Content warning: This story and video include a violent arrest and language some may find objectionable.
Pittsburgh police leaders are reviewing body camera footage after a Tuesday afternoon arrest sparked criticism on social media. Police forcefully removed from a car a man who said he uses a wheelchair and who has been characterized as paraplegic in court records.
In two videos, including one filmed by a PublicSource staff member, at least five police officers are seen pulling a Black man out of a car on East Ohio Street in the North Side, pinning him on the ground and eventually moving him across the street to a police car. The man, identified as 33-year-old Earl Brinson by city officials, was not immediately available for comment. A person at Brinson’s address declined to comment.
Content warning: This story and video includes a violent arrest and language some may find objectionable. Earl William Brinson is pulled from a car on James Street by East Ohio Street by Pittsburgh Police officers on Tuesday, June 10, in East Allegheny. (Video by DS Fleegle/PublicSource)
The director of the Citizen Police Review Board said Thursday the board has opened an inquiry into the arrest and will vote later this month on whether to launch a full investigation.
Brinson repeatedly says in video that he is “in a wheelchair,” and previous court records state that he has a “severe physical disability.” He did not appear to move his legs as police carried him to a squad car during Tuesday’s arrest.
Darrick Payton, listed as the arresting officer in court records, wrote in an affidavit that Brinson waved to him while driving on nearby East Street. According to the police officer, Brinson yelled to Payton, “I’ll sue your ass!” and also “I’ll shoot your ass!” at which point Payton said he unholstered his gun and called for backup.
Payton said Brinson shouted, “Shoot me, shoot me!” and reached into the backseat but subsequently “did not show a weapon.” He said Brinson drove away from the scene despite Payton telling him he was not free to do so, before more police cars joined a chase and he pulled over on James Street.
A PublicSource staff member witnessed Brinson pull over on James Street and raise empty hands out of the window and sunroof. Then, several officers, including a K9 unit, converged on the car, pulling Brinson out onto the pavement.
Brinson said to the officers, “I’m in a wheelchair, I’m suing your asses,” according to the affidavit and video footage. Payton said Brinson declined medical assistance and was taken to the county jail.
Court records show he was arraigned early Wednesday morning on charges of making terroristic threats and fleeing a police officer and was released on non-monetary bail.
In addition to reviewing footage, police commanders, the acting chief and the public safety director are interviewing involved officers, according to a city public safety spokesperson.
In 2015, Brinson was one of numerous people charged federally with involvement in heroin distribution, and he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. His attorney filed a motion to reduce the sentence in 2020, indicating that Brinson’s release date was in 2023 but that he should be sent home earlier in light of COVID-19’s spread in prisons and the fact that he was “a paraplegic with a compromised immune system, which resulted from being shot multiple times.” The motion indicated that at one point — no date was provided — medical personnel “needed to bring him back from the dead” and that he had “a compromised lung condition.”
The motion was denied, as was a later motion to vacate the sentence on the basis of ineffective counsel. That motion, filed by Brinson, contended that he should have been granted a shorter sentence due to physical disability.
Brinson also served jail time and probation prior to 2016 for state-level firearms and drug charges.
Editor’s note (6/12): This story has been amended to include information provided by the Citizen Police Review Board after initial publication.
Charlie Wolfson is PublicSource’s local government reporter. He can be reached at charlie@publicsource.org.
DS Fleegle and Jamie Wiggan contributed.
This story was fact-checked by Rich Lord.
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