According to Dayton Police, Clifford Owensby and his car were pulled over because the windows were tinted too darkly.
Police in Ohio forcibly pulled a paraplegic man out of his vehicle and threw him to the ground, despite his repeated appeals and him saying he has no use of his legs, according to body-camera video released Friday.
Owensby can be heard telling the officers he’s paraplegic. One of the officers said he’d help him out of the car, but the motorist declined and asked why he was pulled over.
The officer tells Owensby that due to his history, which includes drug and weapons charges, they are going to get a K-9 to do a free air smell around the vehicle and Owensby must exit the car.
“I can’t get out of the vehicle sir,” Owensby said. Owensby requests that the officer call a superior to the scene.
The cop says “You got yourself in the car, you can get out of the car.”
“Here’s the thing, I’m going to pull you out and then I’ll call a white shirt,” the officer says. “Because you’re getting out of the car. That’s not an option. You’re getting out this car, so you can cooperate and get out of the car or I will drag you out of the car. Do you see your two options here?”
It is around this time that the officers grab Owensby and remove him from the vehicle and onto the road. He was pulled out by his shoulders and dreadlocks. Owensby screams for help and asks that people in the area record the interaction.
✱No drugs or weapons were found in the search. The dog alerted the cops to $22,450 in the car. There’s an open investigation concerning the money.
✱The Dayton Police will investigate themselves.
✱The Dayton Fraternal Order of Police said in a statement, that everything was handled perfectly.
✱Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley said that the video is very concerning to her.
✱Owensby was cited in Dayton Municipal Court for tinted glass.
The YouTube video combines the police body cam video with a citizen’s video.
This one is from the police body cam.
