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Police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, are conducting an internal investigation after a man was forcefully arrested at an Applebee’s restaurant. The man was wrongfully suspected of fleeing a crash. According to a criminal complaint, the police were responding to reports of multiple people fleeing the scene of a rollover crash. The incident was captured on cell phone video, showing employees trying to protect a baby while the arrest took place. The man was later identified as Jermelle English and was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. The incident has sparked concerns about police use of force. ABC30 Fresno reported
A photograph depicting an arrest taking place at an Applebee’s restaurant in Kenosha, Wisconsin, has prompted an internal investigation by the local police force. The incident involved the forceful apprehension of a man who was mistakenly suspected of fleeing from a car crash. According to a criminal complaint obtained by ABC News affiliate WISN, the Kenosha police officers were responding to reports of a rollover crash nearby, where several individuals had allegedly fled the scene. The officers were looking for an African American man and woman, who were described as having a baby and were believed to have headed towards Kohl’s or Menards.
The manager of the Applebee’s, Jennifer Harris, stated that the police initially entered the restaurant to inquire if any employees had seen individuals matching the description. However, none of the employees reported having seen anyone fitting that description. Shortly after, another employee spotted two individuals with a baby who seemed to match the description, and promptly informed the police. Consequently, an officer returned to the restaurant and identified a man and a woman with a baby who matched the suspects’ description.
The man, identified as Jermelle English, was initially believed by the officers to be involved in the car accident and evading arrest, according to the complaint and court records. When questioned about the car they arrived in, English and the woman declined to answer and attempted to leave the premises. As shown in a video captured by a cell phone, chaos ensued as employees tried to secure the baby while the police sought to apprehend English. During the arrest, officers forcibly restrained English on the ground, with one officer repeatedly striking him. The complaint states that the woman accompanying English also resisted arrest, leading to a struggle with another officer.
Harris alleges that the police officers deployed pepper spray without warning, causing respiratory issues for everyone present. She further claims that the baby was exposed to the pepper spray and required medical attention. However, the police dispute this assertion, stating that the child was not in the immediate vicinity when the pepper spray was used.
The suspects who had fled the car crash were eventually discovered hiding in the men’s bathroom of the restaurant. English was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, while information regarding charges against the other suspects was not immediately available.
Harris believes that the police viewed English’s refusal to answer their questions as non-compliance, leading to the unnecessary arrest. She also notes that she was terminated from her position at Applebee’s shortly after the incident.
The Kenosha Police Department has initiated an internal investigation into the use of force by its officers. A police spokesperson stated that their internal review process is more comprehensive than what is mandated by the state, and will determine if the officers acted appropriately or if any disciplinary action or additional training is necessary.
This forceful arrest incident follows a previous case in Kenosha where a white officer shot a Black man, Jacob Blake, in the back during a response to a domestic dispute. The U.S. Justice Department and the county District Attorney’s office did not find sufficient evidence to prove excessive force and declined to press charges against the officer.
Applebee’s has yet to comment on the specifics of Harris’s termination, but a statement from a local franchisee expressed their commitment to cooperate with the investigation by the Kenosha Police Department.
The incident at Applebee’s has left Harris and other employees deeply upset and traumatized..
