The Case of McDonald v. Dallas Police
In 2014, 34-year-old Jon McDonald was handcuffed and heavily beaten by members of law enforcement in a Dallas motel. The encounter, which occurred in response to a 911 call from McDonald’s girlfriend, left him seriously injured. According to police, McDonald violently resisted arrest, though McDonald denies these claims. McDonald’s girlfriend reported that police were unnecessarily violent when subduing him, also alleging that the officers taunted him.
Despite being outweighed by more than 300 lbs. by the two police officers involved, McDonald was punched in the face by both officers simultaneously and began to experience extreme swelling. The motel security guard who witnessed McDonald being carried out to the squad car commented that “[McDonald’s] face basically looked like it grew another face because it was so swollen.”
After spending a night in jail with painful migraines, McDonald was airlifted to a hospital, where doctors had to drill into his skull in order to alleviate the pressure that had built up within.
As a teenager, McDonald was in a car accident that resulted in multiple skull fractures and injuries to his neck and brain. However, his brain injury and mental illness did not stop officers from dealing with him violently. Officers claim not to have known or been sure whether McDonald was intoxicated, mentally ill, or otherwise, but to have noticed that his speech was slurred,
McDonald has since filed a lawsuit against the city of Dallas, alleging that the officers’ behavior violated his constitutional rights. In his suit, McDonald claims that his life has been changed since his 2014 arrest and brain injuries. He claims that his interaction with law enforcement have since affected his ability to work, maintain relationships, and live a normal life, in no small part due to recurring seizures resulting from the incident.
Mathias Raphael PLLC Accident & Injury Lawyers represents McDonald and has stated that the lawsuit against the city of Dallas and the officers in question are not an indictment of all police. Rather, it is an effort to hold the individual officers responsible for failure to accurately assess the situation and behave in a judicious, fair manner toward McDonald.
Call Mathias Raphael PLLC Accident & Injury Lawyers if You Have Been a Victim of Police Brutality in Dallas
Unfair or unnecessarily violent treatment at the hands of members of law enforcement can be personally devastating. If it happens to you, don’t hesitate to get the help you need. At Mathias Raphael PLLC Accident & Injury Lawyers, we respect and esteem members of law enforcement, but recognize that individuals must still be held accountable for unnecessary harm and injury to citizens. If you have been hurt or treated unfairly by police, get in touch with our Dallas civil justice attorneys right away.
Call (214) 739-0100 today to speak to a member of our team or contact us online to tell us about your case and find out how we can serve you.