A Boston woman is facing criminal charges after an alleged theft led to a violent altercation with a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) transit enforcement officer on a bus last Friday.
But the woman in question says one of the officers who arrested her used excessive force during her arrest, and amateur video shot by a bystander shows an ugly and violent confrontation aboard a Boston transit bus.
The incident took place last Friday near Dudley Square Station in South Boston. MBTA Officer Herby Jean wrote in his police report that he was told by a local vendor that a woman had stolen an item from her cart.
He says the vendor walked with him to a nearby bus and pointed out the alleged thief, 26-year-old Shelisa E. Bittle.
Police claim Officer Jean ordered Bittle off the bus, but she refused. According to Jean’s police report filed in court, Bittle became belligerent, at which point she threw some sort of liquid, possibly rubbing alcohol, in his face while he used his pepper spray.
“He’s on a bus giving her lawful orders to cease her behaviour and she’s assaulting him,” Transit Police Lieutenant Richard Sullivan told the Boston Globe. “He obviously felt threatened.”
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Cellphone video shot by 24-year-old Nino Brown shows what happened next as Officer Jean and Bittle engage in a violent confrontation near the back of the bus. Officer Jean admits in his police report to drawing his baton and striking Bittle in the legs.
As the two wrestle for control of the baton, Officer Jean draws his sidearm while bystanders scream for him to “drop the gun!” as well as general calls for both to “chill” and “relax”.
“Put down the gun! This isn’t that serious!” one man is heard shouting.
“She’s not going anywhere,” another adds.
Eventually, other officers arrive on the bus and assist in the arrest, while bystanders are escorted off the bus.
Bittle, alongside her attorney Carl Williams with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), appeared in Roxbury Municipal Court Monday on five charges: assault and battery on a police officer, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and larceny under $250.
“The ACLU of Massachusetts is concerned with the way people are treated in different communities,” Williams told Global News. “If you’re a black person in Boston, you’re much more likely to be stopped or searched by police.”
Bittle apologized for her part in escalating the confrontation, but said Officer Jean was also to blame for not following proper police procedure.
“I apologize for my behaviour,” Bittle told reporters outside the courthouse according to the Boston Herald. “I would have given him my bag. I would have let him search it. Had he done his job correctly, it would not have escalated that far. It only escalated because he did not ask me properly. He was being aggressive.”
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Williams says the part he’s most concerned with is Officer Jean’s decision to draw his service pistol.
The MBTA have reassigned Officer Jean to administrative duty while they conduct an investigation into his conduct.
Global News has reached out to the MBTA and will update the story with their comments if and when they become available.
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