Body-cam video released of Prairie View councilman's Taser takedown

PRAIRIE VIEW, TX (KTRK) -- Prairie View Police have released three clips taken from body cameras worn by the officers who used a Taser on local City Councilman Jonathan Miller last Thursday night.

Just as a news conference wrapped up Monday at City Hall, Miller himself spoke briefly about his arrest.

"The next step for me is to see everything that is out there, understand the situation that happened. I don't think it should have and I just want to talk to some people and get other's opinion about it," says Miller.

Miller adds he was simply showing concern for his friends last Thursday night as police confronted them outside his home during a party.

On-camera you can hear one officer telling Miller to move away from his friends because he was interfering with police activity. Investigators say he walked up to the situation after police were talking with the others outside a home. On the next body camera you hear the officer warning Miller he will be shocked by a Taser if he doesn't comply. It's the same officer who was involved in the Sandra Bland arrest last summer.

A third video released by police Monday shows the dash cam video from the back-up officer arriving on scene. He pulls up to see Miller with three friends as another officer is already talking with them. The arriving officer waves Miller away from the group and you see his hand up as words are exchanged between the two. Next there is a struggle and Miller goes to the ground.

The initial video that went viral was taken by one of Miller's friend at the scene on a cell phone.

In the body camera video you can hear officers acknowledge they know Miller is a city councilman.

Police Chief Larry Johnson says the videos and statements have all been forwarded to the DA.

"Our goal is to provide the best service that we can. Sometimes we fail, sometimes we can do better, we recognize that and I don't have a problem at all with looking at our procedures. If we have some deficiencies we will do what we can to correct those," says Chief Johnson.

Johnson also says he supports videos of police work whether it's from a bodycam or taken from a citizen cell phone.