Neighbors Complain of Noise Near Scene of Shooting in Sherman Park; 14 People Arrested

More than a dozen people have been arrested in the past 24 hours in the Sherman Park neighborhood. The arrests began last night, when a group of about 40 people gathered near 44th and Auer.

Police say neighbors have complained of large crowds near the scene of the shooting for weeks. Some say the much of the tension returned last night.

A series of disturbances from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning have neighbors and people in the community on edge. Frank Sensabaugh was one of the 11 people arrested around 8 Tuesday night, after police broke up gathering at 44th and Auer.

"There was an incident where they told people, in 15 minutes you have to leave or else, which would antagonize anybody. But they left peacefully. They broke my phone and they got it now, but when they arrested those people they were all leaving peacefully. No there was no hostility last night, there was a crowd here because there was a pastor there preaching," said Sensabaugh. 

A few hours later after the crowds cleared, police say they diffused another tense situation, after confrontation with a frustrated neighbor and a small group.

Of those arrested, was state representative Johnathan Brostoff, who says he was taken down to ground and handcuffed after complying with officers orders and trying to film the altercation on his phone.

"The irony of it all, was that I was actually there to help police. To descalate the situation. Having great conversation. To be treated like that shows that we have some big issues that we need to tackle and there's a lot of work that needs to be done," said Representative Brostoff. 

Police say Brostoff and an ACLU member were both released at the scene after being detained. The men had not made themselves known to officers, which in MPD's words "caused confusion."

"They're actually trying to start a dialogue with neighbors about how they can peacefully be there. Last night is not the way you should handle things," said Sensabaugh. 

"Just because we have a greater police force and we have more police walking the beat doesn't necessarily mean that we're safer," said Brostoff. 

MPD says they are investigating the arrest of Representative Brostoff to make sure proper procedures were followed. An MPD spokesman also says rumors of police planning to take down Syville Smiths roadside memorial are false.