A DoorDash delivery driver recorded his encounter with a Tennessee police officer because he felt unsafe after being pulled over for a traffic violation.
The footage showed Delane Gordon, who is Black, being tased by a White officer with a stun gun.
According to ABC News, the police in Collegedale declined to release the name of the officer in the video, which was presented at a news conference.
WARNING: violence
Gordon's attorney, Ryan Wheeler, said his client was a few hundred feet away from delivering food for the delivery service app when the officer made a u-turn and pulled Gordon over for an apparent speeding violation.
In the footage filmed by Gordon, he asked why he was being pulled over with his ID visible in his hand.
The officer ignored his question and repeatedly yelled at Gordon and told him to get out of the vehicle.
"I feel uncomfortable, please get your supervisor," Gordon told the officer, to which he replied, "I don't give a sh*t."
The officer then physically tried to remove Gordon from his vehicle by pulling on his shirt.
"Please stop. Why are you being like this? Why are you hurting me?" said Gordon. "This is not lawful."
Unsuccessful in his attempt, the officer backed up and fired the stun gun.
The clip ended with Gordon, crying out, "Oh my God, that’s not lawful sir. That’s not lawful."
Wheeler told the news station:
"Any exchange of that nature shouldn’t be met with immediate escalation."
You can watch a news report of the incident, here.
Wheeler said Gordon was booked, made bond and was released.
"Our goal here is to raise awareness on incidents like this because you got members of the community who are scared of any type of interaction with law enforcement," said Wheeler, adding "and we think that incidents like this are a big part of the reason why."
"My client was scared and that's why he was asking the questions he was asking and behaving the way that he was behaving because he was fearful for his safety at that point."
The Hamilton County District Attorney asked the county Sheriff's office to open an investigation looking into the March 10 incident in which the driver was charged with speeding, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
The DA's office said no further details from the incident will be released until the investigation was over.
The police department said they are "cooperating fully" with the Sheriff's probe as they conduct their own investigation and will provide more details when the investigations are complete.
Wheeler noted his client had no previous criminal record, never posed a threat to the officer who pulled him over and remained respectfully engaged with the officer during their interaction.
“Simply asking, ‘Hey, can you explain to me why I'm being pulled over?' or any exchange of that nature shouldn't be met with immediate escalation, shouldn't be met with, I guess, an officer interpreting that exchange as a challenge to his authority,” Wheeler said.
“That speaks to the temperament and mentality of an officer.”
@GregAbbott_TX/X
