Body cam video shows Tahir Kelly falling on face after Michigan City officer uses Taser
MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. (CBS) -- Police in Michigan City released body cam video Thursday of the arrest two days earlier of Tahir Kelly, who suffered severe facial injuries in the incident.
Police also said Wednesday that Kelly's injuries were from a fall. But his family has questioned the officers' actions and claimed police used excessive force.
Follow the link in the box below to watch the video, which is age-restricted on YouTube. Warning: Video contains graphic images that may be disturbing to some viewers.
Body cam video from Michigan City police shows an officer pulling up to find Kelly on West 9th Street, talking with an Indiana State Police trooper.
Michigan City police said Kelly matched the description of a suspect they were looking for. The family's attorney disputes that - saying Kelly's clothing was not a match.
After it turns out Kelly doesn't have his ID, an officer asks for Kelly's last name, to which Kelly claims he just got married and later says his last name is "Benson" and first name Tahir.
The officer then returns to his squad car and is seen running information on a computer, and then comes back out to demand Kelly's real name – warning him, "You can tell me your real name, or I can just take you to jail." This time, Kelly identifies himself by as Tahir Kelly, but claims that Benson is his wife's last name.
The officer returns to his squad car a second time and is seen running information on the computer again. Afterward, the officer gets out again and prepares to take Kelly into custody, directing him to turn around.
Kelly then takes off running down the middle of the street. The officer pulls a Taser, and Kelly falls onto the concrete ground on his face.
Wires from the Taser are seen in Kelly's back as officers tend to him on the ground. Blood is seen on the pavement as officers handcuff Kelly. He breathes heavily, and his facial injuries are visibly severe.
Officers also proceed to search Kelly's person as they get him to sit up on the ground. They find a gun under his hands that they say he was trying to ditch.
The officer proceeds to remove the magazine from the loaded .22-caliber handgun.
Afterward, Kelly is heard saying he never had a gun on him, and also says he can't feel his face.
Kelly is then taken away in an ambulance. He suffered serious dental trauma and fractures to his face.
In a video posted Tuesday from his hospital bed, Kelly says: "I turned around to walk away. I get Tased in my back and I woke up in the hospital like this."
In the hospital video, Kelly talks softly. His injuries left him nearly unrecognizable to family.
"They did this to me, you guys," Kelly says in the video.
Kelly's family said he was on the way home from a corner store at the time of the incident, and never made it home. His family wasn't able to find him until Tuesday night, when they found out he was at the hospital.
On Thursday morning, Kelly's mother, Derris Baylor, questioned why he was stopped in the first place and why it escalated so quickly.
"Right now, he's just in a lot of pain and he needs prayers," Baylor said.
Baylor originally stated that her son was beaten by police, but body camera video shows that did not happen.
"He should be able to walk to the corner store a block up from my house - not even a full block - and not go missing and we don't know where he's at," Baylor said.
Kelly admitted he did run from police - but family says he did it because he has an outstanding warrant for a traffic offense.
The police chief saw the video before it was released to the public, and based on what it shows and the facts of the case, the department said, "Chief Dion Campbell is fully supporting the actions of the officers, stating, that they acted in accordance to the law and with professionalism."
Meanwhile, Kelly's family says he will likely need to be transferred to a hospital in Indianapolis for reconstructive surgery to his face.
"It is never acceptable that somebody come away looking like Tahir looks," said family attorney Cannon Lambert.
Michigan City police also said they have referred this case to the LaPorte County, Indiana Prosecutor's office for several possible charges - including a gun charge.
We checked in with prosecutors, and there was no word late Thursday on whether those charges will be filed.
