‘I can’t get up without my walker’: Disabled man pleads with officers during arrest
A police investigation has been opened in Battle Creek, Michigan, after a video surfaced of a black man being forcefully arrested on December 15.
Dawan Gordon, 28, who is described as a paraplegic, was arrested when a patrol officer attempted to stop him. It has been reported that the cop knew that Gordon had warrants out for his arrest and was driving without a license.
Still, the footage of the arrest shows that the man was not simply arrested. He was dragged by the police officers, who did not listen as he pleaded with them to unlock his leg braces.
In the video, you can hear the officers yelling at Gordon, who is shouting that he can’t get up after being dragged from the vehicle.
— Entire Indiana police department quits in protest —
“You dragged me out of the car bro. Look what you just did to me,” Gordon says. “I can’t get up without my walker.” He asks the officers to help him, but instead they just drag him to the cruiser as he cries out in pain.
A press release from the Battle Creek police says that the video shows “inappropriate” treatment of Gordon and that they have opened an investigation into the incident.
On Friday afternoon, however, police Chief Jim Blocker stated, “There was no use of force by the officers. He did have to be lifted and he had to be carried and he was using a cane and walker and he didn’t want to use those and officers had to assist him to a patrol vehicle.”
He went on to say, “Right now we don’t see any policy or procedural violations.” The two officers involved in the altercation will continue working as the investigation continues.
