Minor High School Band director Johnny Mims spoke to ABC’s “Good Morning America” and “CBS Mornings” on Wednesday about recently getting tased by a Birmingham Police Department (BPD) after allegedly ignoring requests for his band to stop performing after a football game.
Birmingham Police Department (BPD) released body cam footage on Monday night of an officer deploying a Taser against Mims before his arrest and subsequent criminal charging.
Mims, 39, currently faces disorderly conduct, harassment and resisting arrest charges.
Mims told “Good Morning America” he wants the charges dropped and an apology from BPD to himself and his students.
“The feeling of being tased for the first time…I’ve seen it before but for you to actually feel it for yourself and the amount of power going in…I could feel my fingers like numbing up. They tased me again and then tased me for the third time so imagine if I had a heart defect issue or imagine if I panicked on top of that. It could’ve been fatal,” Mims said.
State Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham) is representing Mims as his attorney.
“It was unwarranted. I don’t care how it started. It never should’ve ended up like this. This should’ve been a matter in which it de-escalated,” Givan stated.
A BPD spokesperson told “CBS Mornings” all incidents where use of force are used are investigated by its internal affairs divisions.
BPD has said Mims did not comply with multiple officers' requests to stop his band from performing; he instructed his band to continue performing. One BPD officer can be heard on the body cam video saying Mims tried to punch an officer.
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