In a pair of photos, two white lawmen atop horses guide a bound black man with a rope down a wide and empty street.
In a pair of photos, two white lawmen atop horses guide a bound black man with a rope down a wide and empty street.
In a pair of photos, two white lawmen atop horses guide a bound black man with a rope down a wide and empty street. If it weren't for the cars and pavement, a quick glance may lead to the conclusion that they were colourised plates from the antebellum South.
But it was Saturday in the island city Galveston, Texas, and officers arrested Brandon Neely on suspicion of criminal trespassing. They had horses and a rope, but no patrol car to take Neely away. The officers attached the blue rope onto his handcuffs, and Neely, 43, was led to a mounted officer staging area.
We have verified with law enforcement officials in Galveston, that the photograph taken in Galveston is real. It is hard to understand why these officers felt this young man required a leash, as he was handcuffed and walking between two mounted officers. pic.twitter.com/bEFZnn4qmH
Bystander photos from the arrest went viral across social media, with many African Americans saying the photos were reminiscent of captured slaves in the 1800s. The outcry prompted an apology on Monday from Galveston Police Chief Vernon Hale, who called the arrest an "unnecessary embarrassment" for Neely.
We became aware Monday afternoon of a post circulating about a Saturday arrest involving two mounted patrol officers and...
"I believe our officers showed poor judgment in this instance and could have waited for a transport unit at the location of the arrest," Hale said in a statement. The officers did not have "malicious intent," Hale said.
The officers trained in the arrest technique for crowd control and other scenarios, Hale said, but the public backlash led the department to rethink how the practice was applied to a sole suspect amid a national discussion about police treatment of African Americans.
"We understand the negative perception of this action and believe it is most appropriate to cease the use of this technique," the department said on Facebook.
In a pair of photos, two white lawmen atop horses guide a bound black man with a rope down a wide and empty street.
Neely was freed on bond, the Associated Press reported. He does not have a listed number and could not be reached to comment. His family's attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but told KPRC that she was appalled by the arrest.
"I believe the way they handled him was disgusting," she said. "The family is offended. The family is upset."
The department identified the officers only by their first initials and last names, P. Brosch and A. Smith. It is unclear whether they will face an investigation or administrative review. The department did not return a request for comment. Their body-worn cameras were activated during the arrest, the department said.
It was unclear what circumstances led to Neely's arrest, although the department said he had been warned not to trespass several times at an office building that includes space for the investment firm Merrill Lynch.
Christin Neely, Donald's sister-in-law, posted about her disgust at seeing the images on social media.
Neely's sister-in-law Christin Neely said in a Facebook post on Monday that her brother is a 'homeless and mentally ill' father of eight.
Christin said she only found out about the incident from the image circulating online and labelled the arresting cops 'incompetent'.
"Imagine scrolling fb and seeing said loved one being escorted to jail on foot by 2 officers on horses, hands cuffed behind his back with a rope attached. In 2019????" Christin continued. "He was treated like an animal paraded through the streets by two incompetent a**holes!"
It was also unclear why the officers used the rope arrest in the first place. Police said Neely was being led to 21st and Market - about a block away from where he was allegedly trespassing, although police did not say whether that is where they arrested him.
