Illinois police have released dashcam video showing an officer struggling to arrest three people who now face attempted murder charges and other felonies for allegedly assaulting and strangling the officer.
On July 16, a grand jury indicted Sheba Taylor, 26, Jennifer Taylor, 24, and Paul Sherrod Taylor, 28, on multiple felony charges, according to a press release on the Aurora Police Department’s Facebook page. All three face charges including attempted first degree murder, aggravated battery, and aggravated assault.
Dashcam video released Wednesday by Aurora police appears to show the initial confrontation, which began when the officer, in police documents as Joaquin Miranda, pulled a car over after apparently seeing the car roll through a stop sign at an intersection around 10:30 p.m. on June 21.
The driver, Paul Sherrod Taylor, is heard on the video asking why Miranda was pulling him over as the officer approaches the car and asks for Taylor’s license and proof of insurance. Miranda is then seen and heard telling a female passenger, who is not on screen at that part of the video, to get back into the car or else be arrested for obstruction. Miranda then apparently approaches the passenger, who can be heard telling Miranda not to touch her, and asking for a female officer. This interaction is not seen on camera.
Video then shows the driver, Taylor, getting out of the car and appearing to walk toward the officer and saying “I’m going to knock you out, bro!” They are off-screen for a moment, and Miranda tells Taylor he’s under arrest for obstruction. Miranda and Taylor are then seen on the video struggling as Miranda tries to arrest Taylor.
Taylor apparently slips out of Miranda’s control, and starts to run away. Miranda then presumably chases after him, and although it’s not caught on camera, the audio indicates a chase and struggle. The video shows Taylor running in front of Miranda’s car, with Miranda chasing after him, telling him to stop and warning him that he’s adding to the charges. Miranda is followed by the female passenger who had first gotten out of the car. She appears to be recording the chase on her cell phone. Meanwhile, another female passenger is seen on video getting out of Taylor’s car, watching the interaction, and walking off screen.
As Miranda apparently chases Taylor off-camera, text added to the video says that the “female passengers started chasing the officer as he was running after the male driver.” Miranda is heard trying to arrest one of the female passengers, who is then heard yelling “Don’t touch me! Get the fuck off of me!” repeatedly. Sounds of a struggle can be heard.
“The officer’s radio is ripped away from him and dispatch can no longer make contact with the officer,” the text on the video reads. “The other female passenger begins punching and kicking the officer.”
According to Aurora police, the first female passenger breaks free of Miranda, and then also starts attacking Miranda.
“The officer continues to be punched, kicked, and then strangled,” the video text says.
An Aurora police synopsis of the incident says Sheba Taylor and Jennifer Norwood-Taylor followed Miranda as he was trying to arrest Paul Sherrod Taylor, yelling obscenities. Things escalated when Miranda tried to arrest Sheba.
Ofc. Miranda turned around and grabbed Sheba by her left arm to place her in handcuffs. Both Jennifer and Sheba, struck Ofc. Miranda using closed fists and foot strikes to his body and head. Ofc. Miranda struck both Jennifer and Sheba with his right hand using a closed fist, while on the ground, and heard a male voice state, “You just hit a fucking girl!” Ofc. Miranda was then struck repeatedly in the head from several angles. Sheba placed her forearm around Ofc. Miranda’s neck, applied significant force to his windpipe, and caused him to lose the ability to breathe. Due to training, Ofc. Miranda understood that he had a very short amount of time to remain conscious with that amount of force applied to his neck and began to un-holster his service pistol to use deadly force against the 3 subjects (Paul, Sheba, and Jennifer) who were attacking him.
Backup officers arrived at the scene before Miranda used force on the suspects, the synopsis says.
Dashcam video from the car of another officer who responded to Miranda’s request for backup appears to show that when additional officers arrived on the scene, one of the women was struggling with Miranda as he tried to arrest the male driver.
“As backup arrives, the two females are on top of the officer pinning him to the ground,” the text on the video says. “One of the females is sitting on the officer’s head. The other female was applying significant force to the officer’s windpipe causing him to lose the ability to breathe.”
