WLBT 3 - Jackson, MS: Man claims police beat him during arrest

Man claims police beat him during arrest

By Monica Hernandez - bio | email

YAZOO CITY, MS (WLBT) - Sheriff's deputies wrestled 20-year-old Roger Mitchell to the ground Friday at the Shady Lane apartment complex on Shady Drive in Yazoo City. They took Mitchell into custody on an outstanding warrant through the police department. Mitchell said authorities were too rough.

"They whipped me, beat me, punched me, kicked me, all this stuff, then got me on the ground. Had their knees on my neck, in the middle of my back and on my ankles and stuff, had my face to the ground. Then they bent my arms. I'm sore right now, I'm hurting right now," said Mitchell.

The day after Mitchell was released on bond, nearly a week after his arrest, you can still see scratches on his face.

The sheriff didn't want to speak on camera, but told us Mitchell was the one attacking deputies. He says that deputies had to spray Mitchell with mace, but did not beat him.

Bystanders took video of the incident on their cell phones. You can see officers wrestling Mitchell to the ground, but can't see anyone throwing punches or kicking.

But witnesses have another story.

"I looked down over there where my son was, one of the deputy officers, he was hitting my son with his fist to the side. He was hitting him," said Mitchell's mother, Teresa.

Half a dozen witnesses told WLBT they didn't see Mitchell fighting the officers. But the Sheriff points out, Mitchell was charged with resisting arrest by fighting with a police officer during the incident. He was also charged with reckless driving and driving without a license because he moved a white SUV with no license. And he's charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana that police found in his back pocket.

"We love our kids like [the officers] love [their kids]. Whatever reason they have to arrest them, maybe they have a reason to arrest them, but they don't have to beat them," said Shirley Winston, Mitchell's grandmother.

Sheriff Thomas Vaughn said citizens can file a complaint with internal affairs, and if any officer did something wrong, they will be dealt with accordingly.