(Newswire.net — October 9, 2015) — Kansas police department released a police dash-cam video that shows Officer Dale Secor tasing a black man in a dispute over his car parked on a sidewalk. The victim accused Officer Secor of battery by a stun gun and unnecessary arrest.
The civil lawsuit filed by Damian Words alleges that the actions of Dale Secor, the police officer, led to an unnecessary escalation on May 31, 2014, near the Short Stop Mini Mart on 51st Street.
The video shoes Secor stopping to check a white Buick Regal that looked abandoned on the sidewalk. After the video shows Words claiming it is his vehicle, Secor asked for ID.
Words then start arguing that he is parked there because he works across the street and there is nowhere else he can park his car, refusing to give ID repeatedly saying he did nothing to deserve such harsh treatment.
Officer Secor then told Words that he is under arrest and commanded him to face towards car and spread his legs. Words didn’t obey, demanding to know why he was being arrested.
After repeatedly commanding Words to assume the position for arrest with his stun gun aimed at him, Officer Secor fired the taser. Word appeared to be shot in the left shoulder and fell on the ground. Several other police vehicles arrived on the scene, one of them blocked the dash-cam view, but we know Words was then arrested.
Later that day, he filed a civil lawsuit against police brutality.
“This battery and injury to Mr. Words occurred because the officer by his training and the rules of the police department should have de-escalated the situation, but instead he escalated it to violence,” Words’ lawyer Arthur Brown said. “And then he lied about it in his report.”
According to Secor, Words acted aggressively, refused several times to give the officer his ID, and “got into a power stance,” which allowed the officer to use his stun gun.
“The individual did come out, I feel, in a hostile way,” former FBI agent Michael Tabman said. “I think the officer had every right to be nervous and concerned for his safety.” However, Tabman added: “Over a parking ticket, he could’ve just written the ticket and walked away because you don’t need a person’s identity to leave a parking ticket.”
According to UMKC Law Professor Rafe Foreman, however, it is the classic example of “excessive use of force,” because the officer was not properly trained.
The unprofessional conduct of Officer Secor is disappointing. While there are occasional instances of police officers using excessive force in enforcing the law, most professionally trained officers are properly enforcing the law. Because we expect and believe that most police officers do their job and enforce the law fairly. We also expect and applaud this sense of police accountability and dedication, which is exactly why many people will customize police challenge coins to thank and honor police officers for their dedication and remember the fallen.
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