Lawyer: Teenagers violently arrested over vaping to file civil suits

By CNN Newsource

Published June 29, 2021 5:03 PM

By Web Staff

OCEAN CITY, Maryland (WJZ) — The law firm representing two Black teenagers who were violently arrested for vaping in Ocean City announced Tuesday that they will be representing the teens in a civil suit against Ocean City.

Murphy, Falcon and Murphy represented Freddie Gray’s family, and is now representing Taizier Griffin and Brian Anderson in both their civil suit against Ocean City and against their criminal charges.

They were arrested in early June in two separate incidents, both for vaping on the Boardwalk.

The firm was joined by Griffin’s brother, Anderson, State Senator Jill Carter, Christine Givens of Cecil Solidarity and Carl Snowden of the Caucus of African American leaders at an announcement Tuesday.

” Both Taizier and Brian intend to file civil suits against the city to seek civil justice for violations of their constitutional rights to be free from unreasonable police force.” said trial attorney Malcolm Ruff. “Our firm is dedicated to these boys. And we want you to be able to hear their story, because we see in them what we used to be. We know all too well what it means to be viewed as a threat, simply by the way that you look.”

Police tased Taizier Griffin on June 6 in a video that went viral. His younger brother, Tayvin Griffin, recounted his experience seeing Taizier be tased.

“I watched in disbelief as the police officers pointed the Taser at Taizier. And I watched him put his hands up. My own brother,” said Tayvin. “The officers instructed to take his bookbag off. And then when he did, they shot.”

“I was worried that I was going to get shot. I am upset about getting Tased, but I’m just glad it wasn’t a gun because who knows if they had a gun instead I could’ve been shot,” Griffin said at a June 16 press conference. “I never thought it would happen to me. Honestly, it all started out as a normal day, and then I’m being arrested over a vape.“

Brian Anderson was pinned to the ground by police during an arrest on June 12 that also went viral. He said he was choked and kicked multiple times.

“I don’t know how me or my family will fully recover from this. I’m going to tell you firsthand. This is not anything that is to be taken lightly. Police brutality is no laughing matter,” said Anderson. “Every time I close my eyes, or I wake up, that’s the first thing that runs through my head.”

Lawyer Billy Murphy said excessive force is ingrained in police officers.

“One of the most frequent questions I get asked is why do police officers continue to behave unlawfully excessive force when they know they’re going to be on somebody’s video cell phone, or on their own body cameras. And the answer is very simple. It’s that deeply ingrained,” said Murphy. “And there is so little training that you can expect part-time officers who are there for the summer, and who are inculcated into this kind of police culture to behave exactly the way that they did, you can expect full-time officers inculcated into police culture like that in Ocean City to keep behaving the way that they did.”

Murphy said the solution is stronger legislative measures, particularly the ending of qualified immunity as a defense for officers.

Co-Council and State Senator Jill Carter said addressing the actions of the officers is paramount as youth travels to Ocean City’s Boardwalk this summer.

“This maddening cruelty must end right here, right now,” said Carter. ” It will be a long hot summer and we cannot afford to allow these officers to enforce the laws, desperately, and in a manner that threatens black life. Police misconduct is not getting worse, it is getting filmed.”

“They should be able to receive the same treatment as others who we’ve all seen vape out on the Ocean City Boardwalk, which is a simple citation or a fine, that should not result in the use of a taser, or worse.” said Christine Givens of Cecil Solidarity, a Cecil County Civil rights group.

Ruff said Cecil Solidarity has been protesting every week in Cecil County on behalf of the teens.

On June 16 the NAACP and other civil rights organizations condemned the OCPD and called for the suspension of the officers involved. Some even called for a boycott of the resort town.

Murphy said a boycott still isn’t off the table.

“Everything’s on the table that is lawful, everything is on the table that is reasonable,” said Murphy. “Subsequent events will no doubt, determine whether or not such a boycott takes place.”

Ocean City Police said in a statement after the conference that “due to the ongoing investigations, we cannot comment.”

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