Video shows black Mississippi motorist being choked and bodyslammed during violent arrest for speeding
CLAY COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI: An African American motorist's violent struggle with Mississippi highway patrol troopers has triggered outrage after the incident was captured on video by his fiancee and posted online. The video of the July 12 incident was posted by friends of Robert Morton's pregnant fiancee Porsha Shields on Facebook.
According to NBC News, Shields told friends about the video, "I AM NOT ok and I haven't been for weeks now."
The short video showed her fiancé Morton standing behind his car and chatting with a state trooper on the side of the road in Clay County, Mississippi.
“Get your f—king hands behind your back,” a cop can be heard telling the 34-year-old, right before grabbing him by his neck and body-slamming him.
“You ain’t got to do all that!” shouted Shields, who caught the tussle on her cellphone. “You’re supposed to be out here protecting us!”
The incident happened when Morton was pulled over by a Highway Patrol officer for going at 101 mph in a 65 mph zone somewhere in Clay County.
“Why you got me like this,” Morton asks the officer, who is seen trying to put him in handcuffs.
“I pulled you over at 101,” the trooper replies.
“When you walked over to the car I asked you what was the reason you pulled me over,” Morton says. “You said, ‘When I get your license and registration I’ll tell you.’ ” The trooper tells Morton, “That is correct.”
“And then you said, ‘Get out the car.’ I get out the car, I’m calm,” Morton explains. The trooper promptly tells him, “Then you show me your hands right now.”
Still facing forward, Morton shows him his hands but refuses to let the cop put him in handcuffs. “You’re being detained,” the trooper says. “For what? Detained for what?” Morton can be heard asking. “Why am I being arrested?”
According to the video, the trooper tried to grab hold of Morton, but he broke free from his grip — prompting the officer to draw his taser. That’s when a second trooper approaches the scene, proceeding to choke Morton and slam him. The first trooper, who originally stopped Morton, also helped take him to the ground.
“Oh my goodness!” Shields shouts on video. “You ain’t gotta do all that!”
According to the New York Post, Morton was hit with multiple charges for the incident. Jail records show that he was charged on multiple counts including disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and malicious mischief.
Highway Patrol officials were not available for comment.