City Attorney Shifts Blame to Sterling Brown
"The comments from City Attorney Langley are troubling."
(MADISON)–Late Friday evening a court document was filed by the Milwaukee City Attorney Grant Langley that claimed Milwaukee Bucks guard, Sterling Brown, was responsible for any injuries he sustained during his arrest in January, an incident that has received widespread criticism for the excessive use of police forced exercised by the Milwaukee Police Department.
The claim filed by Langley, whose career as an attorney for the City of Milwaukee dates back to the days of Milwaukee Chief of Police Harold Breier, read: “The injuries and damages sustained by the plaintiff, if any, were caused in whole or in part by their own acts or omissions.”
In response to Langley’s decision to fault Sterling Brown for the incident, an event that’s been condemned on a national level by media outlets and athletes alike, Senator Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) released the following statement:
“The singing of “Money, money, money” by one officer’s glee at the prospect of overtime pay during the incident is a problem. The questionable number of officers that responded, for one unarmed and non-combative individual is a problem. The idea that suspensions were handed out by the Police Department, and an apology was issued from the Mayor, but our City Attorney still believes Brown brought it on himself, is a problem. The attitude of always blaming the victim is a problem.”
“You’d think after paying out civil lawsuits in the millions, like $2.3 million to the family of Dontre Hamilton, or cases like that of Derek Williams, who died after begging for help in the back of a squad car, while officers stood around and ignored him, that has been given the green light to move forward in a civil lawsuit, we’d had learned something. But no apology or justice for those families were offered, that’s why they have ended up in civil litigation. All of this is a problem.”
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
More about the Sterling Brown Case
- State Supreme Court Upholds Milwaukee Cop’s Firing Over Facebook Posts - Erik Gunn - Apr 30th, 2024
- City Hall: City Must Apologize to Sterling Brown - Jeramey Jannene - May 4th, 2021
- Sterling Brown settlement requires that MPD adopt weapon drawn reporting - Ald. Khalif Rainey - Apr 27th, 2021
- City Hall: Sterling Brown Settlement Approved - Jeramey Jannene - Apr 26th, 2021
- City Hall: Council Keeps Delaying on Sterling Brown Settlement - Jeramey Jannene - Jan 11th, 2021
- Rep. Brostoff Statement on Police Union Smears Against City Attorney Tearman Spencer - Rep. Jonathan Brostoff - Nov 17th, 2020
- City Hall: Sterling Brown Payout Still Being Debated - Jeramey Jannene - Nov 17th, 2020
- City Hall: Bucks Player, City Reach $750,000 Settlement - Jeramey Jannene - Nov 9th, 2020
- Giannis Protest Mural Planned for Bay View Bar - Jeramey Jannene - Jul 2nd, 2020
- Court Watch: Police Officer Denies Stepping on Sterling Brown - Gretchen Schuldt - Feb 19th, 2020
Read more about Sterling Brown Case here
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by State Sen. Lena Taylor
Taylor Statement on Off-Duty Officer Shooting
Jan 13th, 2022 by State Sen. Lena TaylorState Senator and Milwaukee Mayoral Candidate Lena Taylor statement