Black Man With Hand Tied to Rope, Led By Cops on Horseback, Sues for $1 Million

The incident happened in August 2019

Neely being led away. Is this the 21st century? Photo: YouTube screen capture.

Donald Neely must have had visions of a southern lynch-mob from the 1950s when Black men were hauled to brutal deaths before screaming mobs. 

Last week Neely, 44, sued the city of Galveston in Texas for $1 million, stemming from an incident when a two white police officers on horseback led him with his hands tied with a rope. One of the police officers held the rope as Neely walked between the two cops. 

 

Neely’s lawsuit says the officers should have known that the highly offensive procedure made him feel “as though he was a slave.” The lawsuit alleges negligence by the police. Neely seeks a jury trial.

 

The incident happened in August 2019. The rope was linked to handcuffs on Neely as the officers led him away. A body cam video of the incident went viral. Neely had been arrested on suspicion of trespassing. Charges were later dropped.

 

Galveston police chief Vernon L. Hale later apologized for his officers “poor judgment” but an “investigation” by the Texas Rangers concluded the cops did not break the law.

 

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