Politics and Current
Video shows a Florida officer’s shocked reaction after learning a black man had been punched six times by another officer; Leaving him paralyzed
A 32-year-old man was left paralyzed after being tasered multiple times by police in Florida, and now his lawyers are demanding that police drop the costs against him.
On June 28, Palm Bay Police Officer Derrick Mitchell shocked Thomas Farley with a Taser, in keeping with local news outlets. Authorities were called to the town’s Circle K gas station, which the 32-year-old construction employee was visiting together with his father after leaving work. that evening.
Palm Bay police said dispatchers received a 911 call about a “group of suspicious individuals acting aggressively toward customers” on the station.
When officers arrived, police found that individuals, including Farley, had fled.
Bodycam footage shows Mitchell chasing Farley on foot. He caught up with him as Farley climbed the fence. After Mitchell repeatedly demands Farley to “get on the ground”, she paralyzes him.
Defense attorneys say Farley fell off a fence after Mitchell punched him six times. Family members say he broke his neck in the method.
“He is paralyzed below the waist. He has some movement in his upper body and we consider continued rehabilitation will help,” attorney Natalie Jackson he said Florida Today, adding that the family now plans to sue the town.
Bodycam video shows broken sections of the fence and Farley motionless on the bottom.
As Mitchell searches Farley, Farley could be heard telling him, “I broke my neck, sir.” When asked if he could roll over, Farley replied, “I can’t feel my lower body.”
The officer questioned Farley about why he ran away. Farley, still lying face down, replied, “They got away, I got away,” referring to the group he was with on the gas station.
Police charged Farley with loitering, possession of a controlled substance and resisting without violence – charges his legal team disputes. Defense lawyers called the allegations baseless and the usage of force unjustified.
“No crime was committed,” civil rights lawyer Ben Crump said at a news conference. “It was a bum at best.”
Nov 35 reported that the bodycam footage also shows the officer who tasered Farley telling another officer on the scene, “I have no crime.”
The female officer assures him that they’ve Farley on a count of loitering, possession, and resisting, but when Mitchell expresses concern about what number of times he tasered Farley, the feminine officer looks at him in shock.
“He didn’t deserve any of this. I mean, one morning he wakes up high quality and the subsequent day he cannot walk. He cannot even feed himself,” Farley’s mother, Pamela Farley, tearfully told reporters. “He cannot move, he cannot feel anything. I’m feeding him here and it breaks my heart. The boy is 32 years old and doesn’t even wish to live.
Crump added that Farley can’t be transferred to an appropriate rehabilitation facility for appropriate treatment while criminal charges are pending against him.
“The charges should be dropped and this young man needs medical attention,” Crump said.
In statementPalm Bay Police Chief Mario Auguello said investigators reviewed the video and reports and determined Mitchell’s use of the Taser was justified and consistent with department policy.
“At the time my office was notified of this incident, our Professional Standards Division and our training sergeant, who is the lead Taser instructor, conducted a thorough investigation,” the statement read. reads. “After a detailed review, it was determined that the officer used the stun gun legally and justifiably. The officer followed department policies, procedures and Florida Statutes.”