What began as a routine band performance of Talkin' Out the Side of Your Neck by Cameo at an Alabama high school football game ended in a troubling confrontation when a police officer tased the marching band director for refusing to stop the music.

The altercation occurred Thursday around 9 p.m. local time after a game at Jackson-Olin High School in Birmingham, Ala.

Minor High School band director Johnny Mims, 39, and his ensemble of 145 students were about a minute away from being done with their final song when a police officer approached the podium. According to both Mims and the Birmingham Police Department, officers asked Mims to stop the performance so they could clear out the stadium. Mims responded that the song was about to end and the performance was agreed on by both schools.

"Nothing we were doing at the time was being a danger to the community, fans or the school," Mims told NPR on Monday. "Everyone was enjoying themselves. That's the part I'm having a hard time grappling with."

As the students finished their performance, officers attempted to arrest Mims for not complying. Police said the band director "refused" to place his hands behind his back and allegedly pushed an arresting officer.

But Mims said he was simply caught off guard, adding that it was difficult to see who was grabbing him because the stadium's lights went out. Moments later, an officer pulled out a stun gun and tased Mims. Birmingham police said it happened once, but Mims insists he was tased up to three times.

The entire confrontation was witnessed by dozens of students, parents and faculty members. On Tuesday, the Birmingham Police Department released body-worn camera footage of the incident.

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Mims was sent to the hospital, which police said was standard protocol "after this type of incident." When Mims was discharged, he was taken to jail on charges of disorderly conduct, harassment and resisting arrest. Mims returned home Friday on bail.

Juandalynn Givan, a lawyer for Mims, called the incident "an alarming abuse of power" and called for the officers involved in the incident to be put on administrative leave until further investigation. She added that Mims plans to take legal action against the police department.

"This case highlights the urgent need for police reform, training and the protection of every citizen's rights," Given said.

The Birmingham Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But on Friday, the department said in a statement that its Internal Affairs Division investigates all incidents where an officer uses force during an arrest.

Days later, the altercation continues to draw anger from across the country, with some questioning the use of force and others reeling from what they saw firsthand Thursday night or on videos circulated across social media.

Mims has been a band director at Minor High since 2018. He credits his passion for music to his teachers, who introduced him to the violin, cello and saxophone. That's why he pursued music education and became a teacher.

Mims is still recovering physically from the arrest. He said he continues to be haunted by the incident, specifically seeing his students scream and cry as he was tased.

"I'm a Christian guy and I'm called to forgive but this situation makes me more apprehensive about the police," he said. "You may not know what their intentions might be even when you're doing something positive."

Mims added that he is on administrative leave with pay as part of protocol while the school district investigates what happened.

Walter Gonsoulin, superintendent of Jefferson County Schools, said in a statement, "I am in the process of gathering all the facts and feel it would be inappropriate to comment further until that process is complete. I urge everyone not to jump to conclusions."

Tasers are among the most common use of force in police departments, according to the FBI. But there is very little data on the federal or local level of how often they are deployed or turn fatal. A Reuters analysis from 2020 documented more than 1,000 cases of deaths related to police use of tasers, largely between 2000 and 2018, and found that Black Americans were disproportionately impacted.


↪ https://www.npr.org/2023/ .. 0oiOVrJcJZkvgc

Came to look at the victim not surprised.

hate crime

It’s called a “5th quarter”………

Two opposing bands take turns playing songs to see who’s better……..After the game……

Hence the term “5th quarter”……..

HBCU bands have been doing this since 1938……

Now these high school bands are doing it too…….

The song was over about a minute after the cop asked him to stop the band. He could have let them finish up, and then clear them out. Hurt egos is what blew this out of proportion.

U being who u r is a threat in their eyes

"Just gimme a reason"

Is it really that serious?

I knew the headline was exaggerated before I entered. Still fu#ked up but I was thinking no way in hell a cop did that over music.

Burning-Ham Alabama…..

Police is dead wrong but Johnny knew what time it was

The show must go on.

Fuk da police.

