Resident alleges police harassment during public comment; council does not act

During the public comment period, a virtual commenter identified as Mr. Shields alleged that a Takoma Park recreation center employee, named in his remarks as Kequila Cooper, was 'terrorized' and 'abused' on duty by an on-duty officer he identified as Officer Thomas Black. The commenter alleged that a partner officer later characterized the incident as a 'joke' and that the employee faced retaliation, including reduced hours ordered by deputy staff; he named senior officers and said the city council had not acted.

Mayor Talisha Sayersi and council staff interjected to enforce the three-minute limit and a profanity warning; the speaker continued past the warning and the mayor ended the speaker's time. No formal response from police leadership was recorded during the meeting and the council did not take any immediate action on the allegations during the session.

Because these were remarks from the public-comment period, they constitute allegations made on the record and not findings. No trial board or internal-investigation outcome was presented at the meeting.

Quotes

"Now the city council is responsible for how they react to what happened," Mr. Shields said during his three-minute public comment.

"Mister Shields, you've been warned about profanity," Mayor Talisha Sayersi said in response as she enforced the rules for public comment.

Context and next steps

The allegations raised questions about departmental conduct and internal handling of harassment complaints. The council did not schedule or announce any formal follow-up at the meeting; residents seeking official action should consult city complaint procedures or await any later staff or council follow-up.

Note on sourcing: the statements in this article are allegations made by a public commenter during the meeting and have not been independently substantiated in the council record.