Family accusing police brutality in video of courtroom rapper - New York News | NYC Breaking News

His "performance" in court grabbed local attention, when Callius Moon rapped his responses to a judge during his video arraignment. But now his family is concerned about the performance the police seemed to have put on.

Monday night, 26-year old Moon was arrested at a gas station, after reportedly annoying the customers. He was rapping and dancing outside, and eventually a clerk called the police.

When the Warren officers arrived, they tried to question him, but all Moon did was rap back. When they tried to lead him over to the police car, he resisted. The resistance led to a struggle, which lead to knocking the mirror off the patrol car.

Moon's mother, Naveck Moon, saw the surveillance footage from the arrest. And what she saw – was police beating her son. She has since been to the Warren Police Department, and is going to talk to her attorney about the alleged brutality.

Warren Police say two officers ended up with injuries to their wrist and knee after the struggle.

Callius' family says this all could have been prevented if police could have recognized his behavior for what it was - side effects of mental illness.

Naveck is a nurse, and says her son is on serious medication for his mental issues. "My child is not well. He's been mentally disabled for the last three or four years," she said. Callius also has a diagnosis of depression and paranoid schizophrenia, and does not like to take his medication.

And when he is off his medication, he raps.

That explains his behavior behind the rapping at the gas station, and in court.

"When have you seen that before? That should have gave a clue that there's something wrong with this guy," Calvin Moon said, wondering why authorities didn't question Callius' behavior in court.

His mother adds, "What they should have done was take him to the crisis center. So now, he has an even longer delay in his treatment, because now he's sitting in the Macomb County jail. He still doesn't have any medication."

The family is reaching out to the jail to make sure Callius gets his medications and they are asking people to have a little compassion instead of just laughing.