Dave Chappelle addresses police brutality at hometown council meeting

Funnyman Dave Chappelle urged councillors at a meeting in his Ohio hometown to improve police practices.
The 43-year-old spent part of his childhood in Yellow Springs and now lives in the small Ohio community, where police officers were accused of adopting heavy-handed tactics after using tasers on two people in an incident on New Year’s Eve last year (31Dec17).
In January (17) the village’s Police Chief Dave Hale resigned over the incident, and Dave, who attended the New Year’s Eve celebrations, was one of many residents who addressed the topic came at a council meeting on Monday (06Mar17).
Calling the taser incident a “gaffe” the comedian said Yellow Springs had, “a tremendous opportunity to be a leader in progressive law enforcement.”
He then urged councillors to pick a police chief who would promote a more tolerant and inclusive approach to policing, even as U.S. President Donald Trump introduces harsher law enforcement policies at a national level.
“In this Trump era, here’s an opportunity to show everybody that local politics reigns supreme. We can make our corner of the world outstanding. So I’m just begging you to find a candidate that matches the culture of this town, which is incredibly unique,” he said.
Although the comedian has largely stayed out of the limelight since quitting his hit TV sketch comedy Chappelle’s Show in 2005, the star has signed a deal with TV streaming service Netflix to star in three stand-up comedy specials.
His deal with Netflix is reportedly worth $60 million (£49 million). The first of his specials will be available on the service on 21 March (17).