The family of a 21-year-old runner are calling for an investigation after he was hospitalized due to injuries sustained while being arrested in Duncanville, Texas.
Keandre Green was out for a run on Friday, August 11, when officers were dispatched after receiving a call that a man was exposing his penis. Upon arrival, Green told authorities that he had stopped to urinate in a nearby alley during a run. The officers looked him up in their computer database and found that he had an outstanding warrant for family violence.
The officers initiated an arrest, but Green reportedly ran away. After catching up to him, the Duncanville Police Department says that he continued to resist arrest “by keeping his left hand near his waistband.” One officer warned Green that he would be hit in the face if he did not comply. Green was then stricken twice.
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Officers proceed to put Green in a “recovery position,” but after Green complained of back pain, they called an ambulance, where he was taken to Charlton Methodist Hospital.
Justin A. Moore, Green’s attorney, has since demanded that Duncanville Police release body-cam footage of the incident and called for an investigation.
“Essentially, his spine has been crushed,” Moore said in a news conference on Monday. He stated that the details of what caused the back injury are unclear, but there is a “potential for paralysis.”
“He’s a young man whose quality of life may be forever changed because of an encounter with professionals who were appointed to protect and serve,” said Dionna Austin, Green’s cousin, in a news conference.
Green’s family violence arrest warrant has been re-issued, and a new charge for evading arrest “will be filed at-large,” according to Duncanville Police. They are currently reviewing the incident.
Theo Kahler is the news editor for Runner’s World. He is a former all-conference collegiate runner who’s based in Easton, PA. Previously, he worked as the newsletters editor at Runner's World, Bicycling, and Popular Mechanics.
