video you'll only see on for tonight
shows Taylor police using force to make
an arrest there was no opportunity to
say anything as soon as they got up
closer to me they threw me into the
ground and started beating me tonight
the young man seen being punched and
taste is talking about what happened
between him and those officers that
video just acquired by local four
clearly shows officers getting physical
during this late-night arrest as they
sometimes have to do but was the level
of force justified in this case as
Germont terror reports that question is
now the basis of a federal lawsuit
Germont what started as a drive home for
Kody Meredith quickly turned into this
back on March 29th 2016 - Taylor police
officers spotted Kody heading home at
2:30 in the morning
police reports claimed Kody braked
heavily in order to not run a stop sign
then continued on going 35 and a 25-mile
zone he was just a block from his house
when he turned into his driveway without
using the turn signal
officers turned on their lights what
played out next is the core of this
federal lawsuit sister said stop why
didn't you stop at that point in my mind
I'm thinking why am i being stopped why
did I get followed home when they could
have pulled me over before I got to my
own look one two three right to his face
there was no opportunity to say anything
as soon as they got up and closed them
to me they threw me into the ground and
started beating Taylor police claimed
the then 18 year-old resisted officers
resulting in this aggressive takedown
Cody and his attorneys see this as
nothing more than excessive force
especially when additional officers
arrived they joining in the fray Kent
was kicked I was in handcuffs being
kicked in my face it all went down right
outside his mother's house which is why
you can hear Cody screaming for her
during the arrest cody has since moved
out of Taylor and hopes to move forward
he insists he never resisted officers
and did not deserve to end up in the
hospital they're police officers I'm a
black male that answers a question
they're gonna do and say what they're
gonna say to protect theirself but those
officers are not saying much at least to
us we've requested an interview with the
police chief but he said he could not
talk about this case the lawsuit or the
actions of those five officers there's
nothing that's especially troubling for
attorney Cyril Hall he believes this
case points to a bigger problem with
Taylor Police I don't think it's an
isolated because if we've had it and I
believe we've had one of the other
officers that's listed in the case he's
been sued on other occasions for
excessive force excessive force actually
Cody did not have any outstanding
warrants you can hear when finally cops
realized they had the wrong person
97 right that's not you just know the
same name that's all right but officers
did find a small bag of marijuana inside
the car when they searched it all over
some weed they had no right to go into
the motor vehicle you grip down to me
buddy
Cody admits it isn't easy to watch this
video even two years later feel empty
like I was worth nothing now it's
difficult for him to even visit his
mother it doesn't feel like a home when
you your home is somewhere you won't be
safe I don't feel safe there I don't you
feel safe being in an area
now police charge Cody with two counts
of assaulting an officer and drug
possession now he had a miracle Medawar
marijuana card so the drug charge was
dropped taylor police in their reports
insists that cody resisted those
officers however cody and his attorneys
believe that the officers went too far
and even when a supervisor arrived on
scene that night they contend that that
supervisor did little to nothing to
de-escalate this situation now you might
be asking what is called looking for in
this lawsuit he seeks more than seventy
thousand dollars in damages reporting
live in Taylor tonight Jamar Terry local
fool and German I know you said the
chief and police officers they're not
really talking a lot about this but do
you have any idea if any of the officers
faced any disciplinary actions Kimberly
we tried to get that answer from the
chief but he's not saying whether or not
they face disciplinary actions or
whether or not any of those five
officers are still on the force tonight
certainly more to come on this story all
right Ron