BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Bodycam video was released Monday in the tasing of an Alabama school director following a high school football game.
The Minor High School band director was tased and arrested after Birmingham police said he wouldn't tell his band to stop playing following the conclusion of the game against Jackson-Olin High School.
The video shows officers asking the director to have his band stop playing, with him explaining it's their last song.
"Cut it! We got to go. The minutes is over," one officer says, referring to the end of the game.
"I know. We're fixing to go. This is our last song," he responds.
The director tells the officers multiple times to get out of his face as the song continues and as an officer tells him he will go to jail. Eventually, the football stadium's lights go out with the band continuing on.
"Put him in handcuffs," an officer says at one point just before the song concludes. After finishing, the director steps down onto the track by the football field.
About a minute later in the video, you can see the arrest happening on the track, with a commotion among the officers, the director and several people who also appear to be from Minor High.
"Put him in jail," once officer says. "I'm fixing to tase you," says another.
At one point the director is told he's being arrested because he "hit the officer" and "swung on the officer."
"I did not swing on the officer, man," the director states.
"He's going to jail because I asked him to respect...," an officer says, though it's unclear what he says after the word "respect." He adds: "That was disrespectful to me."
The officer then tells him to put his hands behind his back, beginning to point the taser at him.
A drive stun attempt does not appear to affect the director, before the taser chords are deployed and drop him. He's then led away by officers.
Birmingham Police Officer Truman Fitzgerald, a department spokesperson, said police were trying to clear the stadium at Jackson-Olin after the game and asked both bands to stop playing so people wouldn't linger.
Police say the Jackson-Olin band stopped performing. The Minor High director is now charged with disorderly conduct, harassment and resisting arrest.
Paramedics treated the band director and took him to a hospital to be checked out, Fitzgerald said. He was later booked into jail and released after posting bail.
Jefferson County School Superintendent Walter Gonsoulin said Friday that he's gathering facts and declined further comment for now. “I urge everyone not to jump to conclusions,” Gonsoulin said.