A Mansfield man, Charles Roberts, has decided to sue the Mansfield Police Department and Officer Michael Nelson individually after an incident where he was body slammed by the police officer for jaywalking, leaving him with severe injuries. According to Cleveland19, the confrontation occurred just before 1 am at 200 West Fourth Street in Mansfield and resulted in Roberts suffering multiple rib fractures.
Roberts explained to Cleveland19, "I’ve never experienced such pain." He was reportedly heading to buy a soda from a vending machine when he was stopped by Officer Nelson, who was responding to a call at the New Millennium Car Wash. The bodycam footage, obtained by the same source, captures Nelson confronting Roberts about the minor infraction, leading to the escalation where Roberts was taken to the ground. Roberts aims to file a federal lawsuit claiming a violation of his constitutional rights to be free from excessive force.
Despite the severity of his injuries, including fractured ribs and hematomas, the Mansfield Police Department upholds Officer Nelson's actions as appropriate. Police Chief Jason Bammann defended the officer's conduct in a written statement, emphasizing that the use of force was a response to Mr. Roberts' actions, not the offense of jaywalking. "The escalation occurred solely because of Mr. Roberts’ resistance to lawful commands," Bammann said, as reported by Richland Source.
Roberts, a 67-year-old man, received several charges initially, including obstructing justice and resisting arrest, but ultimately, he was only found guilty of jaywalking, leading to a $25 fine. During the confrontation, bodycam footage revealed, Roberts retorted to Nelson's orders with skepticism, calling out, "Jaywalking? That’s some petty a** sh**," according to what Nelson reported in the narrative of events obtained by Cleveland19. Chief Bammann further justified Nelson's actions by suggesting that Roberts created a dangerous situation by putting his hands into his pockets, as detailed in a statement obtained by Richland Source.
While the Mansfield Police Department stands by Officer Nelson, Roberts's attorney, Kevin C. Hulick of Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP, plans to seriously contest the department's findings in court. Despite his account and evident injuries, the internal investigation by the police department, as well as the endorsement of their chief, contends that there was no misconduct by the officer during the incident, which was echoed in a concise statement given to the Mansfield News Journal. The story continues to develop as the legal process moves forward.
