Black College Swimmer Sues Police For Pointing Gun At His Head Over A Selfie
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A college swimmer is suing Illinois police officers for wrongful arrest after being threatened that he would be shot if he didn’t obey their commands.
Jaylan Butler was travelling with the Eastern Illinois University swim team when their bus pulled over and his coach asked him to take a selfie with the street sign for their social media accounts.
While taking the pic, numerous police cars stopped and officers drew their guns on him. Two cops forced him to the ground and another pointed a rifle at him.
“He said, ‘If you move, I’ll blow your (expletive) head off,'” Butler revealed.
“My dad taught me at a young age what to do when you are stopped by police officers – stop instantly, put your hands up, drop anything you are holding, and drop to your knees,” Butler, 20, said to The Dispatch-Rock Island Argus. “I hoped I would never have to use this advice in my life, but all that changed in seconds.”
His coach told the officers that Butler was with the swim team, but they still put him in the back of a squad car, ans refused to state why he was arrested!
“After several minutes of forcing Mr. Butler to lie down on the ground while handcuffed, Defendants allowed Mr. Butler to sit up. They did not, however, remove his handcuffs or inform him that he was free to go, even though they had already recognized that Mr. Butler was not the suspect for whom they were searching,” the suit states.
After finally being able to show his ID, Butler was let go.