'I can’t get up without my walker': Black disabled man pleads with officers forcefully arresting him

Police in Battle Creek, Michigan have opened an investigation after a video circulated of a man being brutally arrested on Thursday, Dec. 15, WZZM 13 reports.

The victim of the abuse is 28-year-old Dawan Gordon, a black man described as paraplegic in reporting from the Free Thought Project. Gordon was arrested after a patrol officer tried to stop him. Reportedly, the officer knew that Gordon was driving without a license and had arrest warrants.

Even so, the footage of the arrest show that Gordon's arrest was not carefully handled; instead, he was forcefully dragged by police, who also did not listen to the man's pleas to unlock his leg braces.

The officers are heard yelling at the man, who is shouting that he is unable to get up after being dragged from his car.

"You dragged me out of the car bro. Look what you just did to me," the man shouts. He says, "I can’t get up without my walker." He pleads with officers to help him, but the officers forcefully drag him to the squad car as he shouts in pain.

According to a press release from the Battle Creek Police, the incident, which shows "inappropriate" treatment of the driver by police, is being investigated.

On Friday afternoon, police Chief Jim Blocker said of the incident, "There was no use of force by the officers. He did have to be lifted and he had to be carried and he was using a cane and walker and he didn't want to use those and officers had to assist him to a patrol vehicle."

Blocker added, "Right now we don't see any policy or procedural violations." Both of the officers involved in the incident will continue working.

The driver was taken to Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo where he received medical services before being released to police custody. Gordon is presently being held at Calhoun County jail where he awaits arraignment.

You can watch the clip of the arrest below. (Content warning: footage includes police use of force.)