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Officers Who Led A Black Man By Rope Won’t Be Charged

Unfortunately, no criminal investigation will be launched into the actions of two white police officers in Texas who handcuffed and led a black man by rope through the city of Galveston, state officials announced. Both officers–identified as P. Brosch and A. Smith–have also reportedly returned to their jobs.

The officers were at the receiving end of some pretty serious outrage earlier this month, after a photo of them riding horseback while leading 43-year-old Donald Neely down the street circulated throughout social media.

Neely was arrested on a misdemeanor trespassing charge on August 3, but according to the Galveston Police Department, a transportation unit had not been available at the time. So, to transport Neely to a police station, the officers employed a “trained technique” of using mounted horses to escort the man.

Chief Vernon Hale apologized for the officers’ behavior following the backlash, saying that though the pair did use a technique that’s a “best practice in some scenarios,” he “believe[s] our officers showed poor judgment in this instance and could have waited for a transport unit at the location of the arrest.”

He went on to add that his department “immediately changed the policy to prevent the use of this technique and will review all mounted training and procedures for more appropriate methods.”

Though some were pleased with the chief’s apology and promise to end the practice, other critics continued to call for the officers to be fired–but that’s not happening.

According to reports from The Washington Post, the two officers had already returned to work just days after Neely’s arrest. A state probe also concluded that Brosch and Smith would not face a criminal investigation for their actions.

The Texas Ranger Division of the Texas Department of Public Safety, which conducted an independent probe into the incident, said in a statement that “there was nothing” the officers did “that warranted a criminal investigation.”

But for those hoping for some sort of punishment, there might still be a sliver of hope. The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office is also conducting its own probe into the incident.

 

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