Milwaukee County Zoo arrest, sheriff's office releases video
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office has now released video associated with the October arrest of a 17-year-old girl at the Milwaukee County Zoo.
The sheriff's office video comes more than a week after FOX6 News spoke to the family involved about the arresting deputy's use of force and shared their video of the incident.
The arrest took place the night of Oct. 22 in the zoo's parking lot. Deputies were called for a fight, but no fight seemed to be in progress when deputies got there. A short time later, though, a zoo security guard spotted four people believed to have been involved in the reported fight.
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Officials said when deputies approached the vehicle with those people in it, the 25-year-old driver and multiple passengers became argumentative. The sheriff's office said the group refused to identify themselves and refused to get out of the vehicle.
The driver was removed from the vehicle and, when another deputy approached a back door, the 17-year-old girl became agitated and uncooperative.
The body-worn camera video shows the 17-year-old girl shove and kick the deputy, swinging her arms and hitting the deputy in the face as the deputy tried to take her into custody. According to the sheriff's office, the deputy used "targeted focused strikes" to stop the girl's resistance.
The sheriff's office posted its video of the altercation on YouTube.
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Family members of the people involved told FOX6 News there was confusion over what was happening when they arrived to pick up the teens from the zoo. They said deputies escalated the tension, so they refused to give their names in fear. The family also said the 17-year-old was trying to protect her sister, who was the driver, after she had been pulled out of the car by deputies.
The family also called the use of force excessive, and said the 17-year-old told deputies she did not need to go to the hospital.
Milwaukee County sheriff's deputy force used during arrest at zoo
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office offered information related to use of force applied during an arrest that was made at the Milwaukee County Zoo on Sunday.
The 17-year-old girl, identified as Envy Hampton, has been charged with:
- Battery or threat to a judge, prosecutor, or law enforcement officer
- Resisting or obstructing an officer
- Disorderly conduct
The 25-year-old driver, identified as Nayah Dowell-Willis, was also taken into custody after the incident. Court documents show she is charged with resisting or obstructing an officer and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors.
Nobody involved in the incident with deputies has been charged in connection to the reported fight, according to authorities.