Karen Pilarski

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Wauwatosa police handcuffed and briefly detained an African-American teen riding in the back of a Lexus because two people in another car thought he was robbing the two white women in the front.

One of the women was his grandmother; the other was a friend of hers. According to conversation in video released by the Wauwatosa police department, they were on their way home from a church, and had just picked up Akil Carter, 18, from his father's house.

Now an attorney representing the Carter said she has requested all documents from the Wauwatosa Police Department about the stop and the basis for the stop. Attorney Joy Bertrand is also requesting any notes, text messages and dispatch reports.

"After we take a look at whatever basis they have for stopping and harassing this family, we will be able to comment further," Bertrand said.

Carter declined to comment.

Wauwatosa Police Capt. Brian Zalewski said in a statement, "The officers acted professionally during the entire interaction."

Wauwatosa Police said an officer was flagged down around noon Sunday by an African-American couple who indicated a robbery either was occurring or had just occurred, and the suspect was in the back seat of a blue Lexus. The man pointed out the car to the officer, Zalewski said.

The Lexus was pulled over near W. Burleigh St. and N. Mayfair Road. Other officers quickly arrived at the scene. Zalewski would not say how many ultimately were involved.

Zalewski said officers drew their handguns but kept them pointed in a safe direction during the stop. Zalewski explained a "non-approach" traffic stop was made, in which one of the responding officers called the man back to the officers instead of the officers approaching the car.

The police car video shows one officer with his handgun facing down. Carter was told to walk backwards toward officers, put his hands up and drop to his knees. Then, out of range of the camera, he was placed in handcuffs and put in a squad car for questioning.

A second video, showing the back seat of a police car, shows Carter speaking softly, a look of resignation on his face. An officer tells him, "I'm guessing what this sounds like is a big misunderstanding." He then tells her that his grandmother and her friend are the drivers, and gives her other basic information about himself.

Police held him for about six minutes before removing the handcuffs and allowing him to return to his grandmother and her friend.

In the first video, an officer speaking to the grandmother said, "I apologize for that guy not knowing what he was talking about."

The grandmother sounds frustrated. "I'm sure he (the person who reported it) saw two old white ladies in a car with a black kid and made some assumptions," the grandmother said.

When told by the officer that an African-American man reported the incident, the grandmother said, "Oh my God. Well then it's even worse."