Police kept Black man naked in yard while looking for teens

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By JEFFREY COLLINS

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A 71-year-old Black man in South Carolina was embarrassed and feared for his life when a police officer looking for teens who might have been breaking into cars held him outside naked and at gunpoint after he peeked out his door to check on the disturbance, the man said in a lawsuit.

Body camera video of the June 2019 encounter in Rock Hill shows Officer Vincent Mentesana cursing at Jethro DeVane and telling him not to close the door.

Mentesana orders DeVane to stand outside his home naked at 4 a.m., facing the wall, according to the video, which DeVane and his lawyer obtained through a public records request and released Tuesday. When DeVane asks what’s going on, Mentesana responds, “I don’t want to talk to you.”

The officer held the gun to DeVane’s head for 90 seconds as other officers looked through his home, according to the lawsuit.



In this screen grab from video provided by Bamberg Law, LLC, attorney Justin Bamberg, standing, speaks at a news conference as plaintiff Jethro DeVane, seated at right, listens, Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020, in Orangeburg, S.C. DeVane was embarrassed and feared for his life during a June 2019 episode when a Rock Hill police officer looking for teens who might have been breaking into cars held him outside naked and at gunpoint after he peeked out his door to check on the disturbance. (Courtesy of Bamberg Law, LLC via AP)

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/us-news-rock-hill-lawsuits-police-south-carolina-46458c1b93de49c1ef64565a56bc3d97

[llashram]

1. nothing that police do

reform, defund, whatever, will change the fact that they all have been militarized with military-grade equipment and that they see us melanin enhanced people as ENEMIES and shoot first ask questions-formulate lies later.

[marble falls]

4. Because police are about catching and solving crime. There should be some thought ...

... of at least alleviating causes of at least some crime before it gets to even the planning stage.

[pansypoo53219]

2. well, if he had clothes, he might be dead. did they kill any unarmed teens?

WTF is wrong with police academies?

[Marthe48]

13. I don't think there are police academies

just terror mills

[Hassin Bin Sober]

15. Agreed. But they do shoot naked black men.

[RandiFan1290]

3. Way past time to defund these terrorist thugs. nt

[KS Toronado]

14. We should fund the police with mandatory body cameras.....

Body cams to remain ON their entire shift. And if they turn the body camera off and use their gun, that
should be taken as an admission of guilt that they were in the wrong. Be a lot fewer people killed.

[LiberalArkie]

5. Just need to defunk the police

Get rid of law enforcement unions.

[PatrickforO]

6. I sense a massive lawsuit in that Department's near future!

As well as the stupid cop that did that.

I mean, what the hell???

[Hekate]

17. The city will pay it and the uniformed thugs will proceed as usual

[LiberalFighter]

7. Disgusting

Police are supposed to serve and protect the people. Not the other way around.

[Aristus]

8. It says "Protect And Serve" on the patrol cars.

But it really means "Protect And Serve Wealthy White People".

Police, at least, aren't saying the quiet part out loud...

[usajumpedtheshark]

18. The Supreme Court has ruled that do not have a duty under federal law to protect individuals

Their duty is to protect society. The motto should read, To protect and serve society.
Castle Rock vs Gonzales, 2005

[dalton99a]

9. "Would never happen in a rich white neighborhood"

No truer words

[RVN VET71]

11. Yep. Police reaction would have been

"Good morning, Sir. No need to be alarmed. We're just looking for some n-word teens who been breaking into cars. You can go back inside and let us find the bastards."

Or similar words.

Ahhh, South Carolina, first state to turn traitor in 1861, strikes, predictably, again!

And the police involved in this overtly racist extra-legal action will bask in the shame. Hell, these swine eat shame like it was Turkish delight.

[dalton99a]

12. +1. The same crap would have happened to Obama if he lived there

All they see is a black man, no matter how old he is, what clothes he wears or what car he drives

[Nitram]

10. So, when are the police and conservatives going to admit they have a serious problem?

"The first step in recovery is admitting that you have a problem."

[pennylane100]

16. Could the first step be firing these idiot cops?