US black man led on rope by police sues for $1 million

Donald Neely was detained in August 2019, handcuffed, tied by a rope to his restraints and led away

Donald Neely poses for a photo in Houston. He was led by a rope by two white officers on horseback has sued the city of Galveston, Texas, and its police department for $1 million, saying he suffered hShow more

An African American man who was arrested and led by a rope by two white Texas police officers has sued the US city of Galveston for $1 million in damages, his lawyer told AFP on Monday.

Donald Neely was detained for trespassing in August 2019 by two mounted police officers, who handcuffed him, tied a rope to his restraints and led him away.

The image caused outrage, serving as a reminder of some of the bleakest moments in America's racist past – including the chaining of enslaved people and lynching of black people in the Jim Crow South in the years after emancipation.

Mr Neely was led on foot several blocks through the centre of the small seaside town in southeast Texas, passing a number of people, some of whom photographed the incident.

One photo in particular quickly went viral on social media and sparked anger and indignation at the degrading treatment of the detained man.

In a lawsuit filed on October 7, Mr Neely called his treatment by police "extreme and outrageous".

"Neely felt as though he was put on display as slaves once were," the lawsuit said, saying the plaintiff suffered humiliation and fear through the police officers' actions.

Neely is seeking $1m in compensation.

"What happened to Donald was simply wrong," his lawyer, Julie Ketterman, told AFP. "He wants to do what he can to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else.

"Donald wants people to know that this lawsuit isn't just about money," she said. "It's about what is right and wrong for all people – whether they are black or white or whether they suffer from mental illness or whether they are homeless or not."

At the time of his detention, Mr Neely – who suffers from mental health issues – was homeless. He was found asleep on the forecourt of a building by the two officers.

Local media reported at the time that he was charged with trespassing on several occasions.

The Galveston police chief, Vernon Hale, who is black, said the technique used by the mounted police was one that was taught to officers but that he had decided to end its use.

He apologised to Mr Neely and said he should have been transported in a police vehicle, but that none was available at the time.

Mr Hale's statement sparked frustration, with some campaigners saying his response was weak.