One officer starts to handcuff one of the women while pinning her to the ground, while another officer appears to help Miranda arrest the male driver.
The video then plays a 911 call which appears to have been made by Paul Sherrod Taylor. Audibly upset, the caller says “police officers are terrorizing my family.” He also threatens to kill Miranda if he touches his sister, to which the 911 operator responds: “Do not threaten an officer like that on the phone.”
The caller is then heard engaging with Miranda, and perhaps the other officers, at which point the 911 call apparently ends.
Aurora police officers do not have body worn cameras, but the department expects to acquire them by the end of next year, a spokesperson for the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office told Law&Crime.
Read the police synopsis report, below:
Watch the full video released by APD below:
VIDEO RELEASE: THREE INDICTED ON CHARGES OF ATTEMPTED MURDER AFTER AURORA POLICE OFFICER ATTACKED AND STRANGLED DURING TRAFFIC STOP
Three people are now facing attempted murder charges after a Grand Jury indicted them on numerous felonies after they attacked, beat, and strangled and Aurora Police officer during the course of a traffic stop on the evening of June 21st.
Just after 10:30 p.m. on Monday, an Aurora Police officer performed a traffic stop on a car that rolled through a stop sign. As the officer approached the vehicle, the driver began yelling obscenities out the window. The officer also observed two other passengers in the vehicle. Moments later, the rear passenger exited the vehicle. The officer ordered her back into the car several times before informing her that she was under arrest for obstructing. However, before the rear passenger was in custody, the driver also exited the vehicle, continued yelling obscenities, and started approaching the officer at the rear of the car. The driver told the officer that he would fight him if he touched the rear female passenger.
The officer informed the driver that he was also under arrest for obstructing. At that moment, the driver took off running, and the officer ran after him. The two passengers also followed the officer yelling obscenities. The female rear passenger approached the officer as they ran, the officer turned around and grabbed her arm to take her into custody, but she slipped out of his grip.
The two female passengers then began striking the officer with closed fists and kicking his body and head. The officer heard a male’s voice and then was struck repeatedly in the head from several angles. The rear female passenger placed her forearm around the officer’s neck and applied significant force to his windpipe, causing him to lose the ability to breathe. A short time later, additional officers arrived and placed the subjects into custody.
Detectives from Aurora Police’s Investigations Division responded to the scene, interviewed the subjects, and gathered numerous pieces of evidence. Detectives presented the case to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office and they initially authorized numerous felony charges against the three suspects.
The investigation continued and on Friday, July 16th, the Kane County State’s Attorney presented the facts and evidence of the case to a Grand Jury, and they indicted the three suspects on upgraded charges of attempted murder.
Sheba Taylor, 26, was indicted on the following felony charges:
One count of Attempted First Degree Murder (Class X)
Two counts of Aggravated Battery (Class 2 Felony)
Four counts of Aggravated Battery (Class 3 Felony)
One count of Aggravated Assault (Class 4 Felony)
One count Resisting a Peace Officer (Class 4 Felony)Jennifer Taylor, 24, was indicted on the following felony charges:
One count of Attempted First Degree Murder (Class X)
Two counts of Aggravated Battery (Class 2 Felony)
Four counts of Aggravated Battery (Class 3 Felony)
One count of Aggravated Assault (Class 4 Felony)
One count Resisting a Peace Officer (Class 4 Felony)Paul Sherrod Taylor, 28, was indicted on the following felony charges:
One count of Attempted First Degree Murder (Class X)
Two counts of Aggravated Battery (Class 2 Felony)
Four counts of Aggravated Battery (Class 3 Felony)
One count of Threatening a Public Official (Class 3 Felony)
One count of Aggravated Assault (Class 4 Felony)
One count Resisting a Peace Officer (Class 4 Felony)The charges against the defendants are not proof of guilt. They are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial in which it is the State’s burden to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Posted by Aurora Illinois Police Department on Wednesday, July 21, 2021
[Image via screengrab from video released by Aurora police)
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