‘Would You Like to Be Detained?’: Louisiana Cops Spark Outrage After They Threaten Black Woman Filming Mother’s Arrest Over Minor Traffic Ticket
Two Louisiana sheriff’s deputies are facing backlash after an arrest of a Black woman in a mental health crisis went viral. The startling video of the incident was taken by the woman’s daughter, Lynell McElveen, as she tried to advocate on her mother's behalf as she was being detained for a traffic violation outside a fast-food restaurant in St. Bernard. A still from a video shows two St.Bernard Sheriff deputies fending off a woman who is filming the arrest of her mother. (Photo: TikTok/Muppy Brown) Though McElveen was speaking calmly and keeping her distance while trying to help her mom, a police officer rudely ordered her to leave before threatening her with arrest. According to McElveen, who goes by Muppy Brown on social media, her mother suffers from several health conditions, including diabetes, chronic pain, and anxiety attacks. On that April afternoon, sheriff’s deputies happened to spot her mother on her way to a fast-food restaurant and “ran her name,” which alerted them to an outstanding traffic ticket, McElveen stated in a TikTok video. @muppybrown Some, not all, of the officers in St. Bernard can be very rude. I understand that my mother had a traffic warrant, but she also has serious medical issues. I was simply trying to calm her down and reassure her that everything would be okay. Unfortunately, the arresting officer was extremely rude and aggressive. I truly believe the situation could have been handled differently. I wasn’t trying to interfere—I was just concerned for my mother, who suffers from an anxiety disorder. Officers in St. Bernard need better training in handling situations like this. When you don’t take someone’s medical history into account, that’s how accidents happen. My mother struggles with: Anxiety Bipolar disorder An enlarged heart Chronic pain ...and more. I’m her only child, and I’m responsible for managing her medical conditions. It’s really sad how people in our community are treated—just for asking questions and trying to protect a sick loved one.#fyp ♬ original sound - Muppy “I was simply trying to calm her down and reassure her that everything would be okay. Unfortunately, the arresting officer was extremely rude and aggressive. I truly believe the situation could have been handled differently,” she wrote in the video’s caption. “Officers in St. Bernard need better training in handling situations like this. When you don’t take someone’s medical history into account, that’s how accidents happen.” ‘Egregious’: Judge Scolds Pennsylvania Cop Who Locked Up Black Teen for Nearly a Month and Hid Evidence That Proved His Innocence McElveen stated in a follow-up post that she is responsible for managing her mother’s medical conditions. In the video, which has been making the rounds on social media, the female deputy sarcastically told her, “Have a nice day,” mere seconds after ordering her to leave. “She’s being detained. She’s arrested. She has a warrant. Go!” the officer shouted. “She’s getting towed. She has no insurance. Would you like to be detained?” Since the encounter, McElveen has provided an update on TikTok, saying her mom did not go to jail, although video evidence suggests her car was towed. “It’s really sad how people in our community are treated,” McElveen said. “Just for asking questions and trying to protect a sick loved one.”
