03/18/2023; UPDATE: 03/28/2023; 04/01/2023
Taylor Brown has filed a federal lawsuit against the Normal Police Department alleging she was falsely arrested, illegally had her phone seized from her, and was battered by Normal Police Officers on Thursday, February 9th, 2023.
On February 9th, 2023, a fire occurred at Ms. Brown’s residence at approximately 12:32 AM. Brown was asked by Normal police officer Serena Cunningham if she was willing to come to the station for a voluntary interview about the incident. Brown agreed.
Brown alleges she waited in an interview room for forty minutes without anyone talking with her. Brown attempted to leave. Officer Cunningham told Brown that a detective was almost ready to speak with her. However, it was nearly 4 AM, and Brown demanded to leave as she was not under arrest. Officer Cunningham offered to drive Brown to a place to sleep, but had Brown wait in the Station Lobby for several more minutes.
According to heavily redacted police files obtained via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, Officer Cunningham was directed by Detective Tyler VanWynsberg to seize Brown’s cellphone for their investigation into the fire which occurred the prior day. Brown was still free to leave and was not being arrested for any crime.
Officer Cunningham then went to the lobby to seize Brown’s phone. At this point, Brown was Facetiming her mother, a Chicago Police Officer. Officer Cunningham demanded Brown’s cellphone. But, she did not have any warrant to seize it and never communicated what probable cause the police had to seize the phone without consent, beyond saying it was for the fire investigation.
After several requests for the phone to be turned over without violence, Officer Cunningham, Officer Max Yanor, Officer Kyle McComber, Officer Nicholas Kosenesky, Officer Nicholas Hines, & Sergeant Landon Richmond took Brown’s phone from her by force. Brown refused, seizing up in a ball on the floor, as officers attempted to straighten her out and secure the phone.
Officers claim Brown resisted kicking several of them in the head and refused to be subdued. Brown was then arrested for Aggravated Battery of a Police Officer and Resisting a Police Officer. Footage of the incident from multiple cameras is available below.
Brown claims she kicked the police because she was being manhandled, she couldn’t move, and she was scared. Brown claims it was not aggravated battery because she was defending herself from being attacked.
Despite being arrested for the above charges and transported to the McLean County Detention Facility, Brown was released from the jail at 12:19 PM later that day. She was not charged with any crime. In fact, her information doesn’t even come up in a court records search.
According to Brown’s lawsuit, the police department attempted to secure a search warrant from the State’s Attorney which they claim was not approved. This has not been independently verified. Brown’s lawsuit also says NPD returned her phone to her two hours after her release from jail.
To this day, Brown has still not been charged with any crime related to the violent incident involving the above named officers or the fire at her house. This begs the question, why was all this necessary?
The Normal police department is known for this type of stuff. They did the same thing to my son minutes from being released from the hospital. My son called to get his property and they told him to come in to get it. Once he arrived they arrested him. used the same story to keep him there. Told him a detective wanted to talk to him. I am ashamed to say I live in Normal.
Our police are not paid enough to put it with things like this and it’s people that, if she had nothing to hide why not hand over the phone and talk to the detectives!
So sick of story after stories like this and our officers risking their lives.
She doesn’t have to hand her phone over unless they have a warrant. So their actions was not justified @ all. Just because they have a badge doesn’t give them the authority to break the law either. Furthermore she came down to the station willingly. So to treat her like a criminal, grab her, throw her on the ground and utilize tactics by pressure points on a 18 year college student female on top of that is totally uncalled for. She doesn’t have to give up her right to have her cell phone because they demand to take it for some bs investigation. Normal police completely failed!!! I hope the young girl gets all the attention she deserves over this and is compensated VERY WELL!!
And everyone is sick of people like you, who aren’t using there brain before they make comments like this. I’m sure you’re smart (probably not) but if you can try you best and think, put it into perspective.
Girllllllllllllll byeeeeeeeeeee
shut up?
Because it’s HER device . There was NO warrant from the device, so why are they taking it in the first place ? People like definitely make the world a living hell
Because they had no right to take it in the first place. It is her property.
Lisa, you are what is called a “BOOT LICKER”.
You don’t seem to understand we have rights not to be arrested without evidence of a crime,
we can’t be detailed without suspicion we have committed a crime, and we can’t be searched without a crime. and property can’t be taken unless it is, or contains evidence of a crime.
The cops might GUESS it contains evidence, but they need a warrant to seize it. they must convince an impartial judge they KNOW the phone has evidence, not just ‘we hope’ it has evidence.
How tf did 6 officers risk their lives by illegally arresting a college girl who probably only weighs 140 if even. I’m so sick of you behind the scene racist clowns who try to justify wrong doing. They did not charge her with anything as well as released her after they piled on her and illegally took her phone without a warrant? Her mom is a cop so her mom was probably walking her through what to do. She went down to the station VOLUNTARILY . Like you can not be that dumb to think NPD was doing their job. They never do their job.
