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Tulsa Police Release Body-Camera Footage Of Black Teens Stopped For 'Jaywalking'

Tulsa Police Department
Screenshot of body-camera footage released by Tulsa Police Department before officers stopped two Black teenagers for 'jaywalking.'

The Tulsa Police Department released body-camera footage from an encounter between officers and two Black teens in north Tulsa who they say were stopped for jaywalking. 

In a statement, TPD Capt. Richard Meulenberg said the video was posted "in the continued effort to be transparent with our community."

TPD says the incident occurred on Thursday, June 4th, on the 1300 block of North Osage Drive. Video appears to show an officer running after the two teenagers. When he reaches them, he grabs one from behind.

The video appears to show officers proceed to handcuff the teenager, who asks for his mother and, while facedown and handcuffed, asks why the two were being followed by police in the first place.

"Because you were jaywalking! You broke the law!" the TPD officer appears to respond.

It's unclear from video footage whether the section of North Osage Drive where the incident occurred has sidewalks.

TPD says they are conducting an internal investigation into the incident. The body-camera footage can be viewed here.

The release of the footage comes the same week that Tulsa Police Maj. Travis Yates drew scrutiny for comments that systemic racism in policing "doesn't exist."

Chris joined Public Radio Tulsa as a news anchor and reporter in April 2020. He’s a graduate of Hunter College and the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, both at the City University of New York.
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