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An African American man who was arrested and led with a rope by two white Texas police officers sued the US city of Galveston for $ 1 million in damages, his attorney said.
Donald Neely was arrested for burglary in August 2019 by two mounted police officers, who handcuffed him, tied a rope to his restraints and took him away.
The image caused outrage, serving as a painful reminder of some of the darkest moments in America’s brutally racist past, including the chaining of enslaved people and the lynching of black people in Jim Crow South in the post-emancipation years.
Mr. Neely was walked several blocks through the center of the small coastal town in southeastern Texas, passing several people, some of whom photographed the incident.
One photo in particular quickly went viral on social media, sparking anger and outrage at the detainee’s degrading treatment.
In a lawsuit filed on October 7, Neely called the treatment he received from the police “extreme and outrageous.”
“Neely felt he was once exhibited as slaves,” the lawsuit says, saying the plaintiff suffered humiliation and fear from the actions of police officers.
Neely seeks compensation of $ 1 million.
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“What happened to Donald was just wrong,” said his attorney, Julie Ketterman. “He wants to do what he can to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
“Donald wants people to know that this lawsuit is not just about money,” he said. “It is about what is right and what is wrong for all people, whether they are black or white, mentally ill or homeless.”
At the time of his arrest, Mr. Neely, who suffers from mental health problems, was homeless. The two officers of the mounted patrol unit found him asleep on the forecourt of a building.
Local media reported at the time that he had been charged with burglary on several previous occasions.
Galveston Police Chief Vernon Hale, who is himself black, said the technique deployed by the RCMP was one that officers were taught but had decided to discontinue its use.
He apologized to Neely and said he should have been transported in a police vehicle, but none were available at the time.
Chief Hale’s statement caused frustration and some activist groups said his response was “weak”.
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