An Alabama high school band director was tased and arrested after he failed to stop his group playing after a high school football game, according to police.
The Birmingham Police Department (BPD) said the incident happened during a football game between Jackson-Olin High School and Minor High School at the former’s field on Thursday night.
According to The Birmingham News, the director arrested was Johnny Mims, who took on the role in 2018.
A BPD statement shared on Friday, September 15, said officers were clearing out the stadium at the end of the game when they noticed both schools’ bands were still performing.
Officers then spoke with both directors to end the performance so students and other attendees would leave.
The BPD said the Jackson-Olin band director stopped, while the one from Minor High School allegedly did not.
A BPD spokesperson said in the statement: “Minor’s band director did not comply with multiple officers’ requests to stop his band from performing, [instead] he instructed his band to continue performing.
“A BPD sergeant was among the officers who attempted to get the band director to stop his band from performing. During the officers’ interaction with the Minor’s band director, the decision was made to place him in custody.
“BPD officers attempted to take the band director into custody for disorderly conduct when a physical altercation ensued between the band director, Birmingham City Schools System security personnel and BPD officers.”
The statement continued: “During the physical altercation, BPD officers attempted to get the band director to place his hands behind his back, but he refused. The arresting officer alleges the band director pushed him during the arrest. The arresting officer then subdued the band director with a Taser, which ended the physical confrontation.”
Following the arrest, Birmingham Fire and Rescue personnel treated the band director at the stadium and police later took him to a nearby hospital as part of standard protocol.
When the band director was discharged from the hospital he was taken to Birmingham City Jail where he was booked in and then subsequently bonded out.
Officers presented case information to the City of Birmingham Magistrate’s Office and obtained arrest warrants for disorderly conduct, harassment, and resisting arrest.
Newsweek has contacted the BPD for comment via email.
Using a Taser can prove to have adverse health effects on some people and, in certain circumstances, can be fatal.
According to a 2019 Reuters report, 1,081 people in the country have died following the use of Tasers, almost all have happened since the hardware came into widespread use in the early 2000s.
“In many of those cases, the Taser, which fires a pair of barbed darts that deliver a paralyzing electrical charge, was combined with other force, such as hand strikes or restraint holds,” the report said.
Correction, 9/18/23, 4:45 a.m. ET: This article was updated to correct the spelling of Johnny Mims’ first name.
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