WARREN, Mich. – The ACLU is suing the Warren Police Department for excessive force after a man suffering from a schizophrenic breakdown was allegedly aggressively manhandled by officers.
The 26-year-old man says he’s lucky to be alive.
Lawyers with the ACLU are saying none of this had to happen.
That’s precisely why they’re filing suit against the Warren Police Department for the 2022 incident.
“These were officers who did all the wrong things, and there was nobody there telling them that they were out of line,” said attorney Mark Fancher.
Fancher with the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan calls the incident a clear violation of constitutional rights for his client, 26-year-old Christopher Gibson, who was in the middle of a mental health crisis.
“He was not in his right state of mind. He felt very threatened by them. In fact, he felt that his life was in danger,” said Fancher.
Before the chaos that took place in the cell.
Gibson was having a schizophrenic breakdown caused by spending time with a close relative who was suffering from cancer.
He left on his own, popping up a short time later at a gas station in Warren.
A quick conversation with an officer in the car sets a foreshadowing tone for the rest of the night.
After explaining the situation once again, the arresting officer tells Gibson that “he picked the wrong city to be ‘Going through it’ in’”.
“I was lost. I was worried about losing my family. I was going through it. You picked the wrong city to be going through it in,” Gibson said.
Police realized Gibson had a warrant for identity theft, so they took him into custody.
An officer talked to Gibson’s mother during the ride, where once again they’re told about his condition.
But that’s the opposite of what happens when a panicking Gibson ends up biting a cop, causing an aggressive response from officers, where he’s continuously tased over and over.
The struggle doesn’t stop there, as Gibson is placed in the back of a police car.
Suddenly, he’s yanked out while handcuffed and slammed face-first on the ground. An interview obtained by the ACLU shows just how worried his mother was the entire time.
“I called all day long for three days. Hour after hour, and they kept telling me that they did not have my son in their custody. I thought they murdered my son,” said Gibson’s mom, Alwanda Gibson.
Christoper would eventually end up at McClaren hospital, treated for a long list of new serious injuries to his heart and kidneys.
There was also internal bleeding.
“I actually feel lucky to still be alive after what they did to me. So now I’m just speaking with the hope that telling my story will prevent any other people with mental illnesses like I have from ever really experiencing that again,” said Christopher.
The Warren Police Department isn’t commenting at this time. More than likely because of the pending litigation.