High school band director tased, arrested for refusing to stop band playing

An Alabama high school band director was shocked with a stun gun and arrested after Birmingham police said he wouldnt tell his band to stop playing.

Local news outlets report that Minor High Schools band director was arrested Thursday night after a football game between Minor and Jackson-Olin High School. Hes charged with disorderly conduct, harassment and resisting arrest.

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 wouldnt linger.

Police say the Jackson-Olin band stopped performing, but that the director disregarded officers and told his students to keep playing.

Police officers accompanied by school security guards went to arrest him for disorderly conduct but he got into a scuffle with them, Fitzgerald said. He said the band director refused to place his hands behind his back and shoved an officer. One of the officers shocked the band director with a stun gun.

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 hes gathering facts and declined further comment for now. I urge everyone not to jump to conclusions, Gonsoulin said.

The Birmingham Police Departments Internal Affairs Division investigates all incidents where an officer uses force during an arrest.

Am I missing something here?

I'm not seeing why they asked him to stop. I feel like that's important info. Right now, I have no idea who to root for.

I'm leaning towards the band teacher being based af for not following cops orders but maybe they were in the right, idk.

I can't find the part where it says there's no imminent harm.

It sounds to me like there wasn't, I'm just not seeing it.

https://www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/what-johnny-mims-do-incident-explored-minor-high-school-band-director-arrested-football-game

Apparently the bands were trying to outplay one another at the same time, which is chaotic as hell, but not a crime.

But this is still a weird "why were the police insistent on clearing out the stadium" situation.

why did that director care that much? Just stop. Everyone could go home sooner even. I'd be happy to not have to play anymore

I tend to lean that way too. Sounds like an impromptu "Battle of the Bands" situation that apparently got out of hand, but nothing worth what happened. There had to be a better way to handle this.

I think you're assumption is correct because if there was an imminent threat, the article would probably focus on that lol.

However thinking more, with the article being written as it is, showing how aggressive the cops were, with 0 context of why the interaction happened, it almost makes me think the cops were maybe in the right. But again, idk, I'll change my position if i get more info.

Even after reading this something seems off.

So according to the article, no one was allowed to leave until the band stopped... Why?

It's probably social politeness + rules of the school. But not sure.

Something is a little sus here though.

So according to the article, no one was allowed to leave until the band stopped... Why?

Typical escalation. Totally fucked. Just cause u want to go home RIGHT NOW doesn't mean u can taze ppl

But we don't know anything. How much longer were they playing? How intense were the kids over playing over each other? Did someone ask the cops to intervene?

If there is a school band that play with such intensity that the only reasonable response would be cops and tasers, please let me know where I can get tickets.

But we don't know anything. How much longer were they playing? How intense were the kids over playing over each other? Did someone ask the cops to intervene?

Lmao, *if someone calls the cops on you, it doesn't merit cops showing up*.

Ok buddy.

police were trying to clear the stadium at Jackson-Olin after the game and asked both bands to stop playing so people wouldnt linger.

Isn't football really big in the south? Was there just so much traffic that it made sense to have police there to help direct it?

Because of your swatting comparison, it sounds like you're saying that if cops are called, told that someone's life is at risk, that cops still shouldn't intervene. Is my interpretation of your posts incorrect? I'll gladly change my stance if you can convince me.

I think you're assumption is correct because if there was an imminent threat, the article would probably focus on that lol.

However thinking more, with the article being written as it is, showing how aggressive the cops were, with 0 context of why the interaction happened, it almost makes me think the cops were maybe in the right. But again, idk, I'll change my position if i get more info.

But this is still a weird "why were the police insistent on clearing out the stadium" situation.

There's no benefit of the doubt here for the cops. The information I had at the time suggests that the music teacher was the aggressive one, but I need more context to see if that's true.

My post isn't giving cops the benefit of the doubt, it's giving the music teacher the benefit of the doubt.