A black man who was led through streets on a ROPE by cops on horseback wants $1million after national outcry.
Donald Neely is suing after police in August 2019 arrested him, and connected a rope to his handcuffs and led him through the streets, KPRC-TV reported.
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Neely, who suffers from mental illness and was living on the streets of Galveston at the time of the incident, said he was “embarrassed” when cops led him through the town, The Houston Chronicle reported.
Houston-based attorney Julie Ketterman filed a lawsuit in Galveston County Court on Neely’s behalf, claiming emotional distress, malicious prosecution, and negligence.
The lawsuit claims Neely suffered “embarrassment, humiliation and fear,” KPRC-TV reported.
“Neely felt as though he was put on display as slaves once were,” the lawsuit states, according to the Galveston County Daily News.
“He suffered from fear because one of the horses was acting dangerously, putting Neely in fear of being drug down the street by a run-away horse,” it added.
Neely is seeking $1million in damages, with a trial by jury.
City officials declined to comment on the suit to KPRC on Saturday.
Photos and video of the incident – as Neely was arrested for trespassing – went viral.
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In body cam footage shared two months after the incident occurred, one officer can be heard telling Neely: “Stand next to me, because I’m going to drag you if not.”
“You have to stand next to me,” the officer is heard saying.
The other officer in the incidents can be heard saying: “This is gonna look really bad,” as he seemingly laughs.
The incident sparked public outrage, and prompted community meetings to be held.
Many people said the image of the man being led handcuffed and on a rope evokes images of slavery and racism in the US.
Demonstrators held a march, as they demanded body cam footage in the incident to be released.
“If it was a white man, he wouldn’t have been treated that way,” Leon Phillips, president of the Galveston Coalition for Justice said at the time of the incident.
“I guarantee there’s nothing in their rules that you can put a leash on a guy while you ride down the street on a horse.”
“Every black person that’s over the age of 30 years old will have a thought of what it used to be like,’ he added.
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The Galveston Police department said the horse and rope were used instead of a car because a “transportation unit was not immediately available at the time of arrest.”
Neely’s sister-in law, Chistin Neely, said in a Facebook post that he was “treated like an animal.”
Charges against Neely in the August 3 arrest were dismissed, according to the lawsuit, KPRC reported.
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