‘You’re Going to Jail!’: Wisconsin Black Woman Says She Bruised During Wrongful Arrest After Standing By Friend During Viral Police Encounter

MaKayla Patterson, a 22-year-old Black woman from Wisconsin, said she was brutally attacked by police outside a bar after she was “wrongly accused of threatening an officer,” according to a GoFundMe she launched to raise money for hospital bills and legal fees.

Patterson also posted a two-minute police body camera video to a newly created Facebook page called Justice and Healing for MaKayla showing the arrest.

But Eau Claire police responded by posting almost two hours of body camera footage to its YouTube channel to prove they arrested Patterson lawfully on a felony charge of threatening an officer as well as the misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Police also posted a one-page statement with their side of the story.

Eau Claire police also arrested Patterson’s 19-year-old friend, Keyana Robinson, on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest and cited her for being an underage person inside a bar.

In addition to the two-hour YouTube video, Eau Claire police also posted an edited video of less than nine minutes on its Facebook page which so far has almost 1,000 comments, mostly in support of police.

But the newly released footage changes nothing, according to the Justice and Healing for Makayla Facebook page, which stated the following the day after police released their videos:

The edited footage presented does not accurately reflect the full context or the severity of what transpired. It’s evident that the police were initially called for Makayla’s friend, with Makayla present in a supportive role. The footage, however, reveals a concerning pattern that suggests Makayla and her friend had legitimate fears for their safety before the situation even escalated.

The Arrest

The incident took place on July 27 after Patterson and Robinson entered an establishment called She-Nannigans & Lucky’s, which includes a sports bar and a dance club.

Bar employees called the police to report that a woman they knew, who was only 19 years old, had entered the venue using somebody else’s identification, so they confiscated the identification. They also said the two women had threatened them and were refusing to leave the establishment.

“They threatened to shoot us,” an employee told police after they had arrived, according to the body camera footage.

When police walked into the establishment and ordered the two women to step outside, Robinson began shoving other patrons out of the way as she made her way to the door. Once outside, Robinson refused to provide her name, demanding that police return the identification that belonged to somebody else.

At that point, police were only planning on issuing Robinson a citation and even told Patterson that she was free to go, but Patterson insisted on staying with her friend, who continued to insist that police return the identification to her.

Patterson was on a phone call to somebody when she was first warned about not making threats to police officers.

“I don’t got time for this n**a smiling in my face because I’m going to punch him,” she said on the phone without being specific as to exactly whom she was referring.

But that prompted a female officer to say, “You’re walking a fine line of threats to law enforcement. I’m letting you know right now, and that’s a felony, so I’d watch what you’re saying.”

But two minutes later, Patterson walked by a male officer saying, “Nobody got time for this s**t cause this n**a smiling and s**t like I won’t smack the s**t out of him.”

“Did you say you’re going to smack me?” the cop responded. “You are going to jail.”

The cop then grabbed her by the wrist, telling her, “You don’t threaten law enforcement.”

“I’m not talking to you,” she responded while on the ground.

Robinson also tried to explain to the officers that Patterson was on the phone with her mother and was referring to the father of her baby and not the officer, but the cops did not appear convinced and took her to jail, where she remained for two days.

Three weeks later, on Aug. 19, the Facebook page Justice and Healing for MaKayla was published, stating the following:

The charges against her are not just severe — they are utterly ridiculous.MaKayla spent the entire weekend in jail without bail, unable to see a judge until Monday. As she sat in her cell, her heart ached for her baby, and she became increasingly concerned about her injuries. Her chin was swollen and badly hurt, despite her worries, the officers claimed it was just “scratched up”It was clear that her chin was bruised and swollen.When she was finally released on Monday, her mother rushed her to the hospital, where — MaKayla was diagnosed with a concussion, along with internal and external bruising of her face, chest and body. The emotional toll of this ordeal has been immense, leaving MaKayla traumatized and feeling unsafe. The fear and anxiety extend beyond her; her sister was on the phone with her during the entire incident, and their family is now grappling with the aftermath. Makayla now requires therapy to help cope with the psychological impact of this traumatic experience. This is an attack not only on her but on the values of safety and justice we all hold dear. We cannot stay silent in the face of such injustice.Let’s raise our voices and call for accountability and transparency. MaKayla deserves justice, support, and to have her story heard.

But four days later, on Aug. 23, the Eau Claire Police Department released its videos with the following statement on its Facebook page:

Recently, a video has been shared on social media that has raised concerns from residents. In the video, Eau Claire Police Department Officers can be seen taking a woman into custody. We are releasing the totality of the body worn camera footage associated with that event to present many factors which were not seen in the video.

Both Patterson and Robinson are scheduled for hearings in early September, according to WQOW.

‘You’re Going to Jail!’: Wisconsin Black Woman Says She Bruised During Wrongful Arrest After Standing By Friend During Viral Police Encounter