Bodycam footage captures moment cops on horseback march black suspect through Texas town on a rope

BODYCAM footage from two mounted police officers who tied the hands of an arrested black man together and marched him through the streets has been released.

The incident, which occurred in the Texas city of Galveston, sparked outrage after pictures were taken by passersby and uploaded to social media in August.

Officers P. Brosch and A. Smith had arrested 43-year-old Donald Neely, who was homeless and had a history of mental ill-health, on suspicion of criminal trespassing.

They were seen on horseback leading Neely through the streets on a line as he walked between them.

Galveston Police Department posted the pair’s bodycam footage online on Wednesday after the close of an administrative review of the arrest.

At the beginning of the footage, Brosch is seen approaching Neely, who is lying down outside a building, and saying: “Why do you keep coming back here, Mr. Neely?

“You were asked by the property manager not to come back, ever.

“You’ve been arrested here multiple times for criminal trespass, and you know that.”

Brosch then suggests to Smith that she should go and get their truck, but she says their sergeant does not want officers to split up.

Brosch then asks, “You want to make him walk all the way back?”, to which Smith nods.

They then bind Neely’s hands, and Brosch is heard saying, “This is going to look so bad”.

Neely tells them he’s not embarrassed, to which Brosch responds: “I’m glad you’re not embarrassed, Mr. Neely.”

Brosch is also heard saying: “You’re doing good, Mr. Neely, but we gotta do what we gotta do, too, you know?”

At one point on the journey the officers decide to take a street with less traffic and people, and Smith is heard saying: “I want less eyesight.”

The officers arrive at their horse trailer after a ten-minute walk, and a patrol vehicle later arrives to take Neely to jail.

MEMORIES OF SEGREGATION

Pictures of the incident sparked fury when they first emerged, with some saying they evoked the history of slavery and racism in the United States.

Speaking at the time, Leon Phillips, president of the Galveston Coalition for Justice, which campaigns for minority rights, said: “If it was a white man, he wouldn’t have been treated that way.

“I guarantee there’s nothing in their rules that you can put a leash on a guy while you ride down the street on a horse.

“Every black person that’s over the age of 30 years old will have a thought of what it used to be like.

“Younger people, they have a tendency to not get emotional about something like this.

“I get emotional because I came from a segregated time, and people said and did whatever they wanted to.”

The Galveston Police Department said the technique had been used because a “transportation unit was not immediately available at the time of arrest”.

In a statement on the Department’s Facebook page, chief Vernon L. Hale III said: “First and foremost, I must apologize to Mister Neely for this unnecessary embarrassment.

“Although this is a trained technique and best practice in some scenarios, I believe our officers showed poor judgement in this instance and could have waited for a transport unit at the location of arrest.”

It will now be up to Hale to decide whether Brosch and Smith should face disciplinary action.

In a statement on Wednesday, he said: “I appreciate the efforts of Sheriff Henry Trochesset and thank the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office for taking the time to perform a thorough, independent review of the arrest.

“I am studying the report now and will use its findings to make decisions in the near future about the next steps for the department.”

Galveston city manager said: “The city supports the chief in any actions he deems to be appropriate.

“However, if the investigation identifies deficiencies in department policies or practices those will be addressed directly with the chief.”

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.