Topic: Back Surgery

The situation escalated when the officer reached into the vehicle, grabbed the keys, and demanded the paralyzed driver exit without his wheelchair. Despite the driver explaining he had recently undergone major back surgery involving the installation of rods, the officer and a partner attempted to pull him out by his arms. The interviewee suggests the officer's aggressive behavior may have been fueled by steroids.

Two witnesses at a nearby gas pump observed the officers attempting to pull the paralyzed man from his vehicle while his legs were pinned under the steering wheel. The driver's wife, a probation officer, pleaded with the police to stop, explaining his medical condition and need for a wheelchair. The presence of vocal witnesses caused the officers to momentarily back off their physical force.