At a time when the U.S. is witnessing huge protests over the atrocities on black people, a video of a policeman asking a 48-year-old black driver to lick his own urine has drawn widespread resentment on social media sites. The clip shared widely by the netizens dates back to May last year, and the incident happened in Illinois.
Microblogging site Twitter has been trending with hashtag Black Lives Matter after George Floyd, a black man suspected to be involved in forgery, was choked to death after a policeman placed a knee on his neck in Minneapolis.
Victim Forced to Touch and Lick His Own Urine
The victim in the video, identified as Marcus Mosley, a driver and former federal safety investigator, was attacked by a police dog after the cop found him urinating on the roadside in Illinois. The incident, recorded on the body cam worn by the police officer, took place on May 17 last year.
Peace FM reported that the argument between Mosley and Lynwood Police Officer Luke Tambrini erupted after he was suspected of urinating in public and was told to remove his vehicle from the roadside.
After Mosley denied urinating on the roadside, Tambrini asked him to take his finger and touch a "little puddle of water" next to his vehicle. After Mosely touched the puddle, which the police officer believed to be urine, the cop said: "Now lick it. See, that's piss. Because if it's water, you wouldn't be doing that.".
A visibly enraged Mosley replied: "Who's gonna lick dirt? You think 'cause I'm black I'm gonna sit here and touch some dirt, then lick it?" He then urged the cop to call a senior officer to the scene.
Cop Ordered His K9 to Attack Mosley
However, the matter escalated further when Mosley, denied divulging his details and kept asking for a superior officer to arrive at the scene. Threatening to arrest Mosley for obstructing identification, Tambrini went on to taser him.
Not done with tasering Mosley, who kept insisting that hadn't done anything wrong, Tambrini ordered his K9, which had been waiting inside his vehicle, to attack the black driver. "Please don't have that dog bite me. Will you stop him from biting me?" Mosley can be heard saying, as the dog attacks him, and he's taken to the ground.
Mosley was finally charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, resisting a peace officer and obstructing a peace officer. Mosley was taken to St. Francis Hospital where he was treated for his injuries.
Lawsuit Filed Against Police Officer
WGN 9 reported that Mosley filed a lawsuit against the Lynwood officer for using excessive force against him last year. Claiming that Tambrini caught Mosely based solely on his race, the lawsuit said: "Mosley demands judgment against Defendant Luke Tambrini and Defendant Karlson for compensatory damages, punitive damages, costs, and such other and additional relief that this Court deems equitable and just." The publication reported that his case is still pending in Cook County Circuit Court.
When the outlet contacted Lynwood police for a statement, Deputy Chief Terry Schubert said: "We were unaware a lawsuit was filed. We are unable to comment on any pending litigation."
