21-year-old man injured during Duncanville arrest released from hospital: 'I'm in pain every day'
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DUNCANVILLE (CBSNewsTexas.com) — A 21-year-old man who says Duncanville police used excessive force on him for a minor infraction last week has been released from the hospital.
Keandre Green spent six days at Methodist Charlton Medical Center, undergoing surgery for back injuries he says were caused by officers Friday.
"I'm in pain every day," he told CBS News Texas. "I'm in pain right now as we speak. It hurts to talk."
It started around 11:50 a.m. Aug. 11, when police were sent to the alley of the 900 block of Wayne Avenue after a caller reported seeing a Black male in his early 20s exposing himself.
Upon their arrival, officers found Green, who told them he was jogging and stopped to urinate in the alley. "I was jogging...I had to go urinate. I found the nearest alley and I handled my business."
Despite this, police conducted a standard computer check on Green and discovered he had an active warrant for family violence. Green then started running away.
When officers caught up with him, Green was punched in the face twice for refusing commands and for posing a threat, the department said in a press release. However, there was no mention of him fighting back.
"The only thing I remember is them breaking my back," Green said. "In that moment, when they grab me from the front, I kind of folded like a flip phone. That's when my spine cracked."
His attorney, Justin Moore, produced a medical report which says Green suffered breaks or cracks in the front part of three spine bones between the upper and lower back.
"We have a huge issue here," Moore said. "A young man had his spine crushed for jogging. The underlying offense was indecent exposure...a minor offense that shouldn't lead to a very brutalized response."
And while he is continuing to demand the release of any body or dash camera footage of the arrest, Green is continuing on the long road to recovery.
"It's gonna be three months before I'm back functioning again," he said. And when that day comes, police said he will face an evading arrest charge.
Moore said the Texas Rangers are currently handling this investigation; however, police have not returned CBS News Texas' messages to confirm or deny that.
