A group called the Tallahassee Dream Defenders staged a protest against police brutality outside the Tallahassee Police Department Wednesday evening. They’re demanding justice three weeks after an officer was captured on video using a stun gun on a 61-year-old woman.
About 30 people held signs and chanted outside the police station on Seventh Avenue as rush-hour traffic whizzed by. The protest was part of a movement called the National Day of Action Against Police Brutality held in cities across the nation.
Tallahassee Police Chief Michael DeLeo and other officers listened nearby and brought out a cooler full of drinks for the protesters at one point. But Florida State University student and Dream Defenders member Delance Burnside told police it’s hard to trust them after the tasing of Frenchtown resident Viola Young.
“And, Mr. DeLeo, I thank you for the drinks, but if you really want to build a rapport with us, then you really need to indict Mr. Mahan," Burnside told DeLeo.
Officer Terry Mahan has been on paid administrative leave since the incident three weeks ago. DeLeo says an internal investigation continues, and he can’t comment on the findings or potential punishments until it concludes. Meanwhile, criminal charges against Young for resisting arrest have been dropped after State Attorney Willie Meggs looked into what happened.
