Florida police were searching for a white 16-year-old runaway wearing dark clothing when they instead detained a Black 15-year-old wearing light clothing, claiming he matched the description. But Judah Everage did not match the description – and he had actually been helping the boy’s mother l ook for her son. Melbourne police should have known that. Body camera footage shows officers speaking with the missing boy’s mother while Everage stood just a few feet away, talking with her.  Florida cops aggressively detained a Black teen who was on his knees with his hands in the air, claiming he was resisting. But he was not even the right person they were looking for, who was a white teenager who had run away from home. (Photos: Melbourne PD bodycam) At one point, the mother showed officers a photo on her phone, saying, “That’s my son.” “Gotcha, perfect,” one officer responded. ‘My Arm!’ Less than 10 minutes later, that same officer was among several who tackled Everage, fracturing his elbow. “I know his mom, I was just in the car with her,” Everage tells officers after being handcuffed. “You were there.” Police later claimed Everage ran from them, but body camera footage released by the department does not show that. “Get on the f—– ground!” an officer yells as Everage walks across a patch of grass. “I will f—tase you!” “I know his mom,” Everage says, trying to explain. “Shut the f— up,” the officer responds, shoving him to the ground. “Get on the f—— ground.” Additional officers arrive and grab his arm, prompting him to scream, “My arm! My arm! My arm!” “We’re going to break it if you don’t stop resisting,” one officer says, though the video appears to show Everage was not resisting. Watch the video below. ‘Is This How We’re Training Police?’ The incident took place on June 24. Everage’s family has retained an attorney and plans to sue. Beyond what the family describes as a case of mistaken identity, the encounter raises broader concerns about police use of force — particularly in situations involving a possible mental health crisis. The missing boy’s mother had called police seeking to have her son Baker Acted, a Florida law that allows involuntary mental health evaluation. She told officers her son became upset after she said his girlfriend could no longer live with them. The teen later told police he simply wanted a break and planned to stay with a friend for the night. “Is this how we’re training police to help a child with mental illness whose mother believes he should be Baker Acted?” asked Daniel P. Faherty, the family’s attorney. “Do you pull your Taser and scream, ‘I’m going to f—– tase you?’” Police said Everage resisted, but body camera footage appears to show him dropping to his knees with his hands raised as an officer approached and used force. “The trend should be more CIT — more crisis intervention training — but I’m seeing less and less evidence of it in my police misconduct practice,” Faherty said. “It’s disturbing.” “Let’s say they had the right kid – is this how you help a worried mother?” Officers’ Prior History At least three Melbourne officers involved have prior disciplinary records, according to WESH, which obtained their personnel files. Officer William Markle was previously investigated for being “aggressive and unprofessional” during an incident at a Planet Fitness parking lot, where he confronted a man sleeping in his car while his body camera was turned off. In a separate incident last year, Markle was reprimanded after his ex-girlfriend accused him of harassment, alleging “he entered an apartment complex where he previously lived, knocked loudly while covering the peephole, and continued contacting her after she ended the relationship.” WESH reported on Tuesday that Markle resigned from the force. In a resignation letter, he said that he has “thoroughly considered this decision and believe it to be in my best interest to pursue new career opportunities.” Another officer, Dylan, had two complaints: one for failing to activate his body camera during a shots-fired call, and another for a minor at-fault crash in a city vehicle. Officer Albise was also involved in a separate at-fault crash in a city vehicle, WESH reported. “It is very heartbreaking to think about my 15-year-old son just walking home after doing a good deed, trying to help the police,” said Everage’s mother, Angela Sparks. “The kid they were looking for is white, and he’s very dark; he’s mixed, you know? He’s brown, and so he’s like, why would they pivot and like come after me?” Sparks said. ‘Get on the F—- Ground!’: Florida Police Tackle and Break Black Teen’s Arm While Searching for White Runaway They Had Just Seen in a Photo—Now One Officer Has Resigned ...read more read less