LPD investigate arrest after man dragged outside nude by police
LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) - Lafayette Police confirm there is an Internal Affairs Investigation of a man carried naked out his apartment and arrested.
The family of Markaylon Mitchell, 27, is distraught. His girlfriend, Hailey Newton and mother, Tanya Jones both filed complaints with the LPD.
They want the officers involved suspended without pay, charged with excessive force, and the filing of false charges.
"They dragged him out of the house in front of me and my son," Newton said.
Newton is distraught and troubled by what occurred at her Delahoussaye Drive apartment. They had both returned from the funeral services of her boyfriend's grandfather. She said Markaylon started to have a panic attack.
"I see he's catching a seizure. I run outside and said help, help. Call 911. Call the EM," Newton stated.
Back inside the apartment, Newton states she continued to try to help Markaylon and get him cleaned up.
"I said come on let's go take a shower. We're in the shower taking a shower. It's me, my son and him; we're taking a bath," Newton explained.
She recalls that outside the window were the police yelling "come out."
"We were getting out the tub. They were already at the door kicking my door down," she said.
Newton believes the cops had it in their minds that they were dealing with a case of domestic abuse. She says they were wrong.
"One of the cops was saying ma'am you have a mark and a black eye. I'm like sir, if I had a black eye wouldn't you take a picture of it to build your case up against Markaylon," she stated.
For Newton it was a horrible situation. "He didn't even get a chance to get on the ground they already done bum rushed him and hit him with the shield," Newton said.
Markaylon's mother Tanya Jones said there's video circulating of her son's arrest and of him in the nude.
"I only can watch the video to a certain extent because my son is nude. He's nude out in the public in front of everybody," Jones stated.
According to arrest records, Markaylon was arrested on charges of resisting an officer, domestic abuse, child endangerment and false imprisonment
"She went outside and beckoned call 911. 'Help me, I need some help here and go back inside the house. ' How is that false imprisonment," Jones added.
The mother and Markaylon's girlfriend disagree with the charges including resisting an officer. They say Markaylon never resisted. Markaylon is in jail and his mother states that he's been denied bond.