A 32-year-old man was left paralyzed after being Tasered multiple times by police in Florida and now his attorneys are demanding police to drop charges against him.
According to local news outlets, Thomas Farley was tased by Palm Bay Police Officer Derrick Mitchell on June 28. Authorities were called to a Circle K gas station in the city that the 32-year-old construction worker and father was visiting after getting off work that evening.
Palm Bay Police reported that dispatchers got a 911 call about “a group of suspicious individuals being aggressive towards customers” at the station.
When officers arrived, police said the individuals fled, Farley included.
Bodycam footage shows Mitchell pursuing Farley on foot. He catches up to him as Farley is climbing over fence. After Mitchell demands Farley to “get on the ground,” multiple times, he tases him.
Attorneys state that Farley fell from the fence after Mitchell tased him six times. Family members say he broke his neck in the process.
“He is paralyzed below the waist. He does have some movement in his upper body and we believe that more rehabilitation will help,” Attorney Natalie Jackson told Florida Today, adding that the family is currently planning to sue the city.
The bodycam video shows broken pieces of the fence and a motionless Farley on the ground.
As Mitchell searches Farley, Farley is heard telling him, “I broke my neck, sir.” When he’s asked if he can roll over to his side, Farley said, “I can’t feel my lower body.”
A female officer questioned Farley about why he fled. Farley, still lying face down, answered, “They ran, I ran,” referring to the group he was with at the gas station.
Police charged Farley with loitering, possession of a controlled substance, and resisting without violence, charges his legal team is disputing. Attorneys called the allegations groundless and the use of force unjustified.
“There was no crime committed,” civil rights attorney Ben Crump said at a press conference. “At best, this was about loitering.”
Fox 35 reported that the bodycam video also shows the officer who tased Farley telling another cop at the scene, “I got no crime.”
A female cop is seen assuring him that they have Farley on loitering, possession, and resisting, but when Mitchell expresses concerns about number of times he tased Farley, the female cop gives him a shocked look.
“He didn’t deserve none of this. I mean he wakes up one morning fine, then the next day he can’t walk. He can’t even feed himself,” Farley’s mother, Pamela Farley, said tearfully to reporters. “He can’t move, he can’t feel nothing. I’ve been here feeding him and it breaks my heart. The boy’s 32 and he doesn’t even wanna live.”
Crump added that Farley can’t be transferred to proper rehabilitation center for suitable treatment as long as criminal charges are pending against him.
“These charges need to be dropped, and this young man needs medical care,” Crump said.
In a statement, Palm Bay Police Chief Mario Auguello said investigators reviewed the video and reports and determined that Mitchell’s taser use was justified and in line with department policy.
“The moment my office was notified of this incident, a thorough examination was conducted through our Professional Standards Division and our Training Sergeant who is a Master Taser Instructor,” the statement reads. “After an extensive review, it was determined that the officer legally and justifiably used his Taser. The officer followed departmental policy, procedure, and Florida State Statute.”