Roanoke Police release body cam footage of viral arrest of 24-year-old Anton Mylere Brown
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Roanoke City, VA - Roanoke City Police released more than one hour of uninterrupted body cam video of an arrest that caused viral outrage on social media.
On Friday, March 28th, a TikTok creator posted a video that appeared to contain cell phone video of an arrest involving RPD from earlier in March. WFXR has not been able to independently verify who recorded that cell phone footage. Hours later, RPD uploaded the arresting officer’s body camera video that shows the prelude to the incident and its aftermath. The two different videos do appear to depict the same incident.
According to RPD, on March 18th, officers spotted a speeding vehicle with front-end damage and a license plate consistent with those of a vehicle that drove off during an attempted traffic stop on January 1st. Two officers, identified by RPD as driver S.A. Snead and passenger P.K. Hill, pull behind the car in their unmarked police vehicle. RPD says an audible click at the 12:50 p.m. timecode indicates the officers turning on their blue light bar.
A short time later, the vehicle pulls into a parking lot with the officers behind. When the officers get out of their vehicle, the body cam video shows the suspect, identified as Anton Myleke Brown, walking from his car toward a group of people with a shopping bag in his hand. On the body cam video, officers are heard telling Brown to get back in his car at least once before the officers move to take Brown to the ground.
RPD says one of the officers used a “seatbelt hold”, described as using their arms to mimic the form of a seatbelt in order to restrain a suspect. The video shows Brown being put into handcuffs and led toward the police vehicle as bystanders react with shock and outrage.
The body cam video goes on to show the initial conversation between the arresting officer, S.A. Snead, and Brown in the police vehicle, followed by the ride to the police station and the booking process with the magistrate. On the body cam video, Brown is heard telling the magistrate that he heard both the police and his family telling him to do different things in the heat of the moment, but said he had decided to do his own thing.
Toward the end of the body cam video, the magistrate is seen explaining to Brown that he is being charged with obstructing or resisting without force, a misdemeanor, and that he would see a judge the following morning. She notes that Brown had been cooperative following the initial incident and that he did not appear to have a criminal record.