A Mesa father's call for help to the police turned distressingly upside down when officers, responding to his report of a missing child, instead handcuffed him. Darnay Cockrell, 52, found himself in cuffs after he had phoned the Mesa Police on the morning of August 6 to report that his daughter had been taken by his ex, who is also the child's mother. According to a FOX 10 report, the incident was captured on video, spreading rapidly across social media platforms.
Cockrell told the dispatcher his ex had unexpectedly arrived the previous night and had taken their 4-year-old daughter the following day. As a bystander video shows, and as confirmed by Mesa Police statement, he was handcuffed by officers supposedly for his failure to comply with their commands and for making comments that "spiked concern for officer safety." Despite his pleas and explanation that he was the one to call for assistance, Cockrell was detained and then had to virtually fight to be heard. "I was on the phone with the dispatcher, and I was like ‘she left.’ He was like, ‘Go locate and see which way she went.’ So I went down the stairs and the officer was walking up, and I was like, 'My baby is gone,'" Cockrell stated, quoted FOX 10.
In a separate interview with 12News, Cockrell remarked on the emotional toll of the experience, "I would never call the police again for no help," indicating a breach of trust not quickly to be mended. Mesa Police allowed media to listen to the body camera footage, though not to release it publicly due to a lack of redaction. The department's statement acknowledges the heightened emotions of the situation but maintains that the detaining of Cockrell was in line with department policy.
Subsequently, Mesa Police stated that Cockrell's child was safely returned to him and that the mother of the child was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct under domestic violence law. After Cockrell filed an internal affairs complaint, the Mesa Police stated it was investigated and cleared as "unfounded," although they did concede that "supplemental training would be beneficial for both officers," detailed FOX 10. Cockrell has since suffered job loss and finds himself struggling, turning to selling snacks for subsistence. A GoFundMe has been set up to assist him with expenses relating to food and rent in light of these events.
