After a video showed officers with the Denton Police Department apprehending a man without legs, the department said they used “appropriate restraint techniques.”
Denton police restrained a man without legs on the ground while he resisted their attempt to detain him, according to a video circulating on Facebook. The department responded on September 15, stating that the video shows a “partial account of an incident” that occurred the previous day, near 2800 W. University Drive.
The video shows the man without legs yelling and resisting officers as they pinned him down and struggled to put his hands behind his back. After officers cuffed him, they sat him back up.
“While we respect the public’s right to document police interactions, it is important to provide further details to ensure transparency and maintain public trust,” department officials wrote in their response.
Officers were performing an unrelated traffic stop nearby when they noticed the man, who convenience store management had issued a criminal trespass warning in the past.
“After officers verified the trespass information with store management, the man removed his prosthetic legs and became verbally and physically combative as they attempted to detain him,” the department wrote.
The department said officers were professional and used the “appropriate restraint techniques” to detain the man. The man received a criminal trespass warning for a nearby business before officers ultimately released him.
“The department has reviewed the responding officers’ body-worn camera footage, including the full interaction and the officers’ response,” the department wrote. “We remain committed to transparency, accountability, and respectful engagement with our community.”