*Galveston police have released bodycam video from the two horse-mounted white officers who led a mentally-ill Black man down the street by a rope with his hands cuffed behind him.
The video’s release follows national outrage over how Donald Neely, 43, was handled during his August 3 arrest for misdemeanor criminal trespassing. “This is going to look really bad!” Officer Patrick Brosch can be heard telling Officer Amanda Smith in the footage that October 2, per BET.com.
The officers claim there were no police vehicles in the area at the time to properly transport Neely to the precinct.
“We’ve just gotta do what we’ve gotta do,” Brosch can be heard telling Neely.
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Young black man handcuffed and put on a leash walking between two mounted Galevston officers in Texas.
“This imagery evokes a history of racist violence that is painful, and traumatic”~ Asha Noor
THIS IS SICK, DEMEANING, AND DEHUMANIZING!
THIS IS WHY WE KNEEL!
Retweet pic.twitter.com/xI8LHuzT3Z
— StanceGrounded (@_SJPeace_) August 5, 2019
After an image of Neely being escorted down the street by the two officers went viral, Galveston Police Chief, Vernon Hale, issued the following statement: “First and foremost I must apologize to Mr. Neely for this unnecessary embarrassment,” he said. “Although this is a trained technique and best practice in some scenarios, I believe our officers showed poor judgment in this instance and could have waited for a transport unit at the location of the arrest.”
The department said it changed the policy so the technique will never be used again, Complex reported. “[We] will review all mounted training and procedures for more appropriate methods,” Hale added
Donald’s sister-in-law also addressed the incident back in August, saying he is mentally ill, homeless, and that he “gets arrested often for trespassing.”
Adrienne Bell, a Democrat running for Congress in 2020, shared the image on Facebook, writing: “It is hard to understand why these officers felt this young man required a leash, as he was handcuffed and walking between two mounted officers. It is a scene that has invoked anger, disgust, and questions from the community.”
The police statement said officers Brosch and Smith lead Neely eight blocks away from where he was arrested.
Protestors accused the officers of being racist and Texas Rangers were called in to investigate the handling of the arrest.
“The Rangers subsequently conferred with the Galveston County District Attorney’s office, which determined that there was nothing that warranted a criminal investigation,” Chief Vernon Hale said in August shortly after the incident occurred.
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