Brandon Calloway only had been back in Oakland, Tennessee an hour about 7:30 p.m. July 16 when three law enforcement officers beat him in his parents’ home.
“My son had just driven here from Chattanooga to see a couple of people in the Memphis area,” said Edward Calloway, Brandon Calloway’s father. “Brandon ran out for a couple of Door Dash runs, and he was on his way home when this horrific ordeal took place. We still can’t believe it happened.”
What happened is Brandon Calloway was brutally beaten by law enforcement officers inside his home after officers tried to stop him for allegedly running a stop sign.
The incident, including video and photos showing the severity of the officers’ assault, has garnered national media coverage.
According to Brandon Calloway, 25, two Oakland police officers and a sheriff’s deputy forced their way into the Calloway home after a failed traffic stop, and savagely beat him as they chased him through the house.
Calloway was beaten with a baton and repeatedly shocked with a taser gun. One officer stood on Calloway’s head as he lay unconscious on the ground outside.
“Brandon continues to have headaches, and he is complaining about light sensitivity in that right eye,” said Edward Calloway.
“And, of course, there are the nightmares. He has nightmares from the extreme trauma. He’s getting in to see a therapist this week. We’re still trying to get him to a neurologist.”
Graphic video and photos of a bloodied Calloway being dragged out of the house onto the driveway sparked outrage and a call for the officers involved to be charged with crimes stemming from the brutal beating.
“Of course, I have been in touch with the Fayette County DA’s office,” said Andre C. Wharton, the Memphis-based for Brandon Calloway.
“The first thing we are concerned with is the disposing of any charges against my client so that stress can be removed. Secondly, my client is a victim (in) both a criminal and civil case.”
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) is conducting an independent probe of the incident at the request of 25th Judicial District Attorney General Mark Davidson, according to the TBI.
Several important pieces of evidence, including body camera footage, have not be released by authorities.
“Certainly, we are waiting for TBI to investigate,” said Wharton. “And how long that will be is hard to say. But we are alleging that two Oakland police officers and one Fayette County sheriff’s deputy used unnecessary, excessive force against him.
“Brandon Calloway was unarmed. We are not talking about a live-shooter situation or an armed robbery in progress. The beating we are witnessing on tape was for a minor traffic (infraction).”
Edward Calloway defended the action of his son when the attempt was made to stop him after allegedly committing a rolling stop at a stop sign near the Calloway home.
“That area is a speed trap, and people are always complaining about getting pulled over,” said Edward Calloway.
“He would not have wanted to stop on an isolated stretch of road with law enforcement officers. Young, Black men are continually mistreated.”
Calls to the Oakland Police Department were answered by a voice recorder. Messages left for a return call to Oakland Police Chief Chris Earl received no response.
Assistant Police Chief Larry Gaines confirmed that the officer who kicked in the door to pursue Calloway with his baton was relieved of duty with pay.
Names of the officers involved are not being released due to the ongoing investigation.
Wharton charges that Oakland Police Department is negligent for not providing the proper training in de-escalating routine traffic stops.
“I was not home at the time these officers forced their way into my house,” said Edward Calloway. “I believe things would have been quite different if I had been. At least, I like to think so.”
According to Wharton, the screaming on the video is Brandon’s girlfriend and a friend of hers, who shouted to police to stop beating him. The video ends with one of the women screaming at one of the officers to stop standing on his head.
According to news reports citing the police complaint against Calloway, he is accused of speeding up to 32 miles per hour in a 20-mph zone. An officer followed his vehicle until Calloway turned into a driveway and ran inside his home.
The complaint continued:
“Mr. Calloway jumped out of the driver seat and started running to the house while reaching into his pockets. The officer … commanded Mr. Calloway to stop, which he refused. When Mr. Calloway was running into the house, he was yelling obscene language stating, ‘this is my f**king house and I did stop for the stop sign,’ according to the complaint.
“Calloway ran inside his house as another officer (from)… the Oakland Police Department, arrived on scene … The officers determined Calloway needed to be detained and kicked in the front door.”
In their complaint, officers said, “Once Mr. Calloway was taken to the floor, he stopped resisting and was taken into custody. …
“After being medically cleared for injuries, he sustained while resisting arrest, Mr. Calloway was transported to the Fayette County Criminal Justice Center without any further incident.”
Calloway was held for evading arrest, resisting stop, frisk, halt, arrest or search, disorderly conduct, failing to stop at a stop sign and speeding, according to the complaint.
“Why would anyone stand on the neck and head of a human being after beating them unconscious, using a taser repeatedly on them, and handcuffing as he lay bloody and helpless on the ground,” said Wharton.
“Things got way out of hand. Brandon Calloway was treated as something less than human.”
Oakland is on U.S. 64 in Fayette County, about 40 miles east of Memphis.
Like Memphis’ other suburban communities, Oakland has experienced soaring population growth over the last 30 years, growing from a population of 460 in 1990 to about 10,000 today.
