Black Lives Matters Restoration Polk Inc. is calling for the arrest of four Lakeland police officers that were involved in a Dec. 18 traffic stop and a federal investigation into the beating that was captured on video.
Black Lives Matters Restoration Polk is also seeking the removal of newly appointed Police Chief Sammy Taylor.
At a news conference in front of the Lakeland Police Department downtown, Carl Soto, BLM Polk’s co-founder, and vice president rehashed a video of the traffic stop posted on Facebook, which appears to show a Lakeland police officer repeatedly punching Lakeland resident Antwan Glover in the head and face.
The video was recorded by Glover’s 17-year-old stepdaughter, Isabella Cannon.
Soto said, “As Mr. Glover is unarmed laying on the ground with his hands up, he is repeatedly struck in the face by a member of this corrupt department.”
Soto said, His political organization is calling for the U.S. federal Department of Justice to launch an investigation into the incident and press all applicable charges against the officers involved: Dillion Cornn, Anton Jefferson, Jason McCain, and Sgt. Mark Eby. A formal complaint is in the process of being drafted and will be filed with the state shortly.
The facts are on Dec. 18, Glover said he was driving home from his father’s class reunion, when his daughter, Netaysia Cannon, 19, called him to come over. Shortly afterward, he received a call from his wife, Nettie Bell, where she asked for him and Netaysia to come over for food and company.
Lakeland officers from the Street Crimes Unit were patrolling the 400 block of West 9th Street in a black, unmarked Ford Explorer. Their affidavit states the area is a high drug and high crime area in which numerous arrests have been previously made.
Shortly after midnight, the officers rolled up to a black BMW, stating it appeared the driver was not wearing his seatbelt, according to an arrest affidavit.
“What happens after this haunts this family and will likely continue to haunt them for the rest of their lives,” Soto said.
Cannon shot approximately 1 minute, 30 seconds of video during which it appears a Lakeland police officer moves to stand over Glover, who is seen on the ground with at least two LPD officers kneeling or standing by him.
About 10 seconds into one video, an officer appears to punch the suspect in the upper back with a closed fist. An unidentified girl is heard screaming and calling, “Hey, stop punching my dad!”
The officers roll Glover onto his back, where he holds his palms up toward the officer closest to him. The officer, straddling Glover’s torso, then punches him several times in the upper chest or head.
Glover noted there is no mention in the police affidavit of an officer hitting him. When asked why, Glover said “to hide what they did to me and my family.”
You can hear the sound of a taser being discharged can be heard on the video. The police report notes a taser was discharged once, striking Glover’s upper back. But Glover asserts a second taser was deployed and struck him in the lower back as well.
The police affidavit, written by Officer Jefferson, says that once Glover was in handcuffs, the officers searched his car and found marijuana totaling 33.75 grams. “However, none of the cannabis located was inside its sealed original dispensary container. Furthermore, I was not able to locate his marijuana card,” the affidavit reads.
Soto said BLM asserts that a police search of Glover’s vehicle was unlawful, as he did not give his consent and there was no probable cause as he had admitted cannabis was in the car under a medical prescription.
Bell and Netaysia Cannon were arrested on charges of resisting a police officer. Soto said Glover’s family members were targeted for video recording the encounter.
“We are outraged. It is evident the civil rights of Mrs. Nettie Bell, Ms. Isabella Cannon, Ms. Netaisha Cannon and the family behind me were unlawfully violated,” he said.
BLM will help provide legal counsel to Glover’s family to take legal action against the police department, Soto said. He’s called on LPD again to be transparent and release all evidence of the encounter.
“How can a civil traffic violation stop — a seatbelt violation — turn into a full-fledged physical assault,” Soto said.
BLM has called on State Attorney Brian Haas to drop all charges stemming from the traffic stop. Glover said he was scheduled to meet with Haas at the police department.
Lakeland police spokeswoman Robin Tillett said Tuesday that there’s an ongoing internal investigation into the incident, and department policy allows 180 days to close a review.