psukhu
12 April 2006, 03:20 PM
Man: Jaywalking leads to police harassment
11:22 PM CDT on Tuesday, April 11, 2006
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA-TV
Click here for video (http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/VideoPlayer/videoPlayer.php?vidId=59487&catId=104)
Dallas man said he was punched, kicked, maced, arrested and spent 11 days in jail for jaywalking. He also said the violent run-in with the officers wasn't his last.
The first incident took place in October, and then a few months later Todd Lyon said it happened again.
Lyon said he and his 14-year-old son got off the train at the West End and crossed the tracks along with several other people.
"We went with the flow...," he said. "So, if we jaywalked so did everyone else. Out of all the people that crossed they seemed to single us out."
Even though they made it across safely, a DART officer ordered them to come back across, which put them in possible danger, Lyon said. According to DART's own report, a southbound train was in motion at the time.
When Lyon and his son declined, they said two officers attacked them. Lyon said he believes it was his long hair that made him a target.
"They grabbed my hand...then my hair and then made derogotory remarks about my hair," he said.
A witness said what he saw next stunned him.
"I saw another officer come in from the right hand side and throw a closed fisted punch at him," Steven Betzen said.
According to a police report, officers ordered Lyon to place his hands behind his back, but when he refused they sprayed him with mace. Lyon said he was thrown to the ground "knees and elbows first."
"I am kicked on the side [and] kneed in the back," he said. "I am maced, handcuffed and laying face down on the pavement."
Officers then kicked Lyon's son, Betzen said.
"At no time did they resist arrest," he said. "In fact, there was no threat at all to the police officers."
Lyon spent 11 days in jail and was ordered by DART police to stay out of the West End station, which didn't mean he was banned from the West End.
On St. Patrick's Day, Lyon said he returned to the West End to celebrate but was taunted by officers. Lyon said they chased him and once again roughed him up.
"I am doing every thing I can to comply and they mace me in the face, and here we go again," he said.
DART police said he was trespassing. They also released what they said was a complete report on the incidents. However, in the first report it didn't even mention Lyon's son. They also left out the fact that DART police left the teenager alone at the West End after taking his father to jail.
DART police also sent a statement saying DART's internal affairs unit believes the officers followed all policies and procedures.
E-mail rlopez@wfaa.com
Online at: http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa060412_mo_dartrunin.27a29331.html
11:22 PM CDT on Tuesday, April 11, 2006
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA-TV
Click here for video (http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/VideoPlayer/videoPlayer.php?vidId=59487&catId=104)
Dallas man said he was punched, kicked, maced, arrested and spent 11 days in jail for jaywalking. He also said the violent run-in with the officers wasn't his last.
The first incident took place in October, and then a few months later Todd Lyon said it happened again.
Lyon said he and his 14-year-old son got off the train at the West End and crossed the tracks along with several other people.
"We went with the flow...," he said. "So, if we jaywalked so did everyone else. Out of all the people that crossed they seemed to single us out."
Even though they made it across safely, a DART officer ordered them to come back across, which put them in possible danger, Lyon said. According to DART's own report, a southbound train was in motion at the time.
When Lyon and his son declined, they said two officers attacked them. Lyon said he believes it was his long hair that made him a target.
"They grabbed my hand...then my hair and then made derogotory remarks about my hair," he said.
A witness said what he saw next stunned him.
"I saw another officer come in from the right hand side and throw a closed fisted punch at him," Steven Betzen said.
According to a police report, officers ordered Lyon to place his hands behind his back, but when he refused they sprayed him with mace. Lyon said he was thrown to the ground "knees and elbows first."
"I am kicked on the side [and] kneed in the back," he said. "I am maced, handcuffed and laying face down on the pavement."
Officers then kicked Lyon's son, Betzen said.
"At no time did they resist arrest," he said. "In fact, there was no threat at all to the police officers."
Lyon spent 11 days in jail and was ordered by DART police to stay out of the West End station, which didn't mean he was banned from the West End.
On St. Patrick's Day, Lyon said he returned to the West End to celebrate but was taunted by officers. Lyon said they chased him and once again roughed him up.
"I am doing every thing I can to comply and they mace me in the face, and here we go again," he said.
DART police said he was trespassing. They also released what they said was a complete report on the incidents. However, in the first report it didn't even mention Lyon's son. They also left out the fact that DART police left the teenager alone at the West End after taking his father to jail.
DART police also sent a statement saying DART's internal affairs unit believes the officers followed all policies and procedures.
E-mail rlopez@wfaa.com
Online at: http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa060412_mo_dartrunin.27a29331.html