NAACP, demonstrators show support for Illinois man tased by police chief
Members of the East St. Louis NAACP branch and other demonstrators gathered in solidarity for Jeremy Cureton who claims Brooklyn Police Chief Tom Jeffery used excessive force against him.
By Deion Broxton
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BELLEVILLE, Illinois (KMOV) — Members of a local NAACP branch and other demonstrators gather in solidarity for a Metro East man who claims a police chief used excessive force against him.
On Friday, the East St. Louis NAACP and other individuals gathered at the Belleville Square to show support for Jeremy Cureton, a man who recorded an encounter with the Brooklyn Police Chief Tom Jeffery.
Court records show Cureton, 27, was issued a parking ticket and charged with resisting arrest after an August 28 incident in Brooklyn, Illinois.
Cureton told First Alert 4 the Brooklyn Police Department had his vehicle towed after illegally parking in a handicap parking spot. Cureton said officers wanted the key to his vehicle to help facilitate the towing of his vehicle. Cureton admitted to not handing over his keys because he believed towing his vehicle wasn’t necessary.
Cureton captured the encounter with police on cellphone video. The video shows chief Jeffery and another officer entering an apartment at the Brooklyn Thomas Terry Apartments complex. Chief Jeffery is seen pulling out his taser and tasing Cureton after asking Cureton and his friend in the apartment to comply with the investigation.
In a previous phone call, Chief Jeffery told First Alert 4 the police department was investigating a tip about a stolen car in the area. The chief said Cureton’s vehicle wasn’t registered and it had no license plates. St. Clair County court records show no citations issued against Cureton for car theft, improper license plates or lack of registration.
Chief Jeffery declined to comment on whether it was legal or not to enter the residence Cureton was in. The chief cited that the investigation is still pending.
“In 2023 something like that is still happening,” said Robin Carey-Boyd, president of the East St. Louis branch of the NAACP. “He [Cureton] should not be liable for anything other than–if they’re saying he parked illegally– a ticket.”
Cureton is due in court on Monday.
First Alert 4 requested the police report, body camera footage and dash camera footage from the Brooklyn Police Department.
Illinois State Police confirmed it’s not investigating Jeffery for this incident.
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