Band Director speaks out after being tazed three times at a high school game
In a controversial encounter that has sparked public outcry, Johnny Mims, a band director at Minor High School in Alabama, alleges that Birmingham police used excessive force against him during a post-football game event. Mims was tased three times by officers as they sought to clear the field at P.D. Jackson-Olin High School on September 14.
Speaking to ABC News’ DeMarco Morgan on “Good Morning America,” Mims said he feared for his life and insisted that he didn’t deserve to be tased. “I was on the ground. To go and tase me two or three times… that’s excessive,” Mims expressed, emphasizing his responsibilities as a band director and bus driver with students under his care at the time.
The incident took place during “fifth quarter,” a post-game band face-off tradition rooted in Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Mims said police approached him while he was conducting on the podium and demanded that the band vacate the stadium. He informed officers that they would leave after the last song.
Body camera footage released by the Birmingham Police Department (BPD) shows officers telling Mims to cease the music, to which he replies, “Get out of my face.” The band continued to play, prompting a sergeant to order Mims to be handcuffed.
During the subsequent arrest, Mims was tased three times, according to the video. Officers are heard claiming Mims struck an officer, an assertion he vehemently denies. Birmingham Fire and Rescue personnel treated Mims before transporting him to a local hospital. He was later booked at Birmingham City Jail on charges of disorderly conduct, harassment, and resisting arrest. Online jail records indicate that he was released on bond within hours.
Juandalynn Givan, Mims’ attorney, told “GMA” that they plan to take legal action against the city of Birmingham and are calling for the involved officers to be placed on administrative leave. When asked about disciplinary actions against the officers, a spokesperson from the BPD’s Internal Affairs Division stated that an investigation is ongoing.
Givan declared, “We want justice for our client, we want his voice to be heard, we want him respected, and we want an apology from the city of Birmingham.”
Mims also expressed concern about the impact of the event on his students. “Hearing those kids cry… [that] is the most heartbreaking thing,” he said.
Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Walter Gonsoulin noted that the video was “extremely upsetting,” stating that counselors have been made available to students. Both the Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond and local education officials are reviewing the incident.
The episode has raised questions about police conduct and the use of force, sparking an investigation that could have broader implications for law enforcement protocols in educational settings.
