Police Horseback Arrest Under Heavy Criticism
LEMON: The arrest of Donald Neely made national headlines after a photo was posted to social media showing the 43-year-old being led in handcuffs by two white police officers on horseback. Now Donald Neely's attorney is demanding answers from the police department. So, joining me now to discuss is attorney Benjamin Crump as well as Donald Neely's sister, Taranette Neely. Good evening to both of you. I appreciate you coming on sincerely. Ben, I'm going to start with you. You're calling for the city of Galveston to release the body cam footage of the arrest of Mr. Neely. Why is it so important to get the video?</s>BENJAMIN CRUMP, DONALD NEELY'S ATTORNEY: Well, Don Lemon, when those two white police officers on horseback drove -- dragged this unarmed black man who suffers from mental illness down the streets of Galveston, Texas, by rope, it truly was like they were dragging our entire community down those streets with rope while they were sitting up on horses. It hearkened back to historic memories of when slave hunters would take enslaved black people and have ropes around their necks and drag them to the slave auctions, and that was in the 1700s and 1800s. But now it's 2019, not 1819 Galveston, Texas, and we listened to their explanation that this is their policy, Don, and that these police officers were only following policy and that they're good people, and they are of good character. Well, if that is the case, then we are proclaiming that you should be transparent. Release the police body cam video so we can see the content of their characters for ourselves and see how they talked to and how they treated this unarmed black man who was suffering from mental illnesses. And if you do that, the civil rights activists, the mental health advocates, all the human rights advocates, we will pack our bags and leave Galveston, Texas, and go home. But if you don't release that video, we told them that we're going to invite more civil rights activists, more mental health activists from all around America to come back in 30 days and to do a great march on Galveston. So, Donald Neely and his family will know that they are not alone in this humiliation of how they did this young man who needed the police to be there for him, not to humiliate him.</s>LEMON: Well, Taranette, you know, Benjamin Crump just mentioned that your brother struggles with mental illness. You say that as well. Can you tell us about him?</s>TARANETTE NEELY, DONALD NEELY'S SISTER: Donald is a very loving brother. He's our protector. He always tried to guide us in the right direction when he could function right. But other than that, he's always been there for us. I mean he's sweet as gold. He'll give you his last. He doesn't have a heart -- he has no problem with sharing, loving, or just being there for you.</s>LEMON: Have you spoken to your brother since the incident, and how is he doing?</s>NEELY: He's doing a little bit better, not quite there yet. He needs his medicine. He's in and out, but we know that when he's speaking to us, we know he's trying to communicate with us.</s>LEMON: Why was he arrested, Taranette?</s>NEELY: From my understanding, for trespassing.</s>LEMON: Ben, do you know?</s>CRUMP: Don, Galveston -- yes, Galveston is a tourist town, and apparently the homeless people they are embarrassed by them. And so they had an order to arrest him on-site if he ever was in the touristy part of town. They knew who he was, Don Lemon. They had arrested him several times. They knew he suffered from mental illness, but yet they still arrested him and did him like this. And I will tell you, Don, he is one of the most loving, kind-hearted spirits I have ever met. We spent time with him today, and it infuriated me that they would do this to him. And so, what I really want to know is what did they say on that body cam video? How did they treat him knowing what kind of person this -- this kindhearted person who I don't think would say a bad word to anybody? We spent a day with him, and you just said. You can tell he has the mental illness, and he has those childlike qualities. So why would you treat the least of these, as my grandmother say, like that. And the chief of police knows what's on that video. Why won't you release it if you have nothing to hide?</s>LEMON: Taranette, what are you hoping to see change after what happened to your brother?</s>NEELY: I want to see -- actually, I want to see the officers arrested and charged, and I also want to see that the city of Galveston will do something about helping with the mental illness and the homeless that's in their city because they need help. They don't -- they don't understand what's going on. They are at their bottom. They need help, and they need to help them.</s>LEMON: Taranette, Benjamin, thank you.</s>CRUMP: If I could, Don --</s>LEMON: Yes. I've got to run. Quickly if you can.</s>CRUMP: I just - OK. Yes. Pamela Turner was killed in the Houston area. She was having mental illness, said I'm pregnant, and the police shot her. Danny Ray Thomas with mental illness a black man shot him. If we don't train these police and not let them continue to humiliate minorities who are suffering mental illness, next time he won't be dragged by a rope. He'll be killed. So, we have to be there for them because they can't be there for themselves.</s>LEMON: Thank you both. Please keep us updated on this case.</s>CRUMP: Yes, sir.</s>LEMON: The Trump administration now going after legal immigration. What it means for those seeking green cards or visas. Plus, the American medalists protesting during the national anthem at the Pan-American Games in Peru, and he is not the only one. He'll tell me why he did it coming up.