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California Police Arrested Black Man Because He Was Dancing in the Street

Mali Watkins was arrested after a woman called the police because he was dancing.

A black man in Alameda, California who was dancing in the street was pinned to the ground and arrested after police were called. The May 23 arrest was caught on a police bodycam. Police attended the scene after a woman called and said “an African-American man is dancing in the street and clearly something is wrong with him.” The man who was arrested, Mali Watkins, said he was dancing to exercise.

The bodycam videos show Watkins walk away after police questioned him. The police then grabbed his wrists and pushed him to the ground to handcuff him. Watkins asked why the police were touching him, and police said he was resisting arrest. A City of Alameda spokesperson said Watkins was arrested and cited for resisting arrest. The city’s Vice Mayor John Knox condemned the incident, and is calling for an independent investigation.