San Francisco police officers were caught on cellphone camera pinning down a man who had a prosthetic leg after reportedly mistaking his crutches for a weapon, the Daily Mail reports.
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The Aug. 4 incident was captured by journalist Chaédria LaBouvier, who was on her way to work at Medium in San Francisco’s Market District. LaBouvier said that at least 14 cops approached the unidentified man, who was apparently homeless.
According to the report, it is not quite clear why the cops approached him, but LaBouvier believes that a nearby deli owner made the call because the man was allegedly waving his crutches.
Some five officers surrounded the obviously disabled man and pinned him to the ground, pushing his head down and ignoring his protests.
“What are you doing this for?” the man protested. “These are my crutches. I use these to walk.”
One officer gathered both of the man’s legs—real and prosthetic—and knelt on them despite eyewitnesses’ protests for the officer to stop.
“Please, please let me go,” the man could be heard pleading. “Get off of me, man.
“They’re going to shoot me,” he continued.
“They’re not going to shoot you. That’s why we got these cameras out here,” one witness replied, the Daily Mail notes.
LaBouvier says that the man was eventually taken away on a stretcher and taken to the hospital. The journalist said that she doubts he was even arrested.
Read more at the Daily Mail and Medium.
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