She did not have to hand over her phone. They had no probable cause or warrant to take her phone. It was well within her rights to refuse. They also used excessive force. This did not have to go this way. The officers escalated that to a point it did not need to be which is why they are being sued and she is free without charges. I hope she win her lawsuit and their money pays for the rest of her college experience.
Because she didn’t have to dumb ass. Know your rights. You man let them walk all over you if you want to but other people not putting up with that shit.
Why would she give up her property without a warrant? It’s an illegal search if they were to go through it (which they couldn’t since it would be locked) and taken by unlawful force. And they not getting raises for attacking a college student for a made up story they’re forcing out.
But they have the right to attack her and do all of that because she demands to go home after willingly going to the police department to be interviewed by a detective that took hours to arrive???? Please save it
Did you not see that she complied and she waited almost a hour after midnight before requesting to go home because she was tired!!!!!!!! If it was no foul play then why was her phone returned and no charges were filed against her? Your comment makes no sense and personally I’m not giving up my personal devices either!!!!!!
Because we have rights. The police are trampling those rights to get their way. We are sick of the stories of cops violating citizen rights and committing crimes against them.
Defund the police! They had the chance to speak with her and made her wait 40 min. I hope they all lose their jobs, and she sues the city for everything. I’m so tired of you bootlickers. Your the problem.
Because you don’t have to give it them anything without a warrant had they had one what you said would make sense.
It’s folks like you that support these types of illegal practices because you believe they won’t treat folks like you in a similar manner, until they do!
absolutely right
shut up bitch
Hey Lisa let me have your phone. I’ll go through all your pictures, emails, posts, text, purchases. While we are at it I would also like to come to your house, search through all your stuff, go through drawers, clothes, etc. The whole time I’m just fishing for any information I can find that would give me any excuse to arrest you, detain you even longer, or arrest people you know. Unless of course you have something to hide. You don’t have anything to hide do you?
Lisa your such an idiot and ignorant and h3ll for even saying some bs like that. I can tell your skin color just based off your comment and that’s just sad.
You a goofy🤣
Are you kidding me!?! This is excessive force and misuse of power! THIS IS WHATS WRONG
Uh, because this is America. We have rights. Seems like you’d be happier in Nazi Germany. There was no warrant, they had no probable cause for stealing her property and attacking her. Hence the reason no charges were ever filed against her. You obviously can’t read a simple article.
It’s called freedom, nobody had a right to her property but hers, it’s time law enforcement learn the basic laws.
my comment is; your uneducated fool.
bitch shut up
study the law hoe
everything they did was illegal , stupid bitch
uhm. we have the right to not hand over our belongings without any warrant or notice of seizure. They’re police officers, the arent god. They were wrong and stupid.
If you wanna be stupid and give up your rights go right ahead. You do not talk to the police their only job is to figure out something to put you in jail for they can lie to you to do it. We have certain rights and privileges in this country if you give them up so easily you won’t have them for very long. Do you think cops ask you questions just ’cause they’re curious no they’re asking questions to figure out how to arrest you, or just whatever it is you may have done illegal. They’re hoping you’re just gonna step in it and tell them all about it.
Police are not allowed to bully and violate peoples rights especially if no crime was committed.. We are allowed to stand up for ourselves when we are mistreated or abused. This not North Korea this is the United States of America where the people are supposed to have rights. There was a reason why the cop was fired. Hopefully you run into a bad cop that violates your rights and you sit in jail over night, only then will you understand.
Anyone feels like this is cool bc they are 👮♂️ has not witnessed this behavior are even had this happened.. All ppl have right and everyone needs to follow them.. Just bc you have a uniform dose not change how you can use/misuse them….
Normal PD not saying all but the few I pray you get that you deserve…
There to protect Who (She did no crime; She needed protection)
McLean County is a dirty ass town peorid Bloomington and Normal please ✌️
This makes me so livid!!! I hope the officer responsible for all this gets fired and she deserves everything coming from this. This lady was innocent. I wouldn’t be surprised if no one decides interviewing for NPD. These actions are so inappropriate!!
Did yall know that she set that fire intentionally, causing her roommates to become homeless. And the next day she flew out to Puerto Rico like nothing happened.
Dont set fires and you wont have to encounter police. Stupid games get you stupid prizes every time.
tell that to the cops who commit crimes and violate people’s rights.
Show where she started a fire better yet charged with anything looks like you didn’t read this article thoroughly
if she set a fire then why were charges dropped and there is no record of her arrest? Also none of the charges were arson.
This a bunch of BS! How do you voluntarily go to the police station cooperatively and end up in cuffs? No warrant for the phone, and didn’t even read her Miranda Rights. Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity & respect, not inhumane like she was. I hope like hell each of them involved are reprimanded and the one doing all of the talking gets it the worst! Normal/Bloomington Police has a history of mistreatment of college students and young adults in their town.
This cops Serena Cunningham is a mess there are other videos of her doing the same type of crap to innocent people.