Amid the scorching heat of a Phoenix summer, an incident of police confrontation has culminated in severe physical trauma and a subsequent lawsuit filed by Michael Kenyon against the Phoenix Police Department and the City of Phoenix. According to ABC15, on July 6, 2024, when temperatures soared to 114º, Kenyon suffered third-degree burns after officers pinned him face down on hot pavement for over four minutes. The lawsuit alleges that despite Kenyon's protestations of "Please… please… I can’t move. I didn’t do anything," as seen in witness-recorded video, four officers kept him on the ground during the ordeal.
Following the encounter, Kenyon endured over 30 traumatic days at the Maricopa County Burn Center, undergoing painful procedures like skin grafts to treat injuries across his body. With his mobility severely hampered by the burns and struggling to regain use of his arms, Kenyon has been forced to navigate a path lined with physical therapy sessions and the haunting permanence of scars. In a mistaken pursuit on that fateful July afternoon, detailed by 12News, Kenyon did not match the suspect description relayed by his roommate to police—which included a height of 5′5″ and back tattoos—he stood at 5′10″ and wore a tank top showing no tattoos.
The incident began when officers Adelbert Caraig and Eric Jusseaume approached Kenyon. Soon after, two more officers, Ira Salinas-Jerry and Rowan Clarke, arrived to help restrain him. A bystander's cell phone video shows the officers pinning Kenyon to the hot pavement as he pleaded with them. The complaint claims the officers used too much force, ignored Kenyon's pain, and acted despite him not matching the suspect's description, as reported by 12 News.
Phoenix Fire Department responders administered 200 milligrams of ketamine to Kenyon before hospitalizing him at the Diane and Bruce Halle Arizona Burn Center at Valleywise Health. There, the officers continued their misdirected actions, handcuffing Kenyon to the hospital bed and insisting he was "acting altered," as stated in court documents cited by 12News. Kenyon's accusations against the officers and the city are vast, and include excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment, municipal liability, assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Phoenix officials have so far abstained from public comment regarding the active litigation.
According to court records, the lawsuit filed last Thursday reveals that Michael Kenyon suffered serious injuries during his encounter with Phoenix police. So far, the police department has not released body camera footage, adding to public concerns about transparency and accountability.
