a baby were detained, and during the arrest, chaos ensued. The man was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, while the woman was accused of fighting with an officer. The incident has sparked controversy and scrutiny of the police department’s actions. Armando Garcia,Jade Lawson reported
The Police Department in Kenosha, Wisconsin, has initiated an internal investigation into the forceful arrest of a man who was mistakenly suspected of fleeing a car crash. The incident, which unfolded inside an Applebee’s restaurant, was captured on a cell phone video. According to a criminal complaint obtained by ABC News affiliate WISN, the Kenosha police officers were responding to reports of a rollover crash in the vicinity, during which multiple individuals had fled the scene. The officers were searching for an African American man and woman, accompanied by a baby, who were believed to have run towards Kohl’s or Menards. The woman was described as wearing a red shirt and having a bun on top of her head.
Jennifer Harris, the manager on duty at a nearby Applebee’s, stated that the police initially entered the restaurant and inquired about individuals matching the given description. However, one of the employees stated that they had not seen anyone fitting the description. A few minutes later, another employee spotted two individuals with a baby who seemed to match the description, prompting her to alert the police.
According to the complaint and court records, the man identified by the police in the Applebee’s was Jermelle English. The officers initially believed English and the woman were involved in the accident and were attempting to evade the police. The complaint states that when the officers asked English and the woman which car they arrived in, they refused to answer any questions and attempted to leave the restaurant. Harris believes that English got up to change his baby’s diaper, but the criminal complaint alleges that he started walking towards the exit.
In the cell phone video, chaos ensues as employees try to grab the baby while the police attempt to arrest English. Onlookers can be heard shouting “get the baby,” and an employee warns about the baby’s head as officers subdue English. Multiple officers pin English to the ground, with one officer repeatedly striking him. The complaint also mentions that the woman accompanying English fought with another officer during his detainment, actively resisting arrest.
Harris claims that the police officers deployed pepper spray without warning, causing respiratory issues for those present. She also states that she couldn’t calm the baby down because it had been exposed to pepper spray. However, the police dispute this claim, stating that the baby was not in the immediate area when the pepper spray was used and therefore was not directly affected.
The police later discovered the individuals suspected of fleeing the crash hiding in the men’s bathroom of the restaurant. Harris believes they entered through a side door rather than the front entrance. Information on charges against those suspects is currently unavailable. Jermelle English, on the other hand, has been charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Harris expressed her belief that the Kenosha police deemed their actions justifiable due to English’s refusal to answer their questions, treating it as two separate incidents. She argues that the arrest should not have taken place. The Kenosha Police Department spokesperson stated that they have a robust internal process to review their officers’ use of force, which goes beyond state requirements. The incident is currently under investigation, and upon completion, the findings will determine whether the officers acted appropriately and if any disciplinary action or additional training is necessary.
The forceful arrest comes three years after a white officer shot Jacob Blake, a Black man, in the back in Kenosha. The incident occurred during the police response to an alleged domestic dispute. Blake survived the shooting but was left paralyzed from the waist down. Following an investigation by the U.S. Justice Department, it was determined that there was insufficient evidence to prove that the officer had willfully used excessive force. The county District Attorney also declined to press charges against the officer, and the police department stated that his actions were within policy.
Harris mentioned that she was fired from her job shortly after the incident, although Applebee’s did not comment on the specific reasons for her termination. A representative from a local franchisee expressed a commitment to cooperate with the local authorities’ investigation.
The incident at Applebee’s left Harris and her colleagues upset and traumatized..
