Interfaith leaders demand more transparency in Whitfield case
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Faith in Indiana, a group of interfaith pastors, is demanding the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department release unedited footage showing Herman Whitfield III as he was tasered in an incident April 25.
“Our call, and our demand, is that the raw footage be released to the community,” said Senior Pastor at Bethel AME Church Dr. Carlos Perkins.
Whitfield died shortly after the encounter with IMPD officers. On June 28, IMPD released footage of the incident, but it was edited and contained subtitles.
Faith in Indiana wants the officers involved in the incident fired and the autopsy results on Whitfield’s death released to the public.
Whitfield’s father called police and requested an ambulance after he said his son was having a psychosis. “I want to say, he was unnecessarily tasered,” said Whitfield II. “I was always standing, 2 or 3 feet away from him. He was unnecessarily tasered, he wasn’t doing anything at all — threatening the officers.”
The interfaith leaders are also working with the city on staffing up the Mobile Crisis Assistance Team, which responds to people experiencing a behavioral crisis.
Dr. Perkins believes the unit could have saved Whitfield. “The team that is in place now with MCAT, they work until 5 or 6:00 p.m., and they aren’t available 24-7. We have a number of incidents that happen overnight.”
IMPD Chief Randall Taylor said last week that an internal investigation into the incident is underway and the six officers involved are on administrative leave. Whitfield’s family has filed a federal lawsuit against the city and IMPD.