In one of the most inhumane and emasculating moments a human could have, a photo has gone viral of a Black man in Texas being led on a leash by two white police officers.
Galveston Police was hit with a barrage of complaints over the weekend about the shocking photo of Donald Neely, 43, who was arrested on charges of criminal trespass at 22nd street and Mechanic, ABC 13 reports.
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The photo hit a nerve among people of color at a time when racial tensions are high, and white criminals are often treated in a more humane manner than Black suspects.
Chief Vernon L. Hale, III of the Galveston Police Department released a statement about the ordeal and apologized to Neely:
“First and foremost I must apologize to Mister Neely for this unnecessary embarrassment. 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 arrest. My officers did not have any malicious intent at the time of the arrest, but we have immediately changed the policy to prevent the use of this technique and will review all mounted training and procedures for more appropriate methods.”
“The MAN in the photos is my brother in law Donald Neely. He is mentally ill and homeless with family just over the causeway in Texas City. We have attempted many times to bring him home but he refuses. He gets arrested often for trespassing. After calling GPD and getting no where we have contacted our family lawyer who is working to get answers as to what occurred and why. We would like to thank everyone who has shared the original post and encourage you all to continue sharing! #wearenotourancestors #dontlookaway #share”
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“You don’t even do a dog like that,” said Sherri Kelly about the troubling photo. “I don’t care. That’s inhumane.”
“Where were they walking him to and why did they rope him if he was handcuffed? I don’t think it’s right,” Cynthia Orise of Galveston said.
The officer under fire has been identified as P. Brosch and A. Smith. They were also wearing body cameras and police confirmed the cameras were activated.
