Ohio Police Criticized After Dragging Paraplegic Black Man Out Of His Car During Routine Stop

Dayton Police Department

October 11, 2021, 6:43 am

A disabled Black man has filed a complaint against the Dayton Police Department after they dragged him out of his car.

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Clifford Owensby was stopped by police on September 30 after allegedly pulling out of a house the police were monitoring for drug activity. They told him that they needed to search his car and asked him to exit the vehicle. Owensby told them that he is a paraplegic and wouldn’t be able to do comply, but the officers weren’t satisfied with that response.

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“I’m gonna help you getting out,” one says in the recently released bodycam footage. “I don’t think that’s going to happen, sir,” Owensby replies, shaking his head.

They go back and forth for a while, with Owensby repeatedly trying to explain the situation to the officer before finally informing him that if he touches him, “there will be a lawsuit.”

Owensby calls a friend nearby for assistance, and not long after that, an officer threatens to drag him out of the car. Sure enough, the officers then reach inside the vehicle and forcibly drag him to the ground, seemingly by his arm and his hair.

“I’m a paraplegic, bro! You could hurt me!” he yells.

On the ground, Owensby yells for help, as the officers repeatedly tell him to stop and handcuff him. They can also be seen dragging him between them to the squad car after that.

Dayton PD pulled over Clifford Owensby & violently PULLED him out of the vehicle after learning that he was a paraplegic who couldn’t use his legs. Cops SHOULD treat citizens with respect. Instead, police had no regard for the wellbeing of this man. Unacceptable! pic.twitter.com/M2D40cri9w

— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) October 8, 2021

Owensby was ultimately cited for having tinted windows and having a 3-year-old child in the car without a car seat.

Regardless, critics of the actions of the Dayton police say that treating anyone like that, but particularly a disabled man who repeatedly made his circumstances known to the officers and was clearly not posing a threat to anyone, was unacceptable and want the officers held accountable.

So they want patience that these officers refused to give Clifford. He had no reason to leave his vehicle but if he must have they could’ve taken him out cautiously and respectfully. But no they dragged him out and by his hair. Oh let the lawsuits fly with this department.

— Shanelle ‘Openly Black’ M. (@1NellyNelle) October 8, 2021

To pretend he was resisting because he knew that cop camera was also on. This is inhumane to treat this man like this. He was calmly telling them that he was a paraplegic. My God! What is this world becoming?

— natalie (@natalie06300047) October 8, 2021

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Including pressing charges and being fired.

— Bev Birkheimer (@Bev_Birkheimer) October 8, 2021

The Dayton Police Department has allegedly launched its own investigation into the incident, although the head of the local police union has spoken out in defense of the officers.

“Sometimes the arrest of noncompliant individuals is not pretty, but is a necessary part of law enforcement to maintain public safety,” Jerome Dix said.

He did not clarify how, exactly, Owensby caused any sort of threat to public safety during his arrest.

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*First Published: October 11, 2021, 6:43 am