All of this over a parking ticket?
A Kansas City, Missouri police officer's dash cam captured an encounter with Damian Words, in what appeared to be a case of a simple parking ticket. The video footage completely contradicts nearly everything in the officer's official report on the (needless) arrest. The
Kansas City Star has the backstory, before the
released video footage begins:
According to police, Secor noticed a white Buick Regal illegally parked on the sidewalk. Because the car had dark tinted windows, Secor could not see if anyone was inside. He opened the unlocked driver’s side door.
Words walked out of the store and yelled that Secor had no right to get into his car and to get away from it.
When the released video begins, Damian is standing next to his car—across the street from the Short Stop Mini Mart where he was on-duty. The police officer is asking for his identification and Damian is questioning why he needs it for a simple parking ticket.
And just that fast, Officer Secor is ordering Damian against the car, with the threat of a taser, so that he can be handcuffed. Damian is protesting, telling the officer he is working and he can't just leave the store unlocked, repeatedly asking "why are you doing this?" Officer Secor calls for back-up and just seconds later, as the second officer is arriving, Secor lets loose with the taser and cuffs Secor.
Aside from needless escalating this simple parking ticket, Officer Secor repeatedly lied on the police report. He reported that Damian Words “bladed his body and got into a power stance." Officer Secor also said he'd run Words license plate and identified him as a known gang member, which was also untrue:
But federal records and records in Kansas, Missouri and Michigan (where Words is from) show no indication Words is a gang member or has a violent history.
Watch the escalation, which has now sparked a lawsuit:
A Kansas City law professor thinks the officer's actions were unwarranted:
"I disagree with the officer, I don't think he was being angry," said UMKC Law Professor Rafe Foreman, who has studied Taser cases for years. "This is an excessive use of force, this officer is not properly trained."
Damian Words has filed a
civil lawsuit accusing Officer Secor of battery. What would have happened without this video to tell the real story?