Black man is tasered and severely beaten by Michigan cops

A Michigan man is accusing police officers of using excessive force when they pummeled him for failing to signal while pulling into his mother’s driveway. 

Cody Meredith was followed by Taylor, Michigan, police while driving home around 2.30am on March 29, 2016. 

According to officers at the scene, Meredith had been driving 35mph in a 25-mph zone and had ‘breaked heavily in order to not run a stop sign.’ 

Cody Meredith was followed by Taylor, Michigan, police while driving home around 2.30am on March 29, 2016

When Meredith - who was 18 at the time - failed to signal before turning into his mom's driveway, police pulled over and immediately rushed him

When Meredith – who was 18 at the time – failed to signal before turning into his mom’s driveway, police pulled over and immediately rushed him

Meredith is suing the department for $70,000 in damages and others in the area claim that there is history with one of the officers and excessive force

Meredith is suing the department for $70,000 in damages and others in the area claim that there is history with one of the officers and excessive force

Only a block from his home, Meredith continued driving and turned into his mom’s driveway without signalling, at which point officers turned on their lights.

‘Not using your turn signal is not a crime,’ said Amir Makled, Meredith’s attorney, to WDIV.

Audio begins rolling as soon as the officers turn on their lights and Meredith is seen out of his vehicle, headed into the house.

‘Oh s—, get back in the car, man,’ an officer can be heard telling Meredith. 

‘Where you guys coming from? Get up off me,’ Meredith responded as the officers pounce on him and can be seen viciously pummeling him. 

Video and audio show the officers pummeling Meredith, who can be heard screaming for his mother while they beat him

‘At that point, in my mind, I’m thinking, ‘Why did I get stopped?” said Meredith. ‘Why did I get followed home when they could have pulled me over before I got to my home?’ 

The attack is the basis of his federal lawsuit against the officers and the department where he is asking for $70,000 in damages. 

After punching Meredith in the head repeatedly, the officers then use a taser on the man – who was only 18-years-old at the time of the incident. 

‘There was no opportunity to say anything,’ Meredith added. ‘As soon as they got close to me they threw me to the ground and started beating me.’ 

Officers claim that Meredith had been resisting arrest which is why such aggressive measures were used. 

Also, when Meredith is sitting in the police squad car, officers can be heard telling him: 'Shut the f--k up, you piece of s--t'

Also, when Meredith is sitting in the police squad car, officers can be heard telling him: ‘Shut the f–k up, you piece of s–t’

‘Outrageous conduct,’ Makled added. ‘Totally against the policy and procedure of any law enforcement agency.’ 

Meredith added that the supervising officer who responded to the scene did little to ease the situation. 

‘I was being choked,’ Meredith asserted. ‘I was being beaten. I was in handcuffs being kicked in my face. There was a lot of stuff going on.’ 

The man can be heard screaming for his mother as the officers beat on him. 

Also, when Meredith is sitting in the police squad car, officers can be heard telling him: ‘Shut the f–k up, you piece of s–t.’ 

And Meredith believes that there was more to the beating that eventually landed him in the hospital. 

He was charged with drug possession and two counts of assaulting a police officer - but because he had a medical marijuana card, that charge was dropped

He was charged with drug possession and two counts of assaulting a police officer – but because he had a medical marijuana card, that charge was dropped

He said: ‘They’re police officers,’ Meredith said. ‘I’m a black male. That answers the question. They’re going to do and say what they can to protect themselves.’ 

And the tension between community members and police seems to be prevalent in the area, as attorney Cyril Hall cites one of the officers having issues before. 

‘I don’t believe it’s isolated because we’ve had one of the officers listed in the complaint,’ Hall said. ‘He’s been sued on other occasions (for excessive force).’ 

Police believed that Meredith had a warrant out for his arrest, but that was soon proven to not be the case. 

Officers also found a bag of cannabis in the man’s vehicle, but his lawyer asserts that they had no right to do so. 

In the video, the officers can be heard claiming that Meredith ‘gripped’ them but he states that that was not the case. 

He was charged with drug possession and two counts of assaulting a police officer – but because he had a medical marijuana card, the drug charge was dropped. 

Since the incident, Meredith has moved out of Taylor but finds it difficult to even visit his mom. 

‘Every time I go to the house I pull up and I look at that little spot and I remember every little thing and how it happened,’ said Meredith.

‘It’s not a place I like to be. I don’t call it home anymore. Your home is where you’re supposed to feel safe. I don’t feel safe there.’ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk