By John Caesar
The family of a 21-year-old whose spine was crushed during a police encounter with authorities in Duncanville, Texas, is demanding justice.
On the morning of Aug. 11, a woman called officers after spotting Keandre Green urinating in an alleyway. Green had been jogging that Monday morning and reportedly had stopped in an alleyway to relieve himself. Officers say when they approached Green, he fled.
Duncanville Police claim that officers on the scene did a computer search for Green before pursuing him and discovered that Green had a warrant for his arrest for a domestic violence charge.
Green fled immediately on foot, according to police, with officers chasing him. Once authorities captured and pinned down Green, he reportedly continued to resist arrest, despite warnings from police that things could turn physical.
According to a police department press release, an “… officer delivered two straight punches to Mr. Green’s face… a tactic to end a potentially violent encounter.” When they could finally cuff him, Green began complaining of back pain, prompting one of the officers to call for an ambulance.
Green has been hospitalized at Charlton Methodist Hospital, where he and his loved ones hope for a full recovery. However, authorities say Green has been charged with attempted evasion and the initial crime he is suspected of having committed.
“He’s a young man whose quality of life may be forever changed because of an encounter with professionals who were appointed to protect and serve,” said Dionna Austin, Green’s cousin, at an Aug. 15 press conference outside Methodist Dallas Medical Center.
During the press conference, Green’s attorney, Justin A. Moore, demanded to see the body camera footage of the incident. He told reporters on the scene that Green is paralyzed but can potentially avoid a life of being paralyzed from the waist down through surgery.
According to the family, despite the claims of Green still being charged, he is not under any guard of police officers, nor is he handcuffed to the bed, which is standard operating procedure for patients under arrest while hospitalized.
Duncanville Police have said they may release body camera footage at a later date.
“It is our hope that police will put training and provisions in place so that things like this don’t continue to happen,” Austin said.
