Statement from Chris Ahmuty, ACLU of Wisconsin Executive Director:
The ACLU of Wisconsin is concerned about what appeared to be excessive use of force by a City of Madison police officer during the arrest of a young African-American woman at a Madison mall on Tuesday night. Police should use force only when unavoidable and to the extent necessary. Police training, policies and equipment should emphasize avoidance of force and de-escalation rather than condoning excessive use of force. It does not appear the officers adhered to these principles Tuesday night. The people of Madison require a thorough and transparent investigation of this entire incident and the Madison Police Department's policies and practices to begin restoring public confidence in the MPD.
We encourage individuals to learn about their rights in law enforcement encounters, visiting our website for more information at https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights.
The ACLU of Wisconsin is a non-profit, non-partisan, private organization whose 7,000 members support its efforts to defend the civil rights and liberties of all Wisconsin residents. For more on the ACLU of Wisconsin, visit our website, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @ACLUofWisconsin and @ACLUMadison.
