Police in Galveston, Texas have apologized after a photo appeared on social media depicting two mounted officers leading a handcuffed Black man by a rope.
In a press release Monday, police said the officers had arrested 43-year-old Donald Neely on suspicion of criminal trespass, and had clipped a line to the handcuffs to lead him to a staging area about eight blocks away, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Police Chief Vernon Hale also included an apology in the release.
“First and foremost I must apologize to Mister Neely for this unnecessary embarrassment,” he said in the statement. “Although this is a trained technique and best practice in some scenarios, I believe our officers showed poor judgement in this instance and could have waited for a transport unit at the location of the arrest.”
