Video of Angel Guice’s arrest by Atlanta police sparks outrage

A video that shows actress Angel Guice being arrested in Atlanta has sparked community outrage.

Angel Guice arrested

Guice and her male companion were approached by Atlanta Police Officer Brooks, who told the two the park was closed.

Brooks goes back to his vehicle and returns with paperwork. He tells the unidentified male that they would be receiving a citation for being in the park after hours.

“What if I don’t sign it?”, said the male.

“Then you go to jail” Brooks stated.

The male then signs the citation.

Guice comes forward, asks the officer’s name and badge number, and why was it necessary to receive a citation.

She allegedly refused to sign the citation and that’s when the encounter escalated. Officer Brooks handcuffs her and draws his taser as the woman screams and cries.

Guice is now being represented by civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, challeging her arrest and alleging excessive force by the Atlanta police officer, CBS46 reports.

“The officer did in fact tell her to put her hands behind her back but he never offered her an explanation for why she was arrested,” said Lee Merritt, civil right attorney representing Guice.

Merritt said Guice spent one night in jail and is still recovering from mental and emotional trauma.

“The officer’s refusal to provide that explanation escalated the situation to one that was deeply agitated and completely unnecessary,” Merritt continued in an interview with CBS46.

The Atlanta Police has defended its officer’s actions and released the body camera footage from the officer’s arrest.

A spokesperson for the department says there was no violation by the officer, saying in a statement:

“Several unnecessary decisions, that were entirely out of our control, resulted in a physical altercation with an officer and the physical arrest of this female,” said a spokesperson in an email.

Atlanta police say they’re patrolling parks more due to recent homicides.

Outrage

The viral social media video shows the officer giving Guice a warning that she’ll be arrested if she does not sign a citation.

Police are claiming that Guice refused to sign a citation but her lawyer says that is incorrect.

“Here, my client, Ms. Guice, never refused to sign. She simply asked for additional information and the officer was very short and quickly escalated to the use of force,” said Merritt.

Many people are expressing outrage, stating the officer used excessive force. And that furthermore, a citation was not warranted. In the full video, Guice is heard telling the officer they are not fron the area so they were unfamiliar with the park rules.

According to Atlanta police, refusing to sign a citation is enough grounds for an officer to place a person under arrest.

Officials also said that the incident is under internal investigation.