A high school band director was shot with a stun gun late last week and subsequently jailed after he refused to stop his band from performing, even after he was ordered by police to do so.
The incident went down in Alabama last Thursday, following a football matchup between Jackson-Olin High School and Minor High School in Birmingham.
According to local outlet AL.com, police officers were attempting to clear out the stadium and avoid post-game lingering, but noticed the crowds were slow to leave because both schools’ bands continued to perform.
When they approached the directors of both bands to end the performances, the head of Jackson-Olin was quick to comply, but Johnny Mims, the band director for Minor High School, refused and even ordered his band to keep playing.
A BPD spokesperson said in the statement: “Minor’s band director did not comply with multiple officers’ requests to stop his band from performing, (instead) he instructed his band to continue performing.”
“A BPD sergeant was among the officers who attempted to get the band director to stop his band from performing. During the officers’ interaction with the Minor’s band director, the decision was made to place him in custody.”
Police said their request took a dark turn when Mims refused to put his hands behind his back and shoved an officer. Police said they were then forced to use a stun gun on Mims.
“The arresting officer then subdued the band director with a Taser, which ended the physical confrontation,” the police statement reads.
TikTok footage of the confrontation shows an intense scuffle between police, the band director and onlookers before Mims was eventually subdued.
“In front of the kids?” a woman can be heard shouting in the video as the stun gun is used.
Paramedics treated the band director and took him to a hospital to be checked out, a police spokesperson told ABC News. Upon release from the hospital he was booked into jail, where he posted bail.
Jefferson County Schools superintendent Walter Gonsoulin told ABC he’s gathering facts and declined further comment for now.
“I urge everyone not to jump to conclusions,” Gonsoulin said.
Mims has been charged with disorderly conduct, harassment and resisting arrest.
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