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Mother presses Roanoke council for transparency and police accountability after son’s forceful encounter
Summary
During the citizen-comment period, Bernadette Lark urged council to investigate and provide transparency after her son was, she said, “brutally attacked” by police officers on private property; she said sharing video widely jeopardized his safety and called for changes in city leadership and accountability.
Bernadette Lark told the Roanoke City Council Tuesday that she is seeking transparency and accountability after what she described as a forceful police encounter involving her son on March 18, which she said was captured on video.
Lark said she received threats after posting the video and told council the incident occurred on private property while her son was delivering a bag of batteries to her. “On March 18, my son was brutally attacked by police officers on our private property,” she said. “They hit my son so hard, the bag imploded. In fact, they rammed him into the door where my 4‑year‑old granddaughter was standing.”
She said she believes the video was used to “weaponize” a narrative against her son and that the exposure increased danger to him. “You intentionally weaponized the video in a narrative designed to turn the city against him, but you also put him in more danger,” she said. Lark said she had sought formal complaints and that only Councilwoman Sanchez Jones had responded to her filings.
Lark said the person who delivered the batteries was white and argued the outcome showed unequal treatment; she urged the council to provide transparency, change and “equitable care and treatment.” She said she will return to council to press the matter further.
Council did not take action at the meeting; her remarks were recorded as part of the hearing of citizens and, if appropriate, may be referred to the city manager for response or follow-up.
