Sheriff's Office turns over full video of Zoo arrest; lawmaker to pursue state bodycam law

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office (MSCO) has released the complete video of a controversial arrest that happened last month at the county zoo. The incident ended with a teenager attacking a deputy and the deputy punching the teen multiple times before arresting her.

However, the video the sheriff's office initially shared with the public on November 3 edited out nearly four minutes of video, which included the moments leading up to deputies initiating the arrest.

A county board supervisor, who is also a state lawmaker, said the decision to release incomplete footage was proof legislation was needed at the state level to govern how law enforcement handles body camera video. 

CBS 58 immediately requested the complete body camera footage from each deputy involved in the October 22 incident. Two weeks after the request, the sheriff's office provided the video.

The incident began with a deputy responding to a call from workers at the Milwaukee County Zoo, who reported there had been a fight. The deputy then approaches three teenage girls standing at the fence outside of the zoo. The teens explained they had been arguing with each other and were now waiting for a ride back.

One of the teens, later identified as 17-year-old Envy Hampton, was immediately hostile toward the deputy. 

At one point, she told the deputy to open the gate and let them back onto the Zoo grounds because that's where her sister had pulled up.

The deputy told the women he wouldn't let them because the zoo was closed. The teens pointed out the sister was on speaker phone saying she's at the zoo.

"Do you f***ing hear her?" Hampton told the deputy. "I'm gonna f***ing spaz out on you."

When the sister arrived, the deputy asked if she had an ID. The woman said she didn't, and she hesitated to tell the deputy her name.

Eventually, she says her name is 'Tiffany.' In a later interview with CBS 58, she identified herself as Nayah Dowell. State court records show a 26-year-old woman with that name being charged on October 27 with resisting an officer and disorderly conduct.

During that same week, Dowell also received citations for driving without a valid license and without insurance.

Under Wisconsin law, police can only demand someone's name if they have reasonable suspicion that person "is committing, is about to commit or has committed a crime.

The original video's sudden edit

As Dowell refused to give her name to the deputy and objected to him taking down her car's plate number, the deputy called for backup. When backup deputies arrived, Dowell became agitated.

"You don't gotta come over here!" she said at the sight of additional deputies. "Why is you all bringing all these police?!"

At that point, the video abruptly jumps to the body camera footage of a different deputy who is pulling up to the scene. At that point, three other deputies are trying to pull Dowell out of the car. Hampton gets out of the backseat and shoves the deputy who just arrived.

Hampton then swings and kicks at the deputy, who punches Hampton in the torso three times while she's on the ground resisting his attempt to handcuff her.

The video originally released also includes a dashcam version showing the same series of events involving Hampton and the backup deputy. Nothing in the 19-minute video the sheriff's office first released showed what prompted deputies to order Dowell out of the car or why they decided to remove her by force.

Hampton has since been charged with Battery to a Law Enforcement Officer, a felony, and the misdemeanor offenses of Resisting an Officer and Disorderly Conduct.

Dowell has been charged with Resisting an Officer and Disorderly Conduct. 

What the full video reveals

The footage released in response to CBS 58's request included the recordings from six body cameras and one squad camera. The responding deputies' videos shows they ordered Dowell to both lower her window and to get out of the car.

"Alright, let's get her out," one deputy said. "She doesn't want to listen."

Another deputy then told Dowell, "Get out of the car or I'll break the window."

Dowell did not lower the window and appeared to be talking to someone on the phone.

"This is your last chance. You are now under arrest for obstructing!" a deputy shouted. "Cover your eyes."

One of the deputies then shattered the driver's window and they began pulling Dowell out of the car. Hampton appeared to be holding onto Dowell from the backseat. 

Sheriff's office defends arrest, county board supervisor criticizes it

When asked about the omitted video on November 3, James Burnett III, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office, said there was "no conspiracy." Instead, Burnett said authorities were attempting to show the "main element" of the encounter.

On Tuesday, Burnett said the sheriff's office had since completed an internal review of the deputies' conduct.

"All relevant internal inquiries have been completed by the MCSO Professional Standards Division, regarding use of force in that incident, and were found to be compliant," Burnett said.

When asked if the agency would commit to releasing unedited videos upfront, Burnett said the sheriff's office stood by its current practices.

"As for future video releases, the MCSO will make that determination -- when and how to release -- on a case-by-case basis, which is our current, standing protocol," he said.

County Board Supervisor Ryan Clancy, who chairs the board's Judiciary and Law Enforcement Committee, said he was troubled by initial decision to arrest Dowell as opposed to just letting her drive the teens home.

"There was no reason to do that. There was no reason to escalate that situation," Clancy said.

Clancy said he was also bothered by the sheriff's office opting to edit the video it initially released. He said he'd requested the full video on November 4 but never got a response from Sheriff Denita Ball.

"I understand why they didn't release that footage; it looks really bad," Clancy said. "But it's in the public's best interest to deliver that to the public in an unedited format and then as soon as reasonably possible."

Clancy was criticized in August when he said in a Facebook comment police work has "neither dignity nor value."

Clancy has doubled down on the stance, even selling campaign apparel making light of the remark, and he has clashed with Ball, with his comments coming up in spats between the two officials. 

A push to change county policy, state law

Clancy said the county board's Judiciary and Law Enforcement committee would hold a hearing Monday on a resolution voicing support for the sheriff's office adopting a body camera policy that mirrors what the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission (FPC) approved for the city's police department in April.

That policy called for unedited video to be released to family members within 48 hours and to the public within 15 days whenever there's an incident where police kill or seriously hurt someone.

The Milwaukee Police officers' union filed a lawsuit challenging the policy. That case is still open, and a Milwaukee County judge has paused the policy in the meantime.

The future of such a policy is unclear after a new state law increasing state funding for local governments also stripped powers away from the Milwaukee FPC. 

Clancy said he intended to introduce a bill in January seeking to make the 48-hour, 15-day body camera release policy state law. Clancy said it would be part of a larger package of police reform bills. He acknowledged the bills will almost certainly receive a cold reception in the Republican-controlled Legislature.