Officers Who Arrested Sterling Brown Disciplined in Wake of Body Cam Footage

The Milwaukee Police Department announced it has disciplined the officers who arrested Milwaukee Bucks guard Sterling Brown in January after body cam footage was released Wednesday.

In the disturbing video, Brown is tased by officers after they approached him regarding an alleged parking violation. Brown was never charged with a crime. 

"During the encounter, Mr. Brown was decentralized, tased and arrested," Milwaukee police chief Alfonso Morales said in a statement, according to the Washington Post's Cindy Boren. "The department conducted an investigation which revealed members acted inappropriately, and those members were recently disciplined."

"Black men shouldn't have to have their guard up and instantly be on the defensive when seeing a police officer, but it's our reality and a real problem," Brown wrote in a statement Wednesday. "There must be mutual respect and both sides have to figure out how to accomplish this.

"There are no easy solutions to this problem, but there are strides that can be made to create change. I will do my part in helping to prevent similar incidents from happening to the minority community in the future." 

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Gina Barton and Ashley Luthern, Brown plans to file a civil lawsuit against the officers who were disciplined. 

"The abuse and intimidation that Sterling experienced at the hands of Milwaukee Police was shameful and inexcusable," the Bucks said in a statement. "Sterling has our full support as he shares his story and takes action to provide accountability.

"Unfortunately, this isn't an isolated case. It shouldn't require an incident involving a professional athlete to draw attention to the fact that vulnerable people in our communities have experienced similar, and even worse, treatment. We are grateful for the service of many good police officers that courageously protect us, our fans and our city, but racial biases and abuses of power must not be ignored."