Get paid yong n1ggas get paid

Fatt Kidd said 🔗 I knew the headline was exaggerated before I entered. Still fu#ked up but I was thinking no way in hell a cop did that over music.

how? how is the headline exaggerated? that is exactly what happened. YOU want the sh1t to be exaggerated....

Wes10 said 🔗 how? how is the headline exaggerated? that is exactly what happened. YOU want the sh1t to be exaggerated....

No it's not and if you believe that's what happened then that’s your eyes.


2:10 - is where he's not stopping the band

3:38 - "put him in handcuffs”

4:08 - cops start to arrest him

4:58 - “I’m finna tase you”

5:48 - taser comes out


Explain why the headline skips minutes of the video and you wasting time trying to tell me the taser came first?

Fatt Kidd said 🔗 No it's not and if you believe that's what happened then that’s your eyes. 2:10 - is where he's not stopping the band 3:38 - "put him in handcuffs” 4:08 - cops start to arrest him 4:58 - “I’m finna tase you” 5:48 - taser comes out Explain why the headline skips minutes of the video and you wasting time trying to tell me the taser came first?

wtf are you talmbout? the headline says what happens. the situation started with him NOT STOPPING THE BAND FROM PLAYING. it ended up w him being TASED. which is what the headline says. gtfo w this other sh1t you tryna pull. the headlines NEVER contain the whole story, so you can click and read the ENTIRE story. and exactly WHAT was exaggerated? c'mon guy....explain this to me. who TF said the taser came first? see how silly you sound...

Wes10 said 🔗 wtf are you talmbout? the headline says what happens. the situation started with him NOT STOPPING THE BAND FROM PLAYING. it ended up w him being TASED. which is what the headline says. gtfo w this other sh1t you tryna pull. the headlines NEVER contain the whole story, so you can click and read the ENTIRE story. and exactly WHAT was exaggerated? c'mon guy....explain this to me. who TF said the taser came first? see how silly you sound...

Alabama band director tased by police for not stopping his students' performance

🔗

🔗

That IS an exaggeration on what happened. If that’s what happened, then the taser came first. You joking right?

The band director was being childish. Then ran off after the song.

Fatt Kidd said 🔗 Alabama band director tased by police for not stopping his students' performance ↪🔗 That IS an exaggeration on what happened. If that’s what happened, then the taser came first. You joking right?

is english your second language? do you not know how sentences are written? did you not learn about predicates? just asking....i'm just a black mane who don't know sh1t.

🔗

Opps trippin there’s a whole youtube video.

Fatt Kidd said 🔗 I knew the headline was exaggerated before I entered. Still fu#ked up but I was thinking no way in hell a cop did that over music.

It was over music, tf are you talking about

Voodoopocalypse said 🔗 hate crime

Cops was black too

Until Then said 🔗 ↪🔗 Opps trippin there’s a whole youtube video.

Who is the bi#ch yelling put him in handcuffs?

They trippin with this sh1t. Cop even admitted he was going to jail because he was disrespectful by not stopping the music, then other dude hit him with a Taser

Good lawyer should be able to get him paid no?

jccd5. said 🔗 Who is the bi#ch yelling put him in handcuffs? They trippin with this sh1t. Cop even admitted he was going to jail because he was disrespectful by not stopping the music, then other dude hit him with a Taser Good lawyer should be able to get him paid no?

Think she was sayin they going to put him in handcuffs.

The lights had been turnt off.

Don’t know the rules and regulations but maybe just like with clubs yo a$s got to leave the establishment once them lights get cut “off” (some cases on). With him being the “ring leader”

Look like a lot of edits. However never a good thing when cops start sayin “swinging on at an officer”.

Even if you just band conducting and they got in your space under circumstances like this.

jccd5. said 🔗 It was over music, tf are you talking about

Nothing. I was talking to the people that dont fall for headlines. Not you.

Black police officers power trip just as much as the white ones...

Most of the problems we have with police don't be race problems....it's police officers ego problems and power tripping....