An unarmed Black man claims he was tased unlawfully by a white officer in Tennessee. A partial video of the incident shows the two going back and forth after the African American asked the cop to speak to his supervisor.
On Thursday, March 10, Delane Gordon was stopped and tased by Officer Driskill, a Collegedale police officer, for allegedly speeding while working as a driver for DoorDash, not giving his personal information to the cop and resisting arrest.
Allegedly, the officer clocked Gordon speeding by using his radar detector, while he was driving southbound on 5700 Tallant Road and Gordon was driving northbound. Driskill turned around to pursue the man he believed was traveling 49mph in a 35mph zone, Fox 17 reports.
A police report further states Driskill asked Gordon for his license, insurance, and registration, but contends the driver became argumentative, insisting he wasn’t speeding.
The account does not report this, but around this time Gordon pulls out his phone and starts to record the exchange.
Outcries from the community, after viewing a video of the arrest, believe that’s not what happened and that the officer was acting aggressively and at no point worked to deescalate the engagement.
Little is known about the arrest outside of what Gordon and his lawyer have shared with the public.
Hamilton County district attorney’s office has asked the Hamilton County Sheriff’s department to launch an investigation into the incident, hoping to determine if there was any impropriety during the arrest.
The Collegedale Police Department posted on Facebook a statement regarding the investigation and the force’s plans to cooperate “fully with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office as they conduct their independent investigation.”
CPD also promised to launch its own “administrative review of the traffic stop and will release the results of that internal affairs investigation once it has been completed,” according to the statement.
CPD Lt. Jamie Heath further commented on the investigation, saying, “We anticipate a release of the full body camera video and Internal Affairs report, as soon as those investigations are closed.”
Two facts are clear: the incident started with the officer pulling the young man over and ended with the cop firing his taser on the man because he would not get out of the car upon the officer’s request.
Video of the event, which has since gone viral, details in part the exchange that happened after Gordon was stopped by the cop and before he was stunned.
The footage starts with the camera square on an officer pointing his Taser at the young man through the open door on the driver’s side. The law official says, “Get out.”
Gordon explains to the camera, “He said he pulled me over for a traffic stop and he’s going to tase me.”
The officer can be heard repeatedly shouting “Get out,” while shaking and adjusting his weapon.
“You can’t do that officer because I called for your supervisor,” Gordon said as he held his identification in his right hand crossing his chest, while his left hand was down. His voice in the video was calm, though elements of concern could be heard as the man tried to rationalize with the officer.
“Get out,” the officer ordered.
Gordon responded with, “I have my license. What is the reason I am getting …”
Before he could finish the officer said, “Refusing to give your information.”
“I haven’t refused, I asked to speak to your supervisor,” he said as the cop continued to bark orders for him to get out of the car.
A little less than halfway through the posted video, the food delivery driver said that he felt “uncomfortable” and asked for the cop’s supervisor again.
The officer responded, “I don’t give a sh#t what you feel like. I said, “Get out.”
At this point in the video, the cop reached into the car and attempted to pull Gordon out. Gordon could be heard saying, “Please don’t touch me. Please stop it. Why are you being like this? Is this really how y’all really are? This is all on tape.”
He continued, “Please stop. Please don’t hurt me. Why are you doing this?” he begged the officer as he tugged him through the door. “I am telling you this is not lawful.”
Then the officer tased Gordon, as he cried, “Ahhh … Oh my God! That’s not lawful, sir!”
Attorney Ryan Wheeler, Gordon’s legal representation, released the 49 seconds of video that his client recorded on his cell phone on the Speek, Turner & Newkirk Facebook account on Friday, March 18, with the “intention” to “spark conversation in the community.” He maintains that its release is “not an indictment on police officers,” but “an attempt to open a discussion.”
Wheeler later said questioning an officer of the law “shouldn’t be met with an immediate escalation, shouldn’t be met with an officer interpreting that exchange as a challenge to his authority.”
The lawyer noted that his client has been charged with resisting arrest and obstruction of justice and that they are currently “dealing with the charges” and working to clear his record.
Wheeler said his client “has no criminal history,” and he wants to make sure it stays that way.
As of Friday, March 18, Officer Driskill is still on active duty with no pending reprimand.
