A US man is suing a Texas police department for $1.38 million ($1 million USD) after two white officers on horseback led him down a street “as though he was a slave”.
Donald Neely, 44, was last year arrested for criminal trespassing in Galveston, Texas.
But the nature of his arrest caused outrage, especially among African-Americans, when pictures showing him handcuffed and tied to the officers were uploaded to social media.
Many of those to condemn the photos said they harked back to the era of slavery, a point explicitly referenced in the lawsuit filed by lawyers on behalf of Mr Neely.
"(Officers) knew or should have believed that Neely - being a black man - being led with a rope and by mounted officers down a city street as though he was a slave, would find this contact offensive," the lawsuit reads.
The lawsuit also claims the officers injured Mr Neely, who was homeless at the time, and caused him humiliation and emotional distress.
Police leading Donald Neely down a street Source: Supplied
The trespassing charges against Mr Neely have since been dismissed.
The Galveston Police Department and city officials are yet to publicly comment on the lawsuit.
After photos of the arrest went viral, the Galveston Police Department issued an apology.
“First and foremost, I must apologise to Mister Neely for this unnecessary embarrassment,”, chief Vernon Hale said.
“Although this is a trained technique and best practice in some scenarios, I believe our officers showed poor judgment in this instance and could have waited for a transport unit at the location of arrest.”
The police department released body cam footage of Mr Neely’s arrest following an investigation into the incident.
In the footage, one officer can be heard commenting on the nature of the arrest.
"This is going to look so bad. I'm glad you're not embarrassed, Mr Neely," one officer is heard saying.
